Poor Timekeeping: Didcot - Reading stoppers

[whole diary]

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

It is becoming the norm that stopping trains run 5 - 10 minutes late between Didcot and Reading and vv.  The problem seems to a) the timetable and  b) driving technique.

NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s timetable is neither robust nor resilient. Up stoppers from Didcot are regularly delayed by southbound freights having priority at Didcot East J, and down stoppers (as A-Driver noted) are regularly held by northbound freights at Reading West J.  The grade separation works at Reading will do nothing to address these fundamental timetable weaknesses: what is needed is for NR to take a realistic view of freight train pathing, and maybe loop them more often to help timekeeping.  If a metal box has taken 3 weeks to come by boat from Japan and then comes up Southampton water at 8 knots or whatever, I can't really see that an extra 30 minutes to get to Trafford Park is going to make much difference.  NR needs to make a proper judgement of what needs to be done in terms of loop provision, train lengths and timings to ensure the timetable works.

The second point is driving technique.  I've noticed that Drivers are increasingly approach stations as if it's leaf season all year round: I've heard that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are instructing them to coast more and use Notch 1 brake only (in Turbos).  If this is the case then the timetable needs to be amended to reflect the increased running times between stations.

There is nothing fundamentally difficult in producing a resilient timetable. I just wish that NR would do it for the RL's between Didcot and Reading.

edit: sorry mods, please move this to right section.

[IndustryInsider]

The driving technique on Turbos has been to use a Step 1 brake application if for many years now, which superseded the original instructions when the units were first in service which was to use Step 2/3 initially to bring the speed down before actually drawing to a stand in Step 1.  However, there are an awful lot of trainee drivers in the LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley) ranks at the moment (too many for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to sensibly handle, but that's another topic!), and PQA drivers (those that have recently qualified) are also quite large in number.  Both groups are a little more defensive than is necessary, but understandably so in many cases.  I do personally think that the training emphasis is a little too defensive though to be honest.

What doesn't help is the freight trains as you mention, and the fact that a 5 minute delay between Reading and Didcot still results in an on-time arrival at Oxford or London as the trains have recovery/pathing allowances at Didcot and Reading.

The grade separation at Reading will help a little though as without pathing the freight trains to also (supposedly) not conflict with main line trains should mean their route from Southcote through Oxford Road Junction and Reading West Junction will be easier to path.  Currently a freight pretty much precedes every down service from Reading West Junction and it's often waiting for a suitable gap in the main line service that then causes the freight to hold the stopper up.

Finally, the Up and Down Goods Loop between Reading West Junction and Scours Lane will be reinstated at the end of the work, so the flexibility to 'loop' those freight trains will once again be available to the signaller.  The loop was temporarily closed to allow the viaduct work to progress and that has really had a big impact.  It should be noted that it will be only one bi-directional goods loop rather than a separate up and down loop as before (with a single bi-di line to enter/exit it at the Tilehurst end), but that will still offer much increased flexibility over what there is now, especially when all the other improvements also help to ease congestion.

Coming the other way from Didcot is another matter though.  I've said before that after Reading and Oxford's layout has been improved, Didcot East Junction will become the main pinch-point.  Grade separation within 15 years anyone?

[a-driver]

It's also worth noting, and no one knows why this happens as it has been raised before, it that there is a difference of upto 4 minutes on some services between the WTT^▸ (Working Time-Table) and GBTT^▸ (Great British Time Table). 

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) aren't overly concerned with the timekeeping between Reading and Didcot because the stoppers can sit at Didcot for upto 10 minutes so effectively the train can still arrive at Oxford 'on time'.

I agree that driving style is overly defensive though.  The Turbo have a brake step 1, 2 and 3. They are there to be used and their use shouldn't be frowned upon.

[stuving]

Coming the other way from Didcot is another matter though.  I've said before that after Reading and Oxford's layout has been improved, Didcot East Junction will become the main pinch-point.  Grade separation within 15 years anyone?

Late last year I was at a talk by Ben Venables, who is Programme Engineering Manager, Reading Station Area Redevelopment project (i.e. the boss). At the end, he said something about what he might do next - meaning the next big project. He didn't mention Oxford, but did give the Network Rail insiders' view that WRAH was a done deal and just working its was through the labyrinth of DfT^» (Department for Transport - about). He reckoned it would start planning too soon for him to get in on it.

His nomination for the next big project was ... Didcot grade separation. His background is is track layouts, which may be a bit of a bias. However, I suspect his choice was based on where the next dominant capacity limit on the line is, as that's what justifies the big bucks needed to give him a really big project.

[4064ReadingAbbey]

His nomination for the next big project was ... Didcot grade separation. His background is is track layouts, which may be a bit of a bias. However, I suspect his choice was based on where the next dominant capacity limit on the line is, as that's what justifies the big bucks needed to give him a really big project.

That makes a lot of sense, and confirms my gut-feeling as well. I would suggest, however, that although it is a stand-alone project, it really only makes sense in conjunction with capacity increases in the Oxford station area; it being silly to increase capacity in one place if a few miles down the track there is still a bottle-neck which limits the use one can make of the new junction.

As has been noted in other places, the need for grade separation increases (i.e., the incidence of conflict increases) more than linearly with increasing numbers of trains using each branch. After the Reading area on the GW^▸ (Great Western) it is clear that, on train numbers alone, Didcot is the next in line. After that then I would think that Wootton Bassett and Westerleigh Junctions would be good candidates and possibly something between Filton and the Severn Tunnel to separate and join the Bristol and London flows.

I don't think grade separation at Swindon could be justified even with a train on the Kemble route every half-hour as trains joining and leaving the main line could be held in the station until the route is clear. The other candidate that is sometimes mentioned would be grade separation at Southcote Junction just south of Reading where the Reading - Newbury - Taunton line separates from the Reading - Basingstoke line. Although it would be a 'nice to have' I can't see anyone being able to justify it at the moment as Reading will have had just shy of ^1 billion spent on it over the past few years and other areas will complain if yet more is spent in the same area. In any event I think the new layout will have to shake down before anyone will be able to justify more expenditure. But if the number of container trains to and from Southampton continues to increase and the density of traffic on the Newbury route also increases in the next few years then grade separation here will also have to be investigated.

But first - Didcot...and, I hope, within 15 years!

[stuving]

His nomination for the next big project was ... Didcot grade separation. His background is is track layouts, which may be a bit of a bias. However, I suspect his choice was based on where the next dominant capacity limit on the line is, as that's what justifies the big bucks needed to give him a really big project.

That makes a lot of sense, and confirms my gut-feeling as well. I would suggest, however, that although it is a stand-alone project, it really only makes sense in conjunction with capacity increases in the Oxford station area; it being silly to increase capacity in one place if a few miles down the track there is still a bottle-neck which limits the use one can make of the new junction.

Oxford Corridor Capacity Improvements (Project W006) is in CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019), and scheduled to complete in December 2018. Was that what you meant?

[4064ReadingAbbey]

His nomination for the next big project was ... Didcot grade separation. His background is is track layouts, which may be a bit of a bias. However, I suspect his choice was based on where the next dominant capacity limit on the line is, as that's what justifies the big bucks needed to give him a really big project.

That makes a lot of sense, and confirms my gut-feeling as well. I would suggest, however, that although it is a stand-alone project, it really only makes sense in conjunction with capacity increases in the Oxford station area; it being silly to increase capacity in one place if a few miles down the track there is still a bottle-neck which limits the use one can make of the new junction.

Oxford Corridor Capacity Improvements (Project W006) is in CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019), and scheduled to complete in December 2018. Was that what you meant?

Yes. My point was that it makes sense to do Oxford first and then Didcot rather than the other way around. I am aware that Didcot is not - yet - in the lists of approved and funded projects whereas Oxford will happen. I hope Didcot makes it into CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024).

As the Reading viaduct civils cost, IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), about ^50 million I suspect that Didcot could come in around ^75-80 million but it all depends on how grade separated the design turns to to be. Will the Mains be grade separated or the Reliefs or maybe both? Will the grade separation lead only onto the avoiding lines or will a train on the Mains be able to reach the Relief line platforms without conflict (and vice versa)? And so on and so forth!

I only hope that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) will still have funds for expansion in CP6.

[ironstone11]

He didn't mention Oxford, but did give the Network Rail insiders' view that WRAH was a done deal and just working its was through the labyrinth of DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).

WRAH stands for, please.

[John R]

Western Rail Access to Heathrow (which I thought was usually abbreviatd to WRAtH^▸ (Western Rail Access to Heathrow)).

As described here.

http://thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/wrath

[JayMac]

WRAtH^▸ (Western Rail Access to Heathrow) added to the forum's Acronyms/Abbreviations page.