Slight moan at South West Trains

Kite2010

Slight moan

Coming back today on the service from Wokingham to Reading the train broke down at Winnersh (something to do with an air-leak in the front carriage). The guard got everybody off the train as replacement buses were meant to be sent.

All fine and dandy until 10 minutes later where the majority of the passengers were waiting at the road for the bus to arrive, the train pulled away, seemingly fixed.

Would have been nice for the guard to walk up to the main road to say the train was fixed instead of leaving people for an extra 20 minutes before another train arrived.

*gets moan off chest*

wealdroam

Kite2010 wrote: »

Slight moan

Coming back today on the service from Wokingham to Reading the train broke down at Winnersh (something to do with an air-leak in the front carriage). The guard got everybody off the train as replacement buses were meant to be sent.

All fine and dandy until 10 minutes later where the majority of the passengers were waiting at the road for the bus to arrive, the train pulled away, seemingly fixed.

Would have been nice for the guard to walk up to the main road to say the train was fixed instead of leaving people for an extra 20 minutes before another train arrived.

*gets moan off chest*

Maybe it was 'fixed' enough for it to actually move, but not 'fixed' enough for it to be deemed safe to carry passengers.

'The railway' does seem to have more than it's fair share of rules, but maybe there are safety issues involved here.

I know nothing of this incident... just guessing really.

Kite2010

Considering the same train passed us heading back the other way back to Waterloo from Reading full of passengers, it was deemed fixed enough to carry passengers.

And it couldn't have been another train as it was a 455, and the only way they can get to Reading station would have been via the Reading-Waterloo line (only line which is 3rd railed)

Anyway, that wasted 20 minutes probably saved me some money by not shopping in Reading, life goes on. And at least we got let off the train, I felt sorry for the passengers in the FGW service stuck behind for 20 minutes before they were able to move.

dzug1

Getting the passengers back on the train might have delayed it still further though??

Southend1

My guess is as follows....

Air leak= brake failure on one unit.

In order to move the train the faulty unit needs to be isolated but for safety cannot be moved with passengers on board. Therefore passengers are detrained, faulty unit isolated by driver to allow train to move at reduced speed to next station where fitters can attend to the fault.

Air leak fixed by fitters at station, passengers allowed to board.

Frustrating for you, but better to handle the fault in a way that ensures passenger safety.

martindow

Kite2010 wrote: »

Considering the same train passed us heading back the other way back to Waterloo from Reading full of passengers, it was deemed fixed enough to carry passengers.

This might not have been the same train though, as there are two electrified platforms at Reading (normally three but one is out of action because of the temporary platform 7).