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Overrunning Engineering Work Bath 19/04

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PHILIPE

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Chaos this morning in Bath Spa area due to overrunning Engineering Work. Work is taking place between 8th and 23rd April in order to widen and lengthen the platforms with only one in use at a time. At the moment, Platform 1 is in use but this morning there is a reduction in addition to the planned reduction in services. Cardiff to Portsmouths running through but calling additionally at stations normally served by other services between Bristol and Westbury which have had to be cancelled at short notice. Severe overcrowding reported and disruption could continue for the rest of the day.
 
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WelshBluebird

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As if the reduced service isn't bad enough!

Felt really sorry for the poor member of staff at Oldfield Park this morning, he didn't really know more than what anyone with a smartphone did but had to deal with a platform full on annoyed and frustrated commuters. Didn't help that his request that a London - Bristol service that was at Bath Spa also called at Oldfield Park (it was already booked to call at Keynsham) was ignored by control.
 
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Parallel

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It's been chaos all day at Bath. Just came back from Cardiff and 150916 was standing in for a 158 (so already packed) with it becoming severely overcrowded at Bristol, to the point where the conductor was marching down the platform shouting "no more".

So just an hourly service between Bristol and Westbury with 3 carriages. Not pretty. All the local services were cancelled and trains still running 20 - 60 mins late. And nobody seemed to know at stations if the trains were stopping at Avoncliff and Freshford, passengers were told at Newport that they were, then not, then Freshford but not Avoncliff. Then all four stations. Then Oldfield Park and Keynsham but not Freshford. And then Oldfield Park, Keynsham and Freshford. Appreciate the circumstances but very poorly managed. Also, not even sure if any trains have stopped at Avoncliff today! Also plenty of people refused boarding (rightly so) but with no alternative but to wait for an hour for the next one that will be just as full. EDIT: Apparently passengers can use rail tickets on selected bus routes, although this wasn't made clear at stations.

Despite all the chaos, GWR are very lucky to have some very good ground staff.
 
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gavin

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Delays will continue until at least tomorrow (Friday)

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Parallel

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Does anyone know what the actual problem is and what it's stopping trains from doing? My train through Bath yesterday still crossed over at the set of points west of Bath Spa station?

A member of staff said yesterday that it had restricted signalling because someone cut through a cable at Bathampton but is this incorrect as it hasn't been mentioned since?
 
BestWestern

BestWestern

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Parallel said:
Does anyone know what the actual problem is and what it's stopping trains from doing? My train through Bath yesterday still crossed over at the set of points west of Bath Spa station?

A member of staff said yesterday that it had restricted signalling because someone cut through a cable at Bathampton but is this incorrect as it hasn't been mentioned since?
Click to expand...

An engineering train ran through points, as detailed above, and the damage hasn't yet been repaired. The points are, I believe, being hand-wound for each movement, which requires them to be clipped and scotched each time. Rather time consuming, with the ensuing delays meaning fewer trains. Most trains which are passing through are emerging around 15 minutes late.
 
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BestWestern

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A 60 minute possession is now expected over lunchtime, hopefully to effect full repairs.
 
QueensCurve

QueensCurve

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BestWestern said:
An engineering train ran through points, as detailed above, and the damage hasn't yet been repaired. The points are, I believe, being hand-wound for each movement, which requires them to be clipped and scotched each time. Rather time consuming, with the ensuing delays meaning fewer trains. Most trains which are passing through are emerging around 15 minutes late.
Click to expand...

The Facing Xover at Oldfield Park needed for up trains to use the Down (P1) line presumably?
 
pdeaves

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QueensCurve said:
One of the Oldfield Park Xovers? Which one?
Click to expand...

As you have later noted, it's the facing one.

Hand winding is very time consuming so where possible they are trying to get a couple of trains through each way before winding the points the other way for a couple of trains travelling the other way.
 
QueensCurve

QueensCurve

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pdeaves said:
As you have later noted, it's the facing one.

Hand winding is very time consuming so where possible they are trying to get a couple of trains through each way before winding the points the other way for a couple of trains travelling the other way.
Click to expand...

I suppose I was not aware that the hand winding would take a long time. Pardon my ignorance. What is involved and how does it work?
 
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