Island Line flooded - 25/10/2023

[Gloster]

There was an Aldermaston Coaches coach in Ryde bus station at lunchtime today doing the rail replacement. I also saw one of Xelabus’ vehicles in Wootton, but this might have been doing the shuttle to Havenstreet.

 

[david1212]

Looking today the webcam is running again with scroll back for a few hours. I scrolled back but did not see any trains. Looking on the Realtime Trains website at Ryde Esplanade no services were shown.

Logically there are issues with the track and/or equipment to resolve. Has any Railforums member been in Ryde in the last few days and can report on their observations?

 

[bspahh]

Looking today the webcam is running again with scroll back for a few hours. I scrolled back but did not see any trains. Looking on the Realtime Trains website at Ryde Esplanade no services were shown.

Logically there are issues with the track and/or equipment to resolve. Has any Railforums member been in Ryde in the last few days and can report on their observations?

https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/ says:

Cancellations to services between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin


Following a signalling problem between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin some lines have now reopened.
What's Going On:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled, delayed or revised. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 12/11/23.
What We're Doing About It:
Following flooding between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin lines have now reopened between Ryde St Johns Road and Shanklin, however the line between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde St Johns Road is still closed.
For further information or onward travel advice please speak to a member of staff or use a station help point.
We are very sorry for any delay that this may cause to your journey.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 12 hours.
If you would prefer to use local buses to continue your journey please check Traveline (http://www.traveline.info/) - South Western Railway tickets are not valid on local buses unless stated above.
Have you been delayed? Please see https://www.southwesternrailway.com/contact-and-help/refunds-and-compensation for our compensation policy.
If you would like to make a comment about your experience with us today, please call us on 0345 6000 650 or see https://www.southwesternrailway.com/contact-and-help/contact-us for other ways to contact us.
Last Updated:07/11/2023 19:04

 

[hermit]

https://www.journeycheck.com/swr/ says:

I was a rail replacement pedestrian up Ryde pier earlier today (couldn’t see the minibus) but wasn’t able to inspect the track up from the tunnel. What I can say is that, given the extraordinary amount of rain falling on the island in the days since Ciarán last week it’s not at all surprising that it’s taking time to get the railway back in operation. Large areas of low-lying ground are still under water, and there is a diversion on the main Ryde-Sandown road.

 

[Rick1984]

This is from 10.34 this morning:
View attachment 145367

What's that in bottom right of picture?
I can't remember those rocks and curved things

 

[KNotts]

What's that in bottom right of picture?
I can't remember those rocks and curved things

It's a chimney.
Rather confusing at first glance.

 

[Rick1984]

Can see it now thanks!

 

[hermit]

SWR are now saying that service between Pierhead and St John’s won’t resume before 20 November at the earliest. The damage caused by storm Ciarán was ‘extensive’.

 

[Gloster]

The closure is apparently because of damage to the Pier; this is all only four months after they reopened it following a three month, sorry, eight month closure. I foresee yet another closure and more lucrative work for contractors. Ker-ching!

 

[david1212]

Thanks for the replies.

The closure is apparently because of damage to the Pier; this is all only four months after they reopened it following a three month, sorry, eight month closure. I foresee yet another closure and more lucrative work for contractors. Ker-ching!

Unless damage to the pier is very close to the Esplanade station if no other issue all services could run to there like the alternate timetabled services which would be more useful.

I have lost the plot. Aside from this damage is more work required on the pier in the near future or was it all eventually completed?

 

[Gloster]

I have lost the plot. Aside from this damage is more work required on the pier in the near future or was it all eventually completed?

Yes, they said when they reopened that they would have to close it again this coming winter, or next, or probably both, even though the last lot of work was supposed to put it in order for a generation. I don’t think it is a plot, just massive incompetence, greed and chaos. But even if they don’t close the Pier, they are going to strengthen a couple of bridges in Ryde: you will get very long odds on them managing to coordinate the two projects.

 

[david1212]

Yes, they said when they reopened that they would have to close it again this coming winter, or next, or probably both, even though the last lot of work was supposed to put it in order for a generation. I don’t think it is a plot, just massive incompetence, greed and chaos. But even if they don’t close the Pier, they are going to strengthen a couple of bridges in Ryde: you will get very long odds on them managing to coordinate the two projects.

My interpretation was for the sections worked on during the three eight month closure no further work would be required for a generation, which is a time period open to interpretation ...., but further parts still needed work which was to be carried out this winter.


Back to right now scrolling back through the webcam again both yesterday and today I could see a few of the orange army were on the pier.

 

[hermit]

My interpretation was for the sections worked on during the three eight month closure no further work would be required for a generation, which is a time period open to interpretation ...., but further parts still needed work which was to be carried out this winter.


Back to right now scrolling back through the webcam again both yesterday and today I could see a few of the orange army were on the pier.

The Network Rail press statement issued after the Pier reopened earlier this year referred to further upgrade work being needed to replace wooden sleepers with composite ones which are more resilient. I have not seen any announcement as to when the necessary closure will take place.

 

[Gloster]

When the most recent closure was announced it was said that all the work that the Pier needed for a generation would be done during the closure. After the slightly longer than planned closure, they revealed that all the work hadn’t been done. I think they forgot to include the words ‘of mayflies’ after the word generation.

 

[Gloster]

The line through to Pier Head reopened today with an hourly service on the Pier. How long can this state of affairs last.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The line through to Pier Head reopened today with an hourly service on the Pier. How long can this state of affairs last.

It's just so unfortunately ironic. An enormous, highly publicised upgrade (which admittedly did bring vastly better trains) closing the line for a full year, and in the 2 years since reopening the service has been worse than it ever was.

 

[DelW]

The line through to Pier Head reopened today with an hourly service on the Pier. How long can this state of affairs last.

IF the hourly trains to Pier Head could / can connect reliably with the fastcats, AND the connections be shown in journey planners*, the 1tph up the pier wouldn't really be a problem. Of course that's a big "if".

Turning back alternate trains at Esplanade ought to improve reliability and aid service recovery, even if it means moving away from an exact 30 minute interval service.

* (Possibly with a caveat that the connection is indicative only and so couldn't be guaranteed for delay repay purposes)

 

[northernbelle]

It's just so unfortunately ironic. An enormous, highly publicised upgrade (which admittedly did bring vastly better trains) closing the line for a full year, and in the 2 years since reopening the service has been worse than it ever was.

Not really - the service by the time the 483s were withdrawn was utterly, utterly shambolic.

As for the hourly service, why is there a need for 2tph on the pier? There is only one ferry an hour to connect with - trains scheduled to arrive at xx40 with ferries departing at xx45.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As for the hourly service, why is there a need for 2tph on the pier? There is only one ferry an hour to connect with - trains scheduled to arrive at xx40 with ferries departing at xx45.

In my experience the old 20-40 service did this much better, with the two trains either side of the ferry. The one before it would drop people off in good time to work out where they're going and grab a coffee etc, the one after it would give people plenty of time to get to the platform from the ferry.

 

[hermit]

In my experience the old 20-40 service did this much better, with the two trains either side of the ferry. The one before it would drop people off in good time to work out where they're going and grab a coffee etc, the one after it would give people plenty of time to get to the platform from the ferry.

But that’s not what the previous service provided. It has always been the case that one train met each ferry, both delivering and collecting its passengers. Connections have always been tight (though not quite as tight as they are now). The only difference is that, whereas if you missed the connection you previously only had 40 minutes to wait at Pierhead before the second train appeared, while now you have to wait an hour because there is no second train.

One of the main benefits that the upgrade was supposed to provide was more reliable connections with the ferry; it is immensely frustrating that this has not been achieved, and indeed things have got worse. The scenario with which islanders are wearily familiar, of an empty train disappearing down the pier as the catamaran draws in, is still being played out.

Unless some way can be found of speeding the trains up and tweaking the timetable, so that we have connections we can rely on ( and preferably a second train up the pier) I am beginning to think that some variant of the 20/40 service might be preferable, this time, as you describe, straddling each ferry arrival. Regular travellers would be reluctant to accept this, as it would mean much more hanging about at Pierhead, but it might be the only practical solution.

It would however presumably mean trains once more passing at Sandown rather than Brading, with the unpalatable implication that the installation of the Brading loop would have been a costly white elephant. Difficult.

 

[43055]

Not really - the service by the time the 483s were withdrawn was utterly, utterly shambolic.

As for the hourly service, why is there a need for 2tph on the pier? There is only one ferry an hour to connect with - trains scheduled to arrive at xx40 with ferries departing at xx45.

Whilst the fastcat is still largely hourly, the 2024 timetable shows a half hourly daytime service on selected Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays between Easter and September.