RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2014 Whilst a lot of attention is rightly on Dawlish and the very public breach of the Sea Wall last week, there is another major problem site for us, up on the Somerset Levels, which (despite the dramatic views of Dawlish and the damage to the Sea Wall) is - in my opinion - even more unprecedented. Historically, we have had flooding problems from time to time in the Athelney area on the Cogload to Castle Cary line, which is right on the South Polden Levels (as opposed to the North Polden Levels, where the S&DJR Burnham - Evercreech Jct branch used to run). Althelney itself is right next to one of the well-known drainage rhynes that criss-cross the Levels. This time around, we were affected on the Athelney line by flooding again, and it got to the point where the line had to be closed. At least we still had the route via Bridgwater, because this was never affected by flooding. Despite running right across the western edge of the Levels, it has never flooded during my career, and the line is in fact on a low embankment for all of it's course across the flat lands. Indeed, last winter, when the Levels were flooded, the dramatic sight of the 'inland sea' was easily visible from the train. I could hardly believe it, therefore, when reports started filtering through about signalling location cabinets being inundated on that line, and the flood waters rising to such an extent that even the PW was threatened. At first, it looked as if we could manage to keep trains running, even if the signalling power had to be switched off, by implementing Temporary Block Working (aka 'ticket working'). But following an inspection from the cab of a train that ran through under caution, it quickly became clear that an inspection on foot would have to be done, before any further trains could run, so this was arranged. Eventually, the incredible news came back that the PW was flooded on both lines to such an extent and we would have to close that line of route as well. The Down line, which is slightly lower than the Up, was rapidly disappearing as the water levels rose, and the water was starting to disturb the ballast on the Up as well. On Monday, I was invited to accompany one of our PW Engineers on a re-inspection of the site. We were accompanied by the Channel 5 film crew, filming for a second series of The Railway, to be screened in the summer (they have also filmed at Dawlish during the recent problems, and were also in the Whiteball blockade). It was really, really cold!! This is the view from the overbridge carrying a lane to a nearby farm, when we arrived. The view is looking northwards, towards Bridgwater and Bristol: The next few photos were taken in sequence, as we started walking towards the worst of the flooding: Walking further on: Close up of ballast shoulder, gradually being eroded by quite severe wave action, as a biting wind blows in straight off the Bristol Channel: The four foot of the Down line - doesn't look too bad here, but it gets worse further on... I estimated that the flood waters were at least 8 feet deep above the surrounding fields here: Looking back towards Taunton: Another angle on the Down line, as we walked back and the rails emerged back out of the water: Another view looking north from the farm bridge, after we got back, this time the sun was out: The film crew seemed to like the same angle: After leaving that access point, we checked the roads leading to Athelney level crossing, which were still impassable. This is the main A361 Taunton to Glastonbury road, just outside the village of East Lyng: Another local lane and field, this time near one of the Athelney access points: I should have mentioned that thanks to a massive effort by the lads in the PW on Saturday night and on the Sunday, they managed to pump the flood on the Athelney line clear, and it was reopened to normal traffic, with full signalling and normal line speeds, on Monday morning (yesterday). Here is a view of one of the places that had flooded, now nice and dry: In all honesty, we can't even get in to undertake a proper inspection and assessment of the PW and S&T damage on the Bridgwater line, until the flood waters start to go down, and we don't yet know when that will be... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 CK, Seeing you are involved on the Somerset levels, Dawlish and IIRC the Kemble doubling just how big is your "patch" please? Thanks for the pictures, shows just how bad things are on the levels, especially floodwater 8 feet deep! Regards, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Excellent picture story there Captain. I know a bit about flooding and your views capture the scariness of the encroaching deep waters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 11, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2014 Seeing you are involved on the Somerset levels, Dawlish and IIRC the Kemble doubling just how big is your "patch" please? Hi Dave - the 'patch' is essentially the same as the old Bristol Division of BR - Barnt Green/Worcester/Cotswold line/Gloucester to Bristol/Bath/Box Tunnel to Taunton/Devon/Penzance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hi Dave - the 'patch' is essentially the same as the old Bristol Division of BR - Barnt Green/Worcester/Cotswold line/Gloucester to Bristol/Bath/Box Tunnel to Taunton/Devon/Penzance. Strewth that's a fair area, you spend huge amounts of time travelling, Thanks, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 11, 2014 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2014 One thing that differs from Dawlish here, is that there's little by way of an alternative route, other than to run via Westbury, Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. In fact, this is the recognised diversionary route and CrossCountry started running four return services a day this way to Exeter from today. It's going to be an interesting debate as to how we mitigate against this kind of problem in the future, one the waters have receded. Clearly, raising the track might well solve it, but it would be enormously expensive. Before anything like this is considered - in my opinion - we will want to know whether this kind of event will be the norm in the future, or is this just another 'one off?'... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 Many thanks for starting this thread - and your contributions on Dawlish. The Somerset Levels were a lake until they were drained, so presumably they can all too easily become a lake again. Back to floating villages perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 I think that first need to dig up Brunel and get him to design some boats. Trains just are not the answer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 Blimey. That is wet. Don't ever remember seeing the line flooded like that in 40 odd years of living in this part of the world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 So will NR be reviving Sealink with a ferry from Taunton to Bristol, at least until it stops raining. It might be prudent to think about a ferry service from Reading to London as well while their about it. SS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
station cat Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 That is an insane amount of water, all credit to the guys who got the Athelney line going again. Best of luck in dealing with the rest of it, and looking forward to seeing you on TV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR(S) Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Can someone please give me a link to the flooded area on Google maps. I've sped through here many times on an HST not really taking any notice of my surroundings and am having difficulty working out what it looks like without 8 feet of water, and even comprehending where this amount of water has come from! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 11, 2014 Whilst a lot of attention is rightly on Dawlish and the very public breach of the Sea Wall last week, there is another major problem site for us, up on the Somerset Levels, which (despite the dramatic views of Dawlish and the damage to the Sea Wall) is - in my opinion - even more unprecedented. Historically, we have had flooding problems from time to time in the Athelney area on the Cogload to Castle Cary line, which is right on the South Polden Levels (as opposed to the North Polden Levels, where the S&DJR Burnham - Evercreech Jct branch used to run). Althelney itself is right next to one of the well-known drainage rhynes that criss-cross the Levels. This time around, we were affected on the Athelney line by flooding again, and it got to the point where the line had to be closed. At least we still had the route via Bridgwater, because this was never affected by flooding. Despite running right across the western edge of the Levels, it has never flooded during my career, and the line is in fact on a low embankment for all of it's course across the flat lands. Indeed, last winter, when the Levels were flooded, the dramatic sight of the 'inland sea' was easily visible from the train. I could hardly believe it, therefore, when reports started filtering through about signalling location cabinets being inundated on that line, and the flood waters rising to such an extent that even the PW was threatened. At first, it looked as if we could manage to keep trains running, even if the signalling power had to be switched off, by implementing Temporary Block Working (aka 'ticket working'). But following an inspection from the cab of a train that ran through under caution, it quickly became clear that an inspection on foot would have to be done, before any further trains could run, so this was arranged. Eventually, the incredible news came back that the PW was flooded on both lines to such an extent and we would have to close that line of route as well. The Down line, which is slightly lower than the Up, was rapidly disappearing as the water levels rose, and the water was starting to disturb the ballast on the Up as well. On Monday, I was invited to accompany one of our PW Engineers on a re-inspection of the site. We were accompanied by the Channel 5 film crew, filming for a second series of The Railway, to be screened in the summer (they have also filmed at Dawlish during the recent problems, and were also in the Whiteball blockade). It was really, really cold!! This is the view from the overbridge carrying a lane to a nearby farm, when we arrived. The view is looking northwards, towards Bridgwater and Bristol: IMG_0933.JPG The next few photos were taken in sequence, as we started walking towards the worst of the flooding: IMG_0938.JPG IMG_0940.JPG IMG_0943.JPG IMG_0946.JPG IMG_0948.JPG IMG_0949.JPG The film crew in action: IMG_0950.JPG Walking further on: IMG_0951.JPG Close up of ballast shoulder, gradually being eroded by quite severe wave action, as a biting wind blows in straight off the Bristol Channel: IMG_0952.JPG More scenes: IMG_0955.JPG The four foot of the Down line - doesn't look too bad here, but it gets worse further on... IMG_0956.JPG IMG_0958.JPG I estimated that the flood waters were at least 8 feet deep above the surrounding fields here: IMG_0959.JPG IMG_0960.JPG IMG_0962.JPG IMG_0963.JPG IMG_0965.JPG IMG_0967.JPG IMG_0968.JPG IMG_0971.JPG IMG_0974.JPG Looking back towards Taunton: IMG_0977.JPG IMG_0982.JPG IMG_0985.JPG Another angle on the Down line, as we walked back and the rails emerged back out of the water: IMG_0991.JPG Another view looking north from the farm bridge, after we got back, this time the sun was out: IMG_0995.JPG The film crew seemed to like the same angle: IMG_0996.JPG After leaving that access point, we checked the roads leading to Athelney level crossing, which were still impassable. This is the main A361 Taunton to Glastonbury road, just outside the village of East Lyng: IMG_0998.JPG Another local lane and field, this time near one of the Athelney access points: IMG_1001.JPG IMG_1002.JPG I should have mentioned that thanks to a massive effort by the lads in the PW on Saturday night and on the Sunday, they managed to pump the flood on the Athelney line clear, and it was reopened to normal traffic, with full signalling and normal line speeds, on Monday morning (yesterday). Here is a view of one of the places that had flooded, now nice and dry: IMG_1004.JPG IMG_1005.JPG In all honesty, we can't even get in to undertake a proper inspection and assessment of the PW and S&T damage on the Bridgwater line, until the flood waters start to go down, and we don't yet know when that will be... Nice to see the "other" milepost 155 3/4 John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2014 Can someone please give me a link to the flooded area on Google maps. I've sped through here many times on an HST not really taking any notice of my surroundings and am having difficulty working out what it looks like without 8 feet of water, and even comprehending where this amount of water has come from! This is the bridge from which CK took the first photo, with evidently quite a long zoom... https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=51.064766,-2.977517&spn=0.001057,0.002642&t=h&z=19 Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 One thing that differs from Dawlish here, is that there's little by way of an alternative route, other than to run via Westbury, Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. In fact, this is the recognised diversionary route and CrossCountry started running four return services a day this way to Exeter from today. It's going to be an interesting debate as to how we mitigate against this kind of problem in the future, one the waters have receded. Clearly, raising the track might well solve it, but it would be enormously expensive. Before anything like this is considered - in my opinion - we will want to know whether this kind of event will be the norm in the future, or is this just another 'one off?'... The adjacent fields flooded badly along this stretch in 2012, but not this bad. It was deep enough for lots of the large round plastic wrapped bales of hay to be afloat and blown by the wind until they came to rest against the upside boundary fence, there were dozens of them lined up for hundreds of yards. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2014 More coming....http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/81949-washout-at-dawlish/page-38?p=1343051 #531 Shipping forecast this morning appalling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WessexEclectic Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Readers may be interested in the following article: Floods on the Somerset Levels: a sad tale of ignorance and neglect The Somerset levels were created as a result of people wanting to produce food and a way of life that was not perpetually hampered by stagnant water and ruined crops. This can be maintained in years to come. Indeed it must be continued otherwise lives and valuable crops and wildlife will be destroyed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2014 Many thanks for starting this thread - and your contributions on Dawlish. The Somerset Levels were a lake until they were drained, so presumably they can all too easily become a lake again. Back to floating villages perhaps? I think that we may need to be creative in looking at a solution for the Levels rather than attempt to keep them as they have been in recent decades. Elsewhere in England, Dutch engineers came up with a different solution for such a situation. They created the Norfolk Broads. Langport would make a great tourism centre for the Somerset Broads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 12, 2014 Readers may be interested in the following article: Floods on the Somerset Levels: a sad tale of ignorance and neglect A very informative article. Thanks for posting and also welcome to RMweb. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 12, 2014 I can see a very obvious answer, have a daddy longlegs or whatever it was called, like there used to be at Brighton on standby with a set of trolley wires planted alongside teh track. I beleive that the drivers had to be qualified as master mariners. Jamie. The "driver" of the Brighton "Daddy long-legs" was a fully-qualified ship's captain (master mariner if you like) as the powers that be decreed this was a sea voyage. It was painfully slow, achieving less than 1mph through the water, though arguments suggest this was due to being under-powered and unable to overcome the resistance of the waters. Shingle washed over the tracks causing further problems. History also tells us that it was an abject failure and fell apart in the first storm ..... Meanwhile the Captain and his Merry Men continue to work tirelessly to restore the railway as and when they can. It's hard to know from afar exactly the extent to which cause and effect interplay but there are certainly suggestions that dredging of the Drains (artificial water-courses designed to prevent catastrophic flooding) has not taken place and this may lie behind the extent, if not the fact, of the flooding. I don't see an easy fix other than to wait for waters to subside which they eventually do. My concern is more for the integrity of signalling and electronic warning and safety systems as the traditional manual signal box is almost extinct. Both Dawlish and the North Somerset line are examples of how regional signalling centres might not in fact be a wise investment. Nothing beats the local "bobby" who can see at least most of his patch from hour to hour and can pass trains under flags if the wires no longer work until such time as he / she considers it no longer safe to do so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted February 12, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 12, 2014 That flooding is really scary. I would have been spooked walking out on that line as I hate 'unknown waters' and rushing flood waters; (must be something in my history?). Rather as it is at Dawlish the solution for the railway here will be the measures taken to 'protect' further the Levels. Thus it ( the 'new protection scheme) will be a very long time in coming. However I was heartened by the Government's PM's statement yesterday. Then I heard this morning's news.......and the 'real' situation regarding financing stuff became evident. Ummmm! CK. You take care as you travel these places, there must be all sorts of c**p floating about and that's not including the politicians Sincerely Phil (in a non flooded [this time/yet] 36E). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 And not far from Taunton. Sorry not railway, but gives you a good idea of the problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
69843 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I think someone should contact the TopGear Engineering Department about some road/rail amphibious pickups...... In a more serious note, it is shocking just to see how big the flood is. The coverage out here has been fairly good, but some of the attached shots give it a more 'human level' feel, in that they are on the ground, in the thick of it. Thanks for sharing those CK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 And not far from Taunton. Sorry not railway, but gives you a good idea of the problem. I presume that is river water well outside it normal running area. And to think the 'south' was in dire straits a couple of years ago with reservoir levels well-low due to lack of rainfall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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