Great Western Coffee Shop

The electrification of Bath^s railway moved a step closer today as Network Rail outlined how it plans to electrify the rail route through the city and on to Swansea via Bristol as part of its electrification of the Great Western Main Line.

Electrification will open the way for a new generation of electric intercity trains to be introduced on routes serving Bath from 2017, meaning more seats, more legroom, more tables and a reduction in journey times for passengers. It will also deliver a greener, quieter, more reliable railway with fewer emissions being released into the atmosphere and a reduction in noise as electric trains replace existing diesel ones.

Network Rail is undertaking a package of work in preparation for the electrification of the Bath railway corridor, most of which will be completed at night so trains can operate as normal for passengers. Work which cannot be completed at night and which will affect services to and from Bath is to be combined during a six-week period in summer 2015, from mid-July to the end of August, with work completed in two main phases during those six weeks.

The first three-week phase will affect only the immediate Box Tunnel area (near Corsham), while the second three-week phase also closes the entire railway immediately east of Bath station and the direct route to Trowbridge.

By maximising work over a six-week period it will be completed with the minimum possible level of disruption to passengers. Network Rail will also be using this period to complete other work that was due to be undertaken in the Bath area over the coming years, minimising disruption further still.

Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail route managing director, said: ^The work that we will be undertaking at Bath is part of our wider electrification project, delivering not only a greener and quieter railway but a better service for passengers across the south west.

^We realise that this work will cause disruption to rail users, but we are working closely with all the relevant parties to minimise that disruption, and when the work is complete, it will pave the way for a massively improved rail service.^

The work is planned for the summer of 2015 to avoid other major improvements being carried out by Network Rail at Reading and Bristol, while also avoiding bat and newt breeding seasons. The major elements of the work are:

Lowering the track in Box Tunnel and installing electrification equipment
Canopy works at Bath Spa station
Installing specially designed electrification equipment in Sydney Gardens, in recognition of its unique status as a World Heritage Site. Huge care will be taken to ensure that the electrified rail route protects the special status of the City of Bath and its listed buildings.
Network Rail, First Great Western, Bath & North East Somerset Council and Bath Tourism Plus are working together to ensure that disruption to passengers and visitors to the city is minimised, keeping  passengers on trains, wherever possible, rather than having to use coach services as the railway around Bath is modernised.

A firm objective of all parties is to ensure that Bath remains open during these works next summer, albeit with a reduced level of service.  Service provision measures currently under consideration include:

Ensuring commuters and off peak passengers can travel by train by keeping the rail route west of Bath open throughout the improvement works, so that a reduced service from Bath Spa to London Paddington and Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central can operate.
Keeping passengers on trains that normally travel through Bath Spa by diverting services where at all possible
Implementing a high quality coach service between Bath Spa and Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury which would operate at the same frequency as rail services, connecting passengers with onward train services at those stations.
Easing ticket restrictions to enable passengers to use alternative rail routes.
Allowing car park season ticket holders to use car parks at alternative train stations.
Final plans for the programme of work and alternative travel arrangements will be announced this autumn following consultation with businesses, tourism representatives, passengers and user groups over the coming months.

Mark Hopwood for First Great Western said:  "By working with businesses and the community in Bath we are developing a train service plan that supports the local economy while also allowing Network Rail the vital access it needs to the railway in order to electrify the route.  Our goal is to ensure the route is modernised in the shortest time possible and with the minimum level of disruption to our passengers."

Cllr Paul Crossley, leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: ^These modernisation works offer a fantastic opportunity to improve rail services for visitors and commuters coming to Bath.

^We^re really pleased that Network Rail and First Great Western are working together to put meticulous plans in place to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum during the short period of works. We^re also keen to make people aware that Bath will still be very much ^open for business^, and assist them in getting around easily so they can continue to enjoy the wide variety of shops, entertainment and visitor attractions which our beautiful World Heritage City has to offer.^ 

Nick Brooks-Sykes, chief executive for Bath Tourism Plus, said: ^A fast, efficient and frequent railway connection to London is key to future growth of the visitor economy in Bath. We therefore welcome the plans to electrify the lines and introduce new rolling stock. We recognise that there will inevitably be some short term disruption, so welcome the fact that Network Rail and First Great Western will be working with BTP to minimise this where possible and to support BTP in informing potential visitors of route and timetable alterations.^

Some further work will be needed in 2016 west of Bath that will require further changes to train services on some weekends, but this will not be on the scale of the summer 2015 alterations.

Please use this survey to feedback your views on the proposed 6 week disruption period in summer 2015 and the associated electrification of the Great Western Mainline

1.Would you agree that the long term benefits will outweigh the short term and temporary disruption that local residents and rail users will face during its construction? Reduced carbon emissions being a key benefit
strongly agree   agree   disagree   strongly disagree
Will it be worth it?
         
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3.If you would like to receive updates by email, please enter your email address below:

4.Would the improved capacity and performance of the new electric trains encourage you to make more use of the train service than you do currently?
Yes,   No change   No
Will you use trains more?
      
5.We would value your views on the Electrifcation programme and how it may affect you. We are constantly reviewing the programme and welcome your feedback [box for free format text input]

All NR and the TOCs can do is keep repeating the message by posters, adverts, meet the manager and on board and station announcements in the hope it will catch 90% plus of the travellers

Just to advise that the signalled reversal happens north of Trowbridge at Bathampton South Junction and cannot take place at the station itself as the signalling is not configured to do so.

... assuming the short platform at Melksham isn't a problem.

Engineering works, Bath and Box, Summer 2015


* For three weeks at the end of July and the start of August 2015, the line through Box tunnel will be closed.

* For the following three weeks, the western access to Bath Spa will be closed in addition.

The following diversions are planned.

a) For the first three weeks, London to Bristol trains via Chippenham and Bath Spa will run once per hour, diverted between Thingley Junction and Batheaston Junction, reversing in the Trowbridge area.

b) For the second three weeks, a London to Bristol and Bath service will run via Swindon and Bristol Parkway to reverse there to Bath Spa where it will terminate.  The Portsmouth to Cardiff service will divert north of Trowbridge via Chippenham to Swindon.

I'm confused. If the western approach to Bath Spa is closed for the second three weeks, how will the trains reverse from Parkway to Bath Spa?

Is it fair to say that for these six weeks the service level between Bath and Filton will be broadly similar to what it normally is?

And, presumably, the line between Bath and Bristol will be closed for a few weeks at some point and replaced by a bus service.

I tend to agree with Graham on his comments on stopping diverted services at Melksham.

It seems a shame to undermine a growing level of patronage there.

I also think it is a shame that the opportunity isn't being taken to put back the third side of the Thingley triangle to allow a Chippenham- Bath train to run via Melksham without a reversal.

For such a short bit of track you would mitigate the delays during the closure of the tunnel, provide an on going diversionary route when the tunnel is closed in future and (perhaps in compensation for suspension of Melksham stoppers during the summer works) Give more options for transwiltshire / Bristol metro services.  For example coupled with reopening a platform at Chippenham you could run a Bristol Metro route Temple Mead-Keynsham-Oldfield Park-Bath Spa- Corsham-Melksham-Chippenham thereby drawing Wiltshire into the Bristol hinterland. 

After a bit of staring at maps and head-scratching, I conclude that you must mean the missing chord at Staverton.

Actually I wonder what purpose the chord at Thingley served - though given that it was opened during the war and closed before 1960, I presume it had something to do with munitions and the various facilities buried round Box.

I am beggining to think that small schemes like reinstating Bradfrod North curve and electrfying Bath to Thingley Junction via Melksahm and Bedwyn via Westbury would provide a far more resiliant and and useful railway  rather than HS2.

Other schemes that spring to mind are Okehampton Bere Alston how long is Dawlish going to last? Connecting Birmingham Moor Steet to the Camp Hill line to give Birmingham another Suburban link. East West which does appear to be going ahead. Uckfield Lewes to relieve the Brighton main line.

In my neck of the woods reinstate Bourne End High Wycombe, just think of the connectivity with the Bicester link West Bound on East West and via Clayton junction to Milton Keynes and Bedford maybe Cambridge. This links the principle towns of North and South Bucks/Berks/Oxfordshire Milton Keynes Aylesbury Bicester Oxford High Wycombe Maidenhead and Slough.

Woodhead maybe as part 1 of HS3 but needs to serve Sheffield Midland.

Build all new stations on two track mainlines a 4 tracks with platform loops.

Schemes like this would seem to me to add far more useful services than HS2 and serve a greater population than HS2 which bascially only serves about 6 destinations.

As to whether reinstating the Bradford curve is a Transwilts project I would have thought an  hourly service from (Weston) Bristol to Swindon(London?) via Melksham together with a Swindon Salisbury Southampton would be very much a Tranwilts project.