Great Western Coffee Shop

Railway terminology refers to direction of travel, most often, as either 'Up' or 'Down'.

So as a little Bank Holiday teaser, can anyone tell me what the direction of travel is for a through service from Southampton - Cardiff Central?

I'll have a go at this:

UP

Logic would suggest down however I suspect it is both; travelling down to Salisbury, Up to Westbury, down to Bristol, Up to Patchway and thence Down to Cardiff.

Indeed, a bit of a trick question. devon_metro is correct.

Lines travelled are:

Down Fast/Slow - Southampton Central to Milbrook
Down Main - Milbrook to Redbridge Junction
Down Test Valley - Redbridge Junction to Tunnel Junction (through Romsey)
Down Main - Tunnel Junction to Wilton Junction (through Salisbury)
Up Salisbury - Wilton Junction to Westbury (through Warminster)
Down Trowbridge - Westbury to Bathampton Junction (through Bradford-on-Avon)
Down Main - Bathampton Junction to Bristol Temple Meads (through Bath Spa)
Up Filton Relief/Main - Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Junction
Up Bristol - Filton Junction to Patchway Junction
Down Tunnel - Patchway Junction to Severn Tunnel Junction (through err.. The Severn Tunnel!)
Down Main - Severn Tunnel Junction to Cardiff Central

We had something like this before. Barnstaple to Exmouth changes to a down in the Exeter area. Fascinating in a strange way.

Edit: got my ups and downs in a pickle  ;D

As the service normally starts at Portsmouth Harbour, there's a few more UP direction sections:

Up Main - Portsmouth Harbour to Portcreek Jn
Up Branch - Portcreek Jn to Cosham Jn
Up Portsmouth - Cosham Jn to Fareham East Jn [1]
Up Netley - Fareham East Jn to St Denys
Down Fast/Slow - St Denys to Northam Jn
Down Main - Northamn Jn to Southampton Central

[1] This being a bit of an LSWR oddity - on the map, the east junction is at the north end , and the west junction at the south end of the station.  Not only that, but as the tracks are not quite north/south either, the east junction is further west than the west junction.  Anyone know why?

Paul

Would Barnstaple to exmouth not be up all the way to exmouth junction with the exception of between cowley bridge and exeter st David's

Did consider the full end-to end service for my little teaser, but I didn't have track diagrams or SimSig* to refer to for Portsmouth - Southampton.  ;)



*Hours of fun to be had pretending to a be a Bobby! http://www.simsig.co.uk/ If you're that way inclined!