Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Gillingham
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⚠️🔥We're really sorry for the disruption to passengers through #Gillingham because of a track fire. We believe the problem is linked to the third rail, the electrified rail which feeds power to trains.
We have engineers on site now looking to get the railway open again ASAP. /1
We have engineers on site now looking to get the railway open again ASAP. /1
⚡️It looks like there's damage to an insulator pot, the ceramic gadget that keeps the third rail off the ground. If they are damaged, and the third rail touches the ground, electricity can earth through the pot and cause a fire. /2
For safety reasons, we've had to switch the power off to trains on all platforms at #Gillingham until we can repair the damage. Once again, we're sorry for the disruption. Please keep checking with @Se_Railway for live travel updates. /3
⚠️🛤️ We've had reports of a potential track problem between #Gillingham and #Templecombe on the @SW_Help West of England line. The line is currently blocked awaiting the arrival of a mobile operations manager, who can examine it to see if it's safe. Apologies for the delay.
UPDATE: We have a team on its way to site and the next train through will take it slowly and examine the track for any problems.
UPDATE 1825: this is the issue between #Gillingham and #Templecombe . Our track team is on its way to see what work needs to be done to reopen the line, which is now blocked (for obvious reasons). Thank you for your patience and please follow @SW_Help for travel info. 
An Emergency Speed Restriction is in place between #Tisbury and #Gillingham on the West of England line.
Later this week, @SW_Help will announce a temporary, revised timetable for services between #Salisbury, #Yeovil Junction and #Exeter St Davids.
Here's what's happening 🧵
Later this week, @SW_Help will announce a temporary, revised timetable for services between #Salisbury, #Yeovil Junction and #Exeter St Davids.
Here's what's happening 🧵
The very hot and dry conditions of recent weeks has dried out the clay soil beneath the embankments between Tisbury and Gillingham 🌡️
When clay dries out, it shrinks. This is causing track defects, which means we cannot run trains at full speed 🚆
When clay dries out, it shrinks. This is causing track defects, which means we cannot run trains at full speed 🚆
You can see in this photo that the level of the track has been disturbed because of the earth moving 🛤️
Vegetation by the line is also sucking up the remaining moisture in the embankment and causing more earth movements 🌳
It's a problem known as Soil Moisture Deficit.
Vegetation by the line is also sucking up the remaining moisture in the embankment and causing more earth movements 🌳
It's a problem known as Soil Moisture Deficit.
🌧️ We're sorry to say that despite working through the night, the landslip at #Newington has defeated our best efforts and we won't be able to get the railway open again today. The rain has kept up and continues to soak the spoil, which slips as fast as we can cart it away. /1
We're bringing more equipment to site now,on top of the digger you can see here working overnight, to reach further back into the slip and remove the soil that keeps sliding towards the railway. /2
The good news is this is what geotechnical engineers call a "transitional failure" which is effectively the failed top layer of soil surfing downhill on the lower layer. That means once we cart the spoil away and put a row of ballast bags in place to protect the line... /3
⚠️ You may have seen our friends @Se_Railway and @TLRailUK explaining that there won't be trains between #Gillingham and #Sittingbourne tonight from 2100 (9pm) because of a landslip. Well, here's what it looked like from track level this morning.... /1
... the slip is in a cutting just outside #Newington station and was discovered when trees turned up closer to the track than expected. Here's the top end, and you can see the top layer of soil had given way and slid down towards the railway. /2
We kept trains running today at 20mph as the slip was in no danger of continuing onto the railway, but we're coming in early tonight to shore it up. That's why there's rail replacement buses and why you'll need to check before you travel this evening. /3
