First Great Western Diversions spring 2013

[anthony263]

Just seen on wnxx that FGW have put out bulletins to staff about the diversions during the next blockade at Reading in spring 2013.

"FGW have just issued a staff memo regarding diversions over the two weekends next year around Easter time.
The dates concerned are Friday 29 March 2013 to Monday 01 April 2013 and Friday 05 April 2013 to Monday 08 April 2013 inclusive.

FGW will divert Bristol and South Wales HST services via Foxhall Jn, Oxford, Banbury, High Wycombe and Greenford to Paddington on a half hourly basis. West of England services will operate to and from Waterloo but via the main line between Basingstoke and Waterloo as LSL swing-link coupling issues have now been cleared on the route, these will operate hourly. They will operate Taunton-Westbury-Salisbury-Basingstoke-Waterloo.
Similar to the last set of diversions, the HST's will call at Basingstoke to PICK UP ex Waterloo and SET DOWN to Waterloo. The Banbury call in the Bristol/South Wales diversions will purely be for crew and reversal purposes. FGW drivers will again be conducted over both diversionary routes.

In addition to this, there will be a two hourly Didcot-Swindon-Kemble-Cheltenham shuttle formed of 3 car class 150s and also a two hourly Theale-Westbury all station shuttle formed of 3 car class 165/166s.

Didcot/Oxford-Worcester/Hereford services will be operated by 165/166/180's during the engineering blockade period.
There are no plans to operate any 180s via the Chiltern route. There will however be some Sunday morning Oxford-Paddington services formed of 165/166 traction via Banbury"

http://www.wnxxforum.com/interactive/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26983


I would like to know however where the 3 carriage class 150's are going to come from since FGW only have the two that operate around Bristol and 150001 & 150002, perhaps during the diversions there maybe some additional class 165's available to use on the Reading - Bassingstoke route allowing 150001/150002 to work the Didcot - Cheltenham shuttle.

Class 165/166's at Westbury although its a pity they cant run them up to Bristol TM or something it would certainly have added some more variety.

However I guesing staff will have to be trained and the route between Westbury and Bath cleared for use by the Class 165/166's

 

[SwindonPkwy]

Through Greenford on a HST!! When can I book my ticket?

 

[causton]

Presume the Greenford bit will be via the lines that the Chiltern service uses e.g. via Old Oak, and not via West Ealing?

 

[Ivo]

Westbury to Waterloo via Salisbury? That sounds familiar...

...but on an HST? That would make a very nice birthday present, I have to say!

As for the extra stock? I seriously doubt that 150001 and 150002 would operate the Basingstoke to Reading shuttle at that time; I expect Reading will be closed to all traffic on all routes. (If it isn't, the service will be too busy for 150s to cope.)

 

[ushawk]

Seems very much like Christmas and New Year 2010/2011.

 

[wintonian]

Similar to the last set of diversions, the HST's will call at Basingstoke to PICK UP ex Waterloo and SET DOWN to Waterloo. The Banbury call in the Bristol/South Wales diversions will purely be for crew and reversal purposes. FGW drivers will again be conducted over both diversionary routes.

So does that mean Passengers will be able to board/ alight at Banbury or not?

What's happening with the Basingstoke - Reading shuttle and Thameslink services or is Reading still open for those?

 

[Eagle]

So I'm assuming that over this Easter weekend we'll also see XC services via the west curve calling at Reading West?

What's happening with the Basingstoke - Reading shuttle and Thameslink services or is Reading still open for those?

:?*:?*:? Thameslink at Reading?

 

[wintonian]

So I'm assuming that over this Easter weekend we'll also see XC services via the west curve calling at Reading West?



?:? Thameslink at Reading?

I wish

I meant the Thames trains turbos.

(Well it was half 2 and it all begins with 't'...)

 

[anthony263]

Seems very much like Christmas and New Year 2010/2011.

Basically the same except you have some class 165's running through to Westbury and the west of england - London HST's will run hourly and take a slightly different route in London Waterloo

 

[D6975]

So I'm assuming that over this Easter weekend we'll also see XC services via the west curve calling at Reading West?

Unless Reading is a complete no-go area.
Then we might see them going Swindon-Melksham-Salisbury-Soton.

 

[Eagle]

Unless Reading is a complete no-go area.
Then we might see them going Swindon-Melksham-Salisbury-Soton.

I highly doubt XC can find drivers who can do that (or that Voyagers are even cleared for that). If the west curve is also shut, then it'd be far easier for XC to run services Bournemouth to Basingstoke and Didcot/Oxford to the north, with a bus between, as they've done quite a few times before.

 

[43167]

Would like to know what the Night Riveria will do on the Friday and Sunday nights.

 

[ushawk]

Would like to know what the Night Riveria will do on the Friday and Sunday nights.

Either cancelled or TnT via Banbury is probably the best bet.

 

[TEW]

Presume the Greenford bit will be via the lines that the Chiltern service uses e.g. via Old Oak, and not via West Ealing?

Last time up services ran via West Ealing and down services ran via Old Oak.

 

[SteamontheMet]

Through Greenford on a HST!! When can I book my ticket?

Presume the Greenford bit will be via the lines that the Chiltern service uses e.g. via Old Oak, and not via West Ealing?

Last time up services ran via West Ealing and down services ran via Old Oak.

Its Hit and Miss, they used both last time with some services running down the New North Mainline from Greenford to North Acton/Old Oak and others running down the Castle Bar line to join up with the mainline West Ealing.

I was told last time this was due to a stop a Ealing Broadway and to prevent trains crossing paths in the Old Oak/Westbourne Park area, whether that was correct I am not sure.

Here is a video from Greenford of the last FGW HST Reading Blockade Diversions over the Christmas/New Year Period 2010/2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRNl_U1gPQs

Steamonthemet

 

[RPI]

150's are not used on the BSK-RDG at weekends so that's where the 3 car 150's come from on the Sat and Sun.

 

[cm39275]

The diversions for fgw over easter 2013 are basicly the same as what happened over Christmas/ new year 2010/11. The only differnece is that the Westbury- Theale shuttles are pencilled in the be formed off 165/166's instead off an HSTs trundling back and forth. the Basingstoke to Reading shuttles will run to and from Reading West. The plan for the Night reviera is that it will run via Banbury in both diresctions with possiable the loco running round at Banbury as fgw dont have enough locos to enable it to be tnt throughout from Paddington to Penzance. i have also herd from a pretty reliable source that the pilots drivers are gonna be trained in house by fgw themselfs rather than paying high fees to a freight company. As off Crosscountry's plans during the distrupion im not to sure on at the moment.

 

[43167]

It is also possible that the loco that brings the ecs from Old Oak Common stays coupled on the back, then works the down sleeper forward from Banbury. The loco that worked Pad-Banbury stays to work the up into Paddington.

Time will tell.

 

[Rich McLean]

It is also possible that the loco that brings the ecs from Old Oak Common stays coupled on the back, then works the down sleeper forward from Banbury. The loco that worked Pad-Banbury stays to work the up into Paddington.

Time will tell.

That's providing that they have enough serviceable 57's, which is very rare, as Class 08's are getting more and more common hauling the sleeper stock into and out of Padd to and from OOC

 

[sonic2009]

Reading afaik will be a no-go area.

XC last time started at Oxford or Didcot Parkway, with buses direct to Basingstoke.

 

[Whistler40145]

I know it sounds daft, but why can't the Night Riviera operate in/out of Waterloo, routed via Basingstoke, Salisbury, Westbury, Bath Spa & Bristol Temple Meads?

 

[Monty]

Not sure if the domestic platforms are long enough to accommodate the sleeper. The international station would with room to spare, but apparently it needs work doing to it before its ready to serve passengers once more. There was talk of basing both sleepers out of Waterloo at one time but that's all it's been to this point, talk.

 

[Whistler40145]

Having thought about it, problems would have occurred with ECS movements to/from OOC & a second 57 would have been required.

 

[Monty]

In the short term term could keep a spare 57 in one of the spare international platforms at Waterloo, the train could arrive in the morning with one loco and leave with another. However the train would need to be serviced and cleaned in the platforms which is not at all desirable, if they were to move the sleepers to Waterloo on a permanent basis you would need at least build a loco spur on the international side of the station and modify Wimbledon Park depot to carry out maintenance.

 

[Whistler40145]

For periods of Engineering Works e.g. Reading, Euston would have the capacity for a sleeper service & cleaning could still be done at Old Oak Common.

 

[ainsworth74]

Not sure if the domestic platforms are long enough to accommodate the sleeper.

The Night Riviera isn't that long, certainly not as long as the Anglo-Scot sleepers which only just fit at Euston. It is made of up roughly seven or eight coaches (23m) and seeing as Waterloo takes 10-car 444s (also 23m) it must be able to fit on a limited number of the domestic platforms. That being said using the international platforms would probably still be logical so that it's out of the way during the morning peak. You can then move it across to OOC at a quieter part of the day.

This of course assumes that the international part of Waterloo could be easily (read cheaply/free) be brought into temporary use.

For periods of Engineering Works e.g. Reading, Euston would have the capacity for a sleeper service & cleaning could still be done at Old Oak Common.

Would there be room, in terms of platforms and paths out of the station, for another sleeper?

 

[Whistler40145]

Would depend on departure & arrival times.

 

[HSTMikey]

This seems to be what they're doing with Friday night's sleepers:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V28015/2013/03/29/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V28009/2013/03/29/advanced

 

[Temple Meads]

This seems to be what they're doing with Friday night's sleepers:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V28015/2013/03/29/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/V28009/2013/03/29/advanced

They are very interesting timings!

 

[Goatboy]

They are very interesting timings!

Looks like its an HST. Odd.