UK Storms

[ModernRailways]

Does anyone know what XC are doing as I am travelling from didcot parkway to Newcastle via oxford, Birmingham new street and Doncaster!!

XC currently plan on running a normal service apparently. Although some trains from the very south (Plymouth) may be cancelled or delayed significantly with other services being delayed.

May be best to phone them to be honest - if there's anyone there.

 

[Chrisgr31]

If memory serves me right the Uckfield line was shut for some time after the 1987 storm. I do remember getting up and being surprised that there was no power, even more surprised that the taxi to take me to the station didn't arrive, and even more surprised that there were around 6 trees lying across the 100 yards of road I tried to walk alone before retreating home to do something another than try to go to work!

For those planning to work from home you are of course assuming there will be power, seem to recall that was in short supply in 1987!

As regards the TOCs I do agree that they are likely to be criticised whatever they do. However I do get the impression that the Met office has taken to giving too many alerts in the last couple of years for events that haven't happened. The result has been alternative train timetables that really weren't required. Then of course when it was bad over the winter it wasn't forecast to be as bad and Southern weren't prepared!

Anyway looks like i will be working from home tomorrow as cant see the first train up the Upkfield line running until at least 10.

 

[philjo]

Does anyone know what FCC policy is for refunding season ticket holders who don't travel? i.e. do we need to claim something under delay replay or will they declare it a void day to add on when the ticket is renewed? I see the NRE entry for Southern says that Southern season ticket holders who do not travel tomorrow should claim 120 minutes under delay repay.

 

[Chrisgr31]

Oh and on the Michael Fish incident: -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqs1YXfdtGE
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...87-hurricane-boss-Bill-Giles-takes-blame.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-weather-michael-fish-would-1377118
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Does anyone know what FCC policy is for refunding season ticket holders who don't travel? i.e. do we need to claim something under delay replay or will they declare it a void day to add on when the ticket is renewed? I see the NRE entry for Southern says that Southern season ticket holders who do not travel tomorrow should claim 120 minutes under delay repay.

I suggest that in theory Southern passengers should claim for more than a 120 minute delay. This is because the delay refund is calculated on a different basis to the way a season ticket is priced. Forgotten the exaxt details but delay repay assumes you make a return journey 5 times a week 52 weeks a year and on 12 weekends, whereas a saeson ticket is priced on around 10 months travel 5 days a week!

 

[infobleep]

Nice to hear that A good walk or cycle in the North Downs/Greensand area is something I try to make time for as often as possible. The timely running of your trains is something that shows just how effective Railhead Treatment Trains can be. We'll see what happens if trees fall or when the snow/ice comes later this winter. I have made polite but emphatic comments to various FGW management people and the social media teams about keeping people informed, which I am pleased to say they agree with - essentially, this should mean that any disruption which does occur should be publicised fairly well. A bus broke down on a level crossing at Ash on Friday (I think), and their improvements could be seen in the way they broadcast information. The hard bit is reopening lines if something happens...

That's great to hear. I really believe that passengers are far more understanding if they know what is going on. I know I am.

Of course they still don't always give out information. This morning the 07.47 train to Redhill was 10 minutes late and the 07.53 to Reading was 6 minutes late. No reason given on NRE. I was interested in this because I didn't want there to be an ongoing problem which might affect the train I was catching, an hour later. There wasn't as it so happens.

I think the following quote on South West Train Web Site sums it up perfectly:
"The alterations to services are designed to maintain safety across the network, give passengers greater certainty on what trains will be running, and help avoid knock-on disruption."
(http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/alerts.aspx)

They are issuing the PDF timetables at 10pm but most trains now in the journey planner system. Several years ago I'm not certain if they would have been updating the information quite so quickly as this. Good work I think.

 

[stanley T]

At least they have given advance notice, so those that need to be in London for work early can travel today and book hotels as necessary

Fat chance, have just tried, not a room to be had. At work we have clients coming in from China, we will have to talk/present to them remotely. They might as well have stayed in Shanghai

 

[infobleep]

If the trains run tomorrow morning, it looks like I will have a quicker journey to Surbiton from Guildford than usual! I fairly certain this might happen.

It's the silver lining in that during emergency timetable periods, as I always have better journey times to work on paper because I travel to stations not served by fast trains during peak rush hour! Doesn't mean they will actually run, depending on the storm damage but it's a nice bonous if they do.

Currently the quickest journey in the morning is 38 minutes due to the leaf fall timetable. That is the 8.20 via Woking, which isn't affected by the leaf fall timetable. Tomorrow it is 31 minutes via Woking! That is because fast trains from Woking at stopping at Surbiton, so I can change at Woking to catch one. As it is the slow trains via Cobham are timetabled to be 1 minute quicker than usual to Surbiton. So even that is better.

I think I might go onto Tweeter and thank SWT trains for their work and making my journey to work quicker than usual

Of course the reverse won't be true in the evening, as I can get home in 26 minutes usually, again due to fast trains. Tomorrow the quickest will be 39 minutes as the fast services don't connect so well at Woking for my return. Still 39 minutes is still 1 minute quicker than the usual timetable time for services to Guildford via Cobham.

 

[ModernRailways]

Fat chance, have just tried, not a room to be had. At work we have clients coming in from China, we will have to talk/present to them remotely. They might as well have stayed in Shanghai

All (Most) the IBIS hotels still have rooms.

 

[A-driver]

Fat chance, have just tried, not a room to be had. At work we have clients coming in from China, we will have to talk/present to them remotely. They might as well have stayed in Shanghai

If it's anything like the severe snow fall the other year then hotels will also stick prices up tonight to cash in.

Are your clients coming in from china tomorrow? Are airports not reporting problems to?

 

[Essexman]

London - Penzance sleeper will be running as planned tonight.

Could be an exciting ride.
Well done to FGW for running it though.

 

[CockneySparrow]

If it's anything like the severe snow fall the other year then hotels will also stick prices up tonight to cash in.

Are your clients coming in from china tomorrow? Are airports not reporting problems to?

Would they not already be here in their hotel, its not normal that someone from china gets off a plane at 9am and then has a meeting/conference at 10am

 

[A-driver]

Would they not already be here in their hotel, its not normal that someone from china gets off a plane at 9am and then has a meeting/conference at 10am

Probably read too much into the post, he said "clients coming in from china" as in future tense, not "clients here from china".

As i say, just reading too much into it and not a big deal!

 

[Donny Dave]

The media is advising all in Southern England to commence full scale panic due to the sub hurricane force winds expected tonight, expect garden chairs to be slighly moved, leaves blown from trees, lawn furniture to be upturned - stock up on milk, loot the stores, sharpen those axes and get ready to resort to cannibalism

 

[dvboy]

LM have cancelled:
05.05 N'hamtn-Euston
0604 & 0704 Eus- Tring,
0634 Eus-Nmp,
0653 Eus-MKeynes,
0804 Tring-Eus.

 

[ushawk]

Eurostar services are suspended until 7AM tomorrow and at present 60 flights have been cancelled from Heathrow.

 

[yorksrob]

Just asked my parents in Kent how the hurricane's coming along.

Not much doing so far apparently.

 

[Lrd]

It's just started to rain in Southampton. The winds are quite low at the moment, I've been watching the numbers on Bramblemet and they have really dipped in the past 2 hours but starting to pick up again.

 

[Darandio]

Just asked my parents in Kent how the hurricane's coming along.

Not much doing so far apparently.

1. They are on the wrong side of the 'south' so won't see much for quite some time yet.

2. It isn't a hurricane.

 

[embers25]

LM have cancelled:
05.05 N'hamtn-Euston
0604 & 0704 Eus- Tring,
0634 Eus-Nmp,
0653 Eus-MKeynes,
0804 Tring-Eus.

So far less canx than today so far Lol.

 

[jon0844]

I wonder how many roads will be closed on a precautionary basis?

Hopefully none, but people ought to take care driving on back rounds and through forests I'd have thought.

And all drivers will only go as fast as the bit of road they can see, so could easily stop in time - which is a bit different to a train.

That is unless a tree falls on the car, which is why I'd not drive on some roads around here in high winds. Don't need the road closing to know that!

Edit: bridges are one exception.

 

[westv]

No chance of this "working from home" lark for me. Seems to be something that always happens to other people. As usual I'll be up early to catch the first train from Hull to get me into London. EC says their service will be arrive 45 mins late so I'll just have to see how it goes.

 

[ainsworth74]

2. It isn't a hurricane.

There goes a very brave man

 

[yorksrob]

2. It isn't a hurricane.

Michael Fish tried that line as well

 

[TOCDriver]

Just asked my parents in Kent how the hurricane's coming along.

Not much doing so far apparently.

The calm before the storm! OR our Met Office are more incompetent than what we thought they were

 

[L&Y Robert]

The calm before the storm! OR our Met Office are more incompetent than what we thought they were

Remarkably calm here in Banbury as well (20-45pm).

 

[anthony263]

Rain is really lashing down and the wind is picking up again here near Porthcawl

 

[westv]

People do realise that the storm isn't meant to be here until closer to the early hours, don't they?

 

[jon0844]

It was really windy during the day but has died down (actually, pretty much stopped entirely) right now.

But I expect it to pick up again, and a lot of people might suffer more from heavy rain and flash floods than the damage from high winds anyway.

 

[TOCDriver]

People do realise that the storm isn't meant to be here until closer to the early hours, don't they?

Sunday evening was what they mentioned

 

[DarloRich]

We cant have hurricanes in the UK - they only affect tropical or sub tropical areas - what we CAN have are extra tropical storms or cyclones - therefore this storm wont be a hurricane!