The Hatfield rail crash was in October 2000, followed all-too-closely by Potters Bar in May 2004. Both were the consequence of inadequate maintenance and subsequent Machiavellian manifestations led to the demise of Railtrack.
French Railways (SNCF) has a similar catharsis after an accident in July 2013 at Brétigny-sur-Orge. An Inter-City train of Corail stock became derailed on this double slip at the throat of the station.
The cause was a loose or missing fishplate and the result was that the train became divided, coaches rolled on their side ...
... and several vehicles crashed into the station building. Tragically seven lives were lost.
The French equivalent to Railtrack was RFF ...
... and the reaction to the Brétigny problem was similar. A programme called "Vigirail" was announced in October 2013 which provided for the mass replacement of pointwork in many locations throughout the network. Implementation began in May 2015.
But accumulated losses by RFF of €32 million (by the 2013 accounting period) led to the handing back of tracks etc. to a division of SNCF in January 2015.
And so, back to Lyon Perrache.
The pointwork at both ends of the station is to be renewed over the next two months. And there is a lot of it. Here is the western end courtesy of Google Earth ...
... and ditto at the east.
SNCF issued a general review of what would happen and here are a few extracts. fbb has attempted a translation where necessary.
Entre le 30 janvier et le 8 avril 2017, la SNCF va renouveler près de 34 aiguillages.
Des travaux dont le coût total est chiffré à 15 millions d’euros. Le prix d’un aiguillage seul tourne autour de 500.000 euros pièces et plus de 100 agents de la SNCF et d’entreprises extérieures seront déployés sur les trois mois. Un investissement financier et humain important pour remplacer des aiguillages de trente ans d’âge mais qui, comme le précise la SNCF, n’était pas en fin de vie.
The last sentence sounds a bit rueful; SNCF avers that the points are not yet at the end of their lives!
Durant ce chantier, la gare de Perrache ne fonctionnera qu’à 50% puisque du 30 janvier au 4 mars six voies du côté du Cours Charlemagne seront coupées le jour. Ensuite du 4 mars jusqu’au 8 avril, une seconde partie des travaux engendrera une coupure des six autres voies du côté de la place Carnot le jour.
The southern half of the station will be closed in February then the northern half in March.
In broad terms, some trains will be re-routed to Part Dieu or stop short at the former terminus at Vaise as featured in yesterday's blog. The modern Vaise is significantly less grand than its predecessor.
Passengers are promised "gilets rouge" at all key locations.
Of more interest to fbb than the sartorial elegance of SNCF "assistance" staff is how the changes are publicised. In the UK an unhelpful habit of Train Companies is no longer to publish timetables during disruption.
"Everything is on the Journey Planner" is often the cop out. Whilst the Perrache printed publicity is an unknown quantity to a remotely researching blogger, on-line information is remarkably thorough.
Go to "T E R Rhône-Alpes" and click on "Fiche Horaires" and you will find a list of services in table number order. Clicking on your chosen route brings up something like this:-
the clock is the "normal" timetable ...
... and the umbrella testing road sign is that which applies during the disruption.
In this case less trains run through from Part Dieu.
Those unfamiliar with French railway timetables will note that all days of operation are shown on one table; also note t6he use of bustitution for certain journeys, in this case the Sundays only 0642 from Bourg-en-Bresse.
A few more snippets from Perrache will grace tomorrow's blog.
The sorry tale of the company's kirmishes with the Traffic commissioners reached a peak as blogged (here).The latest edition of the Commisioners' "Notices and Proceedings" would appear to bring the mater to and end.
A few more snippets from Perrache will grace tomorrow's blog.
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Caught-22?
Some time ago, fbb penned a series of blogs about a Blackpool bus Company trading as Catch 22.
There is no on-line evidence to suggest that operations have actually ceased!
Next train/bus blog : Saturday 28th January
*fewer trains
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