Honiton tunnel landslip (again) (20/08/24)

[RedPostJunc]

There isn't an SWR Exeter depot, and IIRC they’ve never succeeded in running a shuttle when this has happened before.

How do SWR crew the early morning departures and late evening arrivals?

 

[swt_passenger]

How do SWR crew the early morning departures and late evening arrivals?

They stay with the train as a night shift, AIUI from previous discussions.

 

[Thames99]

That sounds a good shift to get! A run out late evening, a few hours dozing in the train and then a trip back first thing in the morning. Or are the staff expected to remain awake and alert all night despite having nothing to do?

 

[30907]

SWR X and website now saying disruption until at least middle of Sunday. Something causing a continuous slip by the sounds of things

Consistent with a burst water main or similar?

 

[embers25]

I get rearranging diagrams is hard but they had all day yesterday and surely having trains sit at Axminster for almost 2 hours to maintain diagrams is mad. Also, it means all arriving trains arrive 15 mins late missing bus connections to Lyme Regis as they have to wait for the eastbound train to reach Chard as there's no spare platform. SWR are struggling for unit availability on WoE and this 2 hour wait means 3/6 cars sit doing nothing for 2 hours. Every time the line goes down, SWR contrive to make the issue a million times worse and this is no exception.

 

[Sealink]

Nothing running from Axminster to Honiton, the other day the update mentioned delays, now it says all lines are blocked.

SERUG won't be happy!

Short trains blamed for ‘disastrous’ service on SWR line

The rail user group for South Western Railway’s Salisbury- Exeter route has branded services as “disastrous” following a big rise in the number of short-formation trains.

www.railmagazine.com

The rail user group for South Western Railway’s Salisbury to Exeter route has branded services as “disastrous” following a large increase in the number of short-formation trains.

 

[Three-Nine]

Line is now not expected to reopen until at least start of service on Monday, there have been delays to the repair work.

 

[swrcommguard]

I doubt it will be open for start of service on Monday. Internal advisory states disruption expected until end of the day tomorrow which probably means the line will open at some point on Monday but not for start of service.

 

[Three-Nine]

Line has opened though there were some alterations and delays to first services of the morning. There is a 50mph speed restriction past the landslip area until further notice.

 

[alf]

Why is 50mph chosen as the temp speed restriction?
If the fear is there may be a further slip a 20mph tsr is usually imposed in similar situations so that drivers can stop on sight whereas they can’t stop in time in the dark at 50mph but can at 20mph.
Maybe there is a fear that the higher vibration forces above 50 mph will disturb nearly worked earth on the embankment.
Fair enough, but a 50mph loaded ballast train has a far greater axle load & vibration than lightweight class 159 DMUs at 50mph so why not a differential temp speed limit?

 

[embers25]

20mph restriction back this afternoon with 2hrly service to Exeter whilst it's raining. Anyone know when NR will actually put a proper fix in place or have we got to put up with cancelled services for the rest of winter every time it rains more than a brief shower...as it does practically daily all winter in Devon.

 

[londonmidland]

A concerning amount of rainfall expected over the South West and parts of Devon over the next 48 hours. More than 60mm of rain to fall in a short space of time, which will really test the recent landslip fixes.

The picture below shows the total accumulated precipitation from now, up to 18:00 on Friday 6th September. Over 60 mm is expected to fall over a large part of the South West.

 

[embers25]

That's a pretty normal day in Devon in Winter. I agree they had to rush the last fix and so it couldn't be perfect, but they haven't made any comment about when a proper fix will be done and Winter is coming. Reducing the service to 2-hourly is a big, though sensible, reduction, but there is no ticket acceptance in place. Also, as usual, they forgot to add stops the the other trains and so Whimple largely loses its's service.

 

[DelW]

Some absolutely torrential stuff in Surrey in the last half hour or so - road awash up over the kerbs, house gutters overflowing etc. On the Met Office rainfall radar we hit the highest dark red category for >32mm/hr, though fortunately it's eased off a bit now in under an hour. That's on top of rain since first thing, with another heavy downpour mid morning. So I'm not surprised NR are being cautious, no one wants another Carmont.

 

[QueensCurve]

Quote from the aforementioned link:-

(my bold)

Seriously it is good that Network rail have invested in the ability to monitor these movement remotely. Their ability to repond quickly will prove a lifesaver.