Great Western Coffee Shop

The Regional Spatial Strategy that looks ahead to the next 20 years and how it effects the South West (i.e. Wiltshire / Dorset / Gloucestershire to Cornwall and counties between) was publishes a while back and there was a long "Examination in Public" in Exeter last year.    We're now starting to see some feedback ... in my own neck of the woods, I've put up posts as follows:

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5639.0

http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5660.0

There's major growth planned in West Wiltshire - the District Council identifies around 160 ha of potential development land in Melksham (more in Trowbridge, less in Westbury and Warminster and a little in Bradford-on-Avon) and the RSS as a whole looks at some 50% growth in these parts.   I believe that lower growth rates are planned elsewhere - "Nowhere else do I know of six strategically significant cities and towns on a 40 mile corridor" said one of my knoweledgable contacts!

Not strictly FGW - but I would be very interested in other people's comments on the RSS and what it does for them in terms of getting around especially.

I like throwing rocks in ponds to see how far the ripples flow.

How about this for an idea?

There are no stations between Bath and Chippenham on IKB's Great Wetern. There are however 5 intermediate stations between Bath and Chippenham via Trowbridge including Bradford on Avon, Trowbridge and Melsham all mentioned above for expansion.

Now with a little bt of S&C work and a bit of an upgrade to the signalling you could run a Bristol to Swindon via Trowbridge stopping service.

This would require a trailing crossover North of Trowbridge station and some bi-directional signalling on the Up line betwen Trowbidge and Bradford South Junction.

The way it would work would be that the Bristol- Swindon trains would arrive as normal in the Down Platform at Trowbridge and the driver changes ends and departs Northwards using the trailing crossover to gain the Up line. The Swindon train would have a connection from the previous Westbury - Bristol train for passengers who wish to get to Melksham Chippenham or Swindon.

The Swindon - Bristol train would use the bi direction Up line from Bradford South Jn to Trowbridge and change direction in the Bristol bound platform. It would be timed to connect into the next Bristol - Westbury train.

Thus you could have an hourly stopping service Bristol - Trowbridge - Swindon and the current hourly Bristol - Westbury and beyond services.

To be totally flexible both lines from Bradford South Junction to Trowbridge (or  Westbury) could be bi-directional. But Networkrail (HMRI?) doesn't like bidirectional working even where it's provided. 

Far too revolutionary the guy should be shot.




 

All in that's a good idea, except the bi-directional running lines.

Network Rail have got wise to the fact that bi-directional running causes more pathing problems than it solves, more signalling is required, also safety of track workers is reduced and track wear is increased.

Where double lines have been reduced to single, the cost savings have not been made, hence the reinstatement of twin lines in Cornwall and between Bicester and Aynho Junction.

Not so revolutionary as you might think.  There is already a facing crossover just to the north of Trowbridge and the movements are possible - robustness of reversing at Trowbridge may be questioned.

Now if someone had the Wisdom to reinstate the North side of the former triangle at Bradford Junction then Melksham could have some direct Bristol-Bath-Melksham-Swindon-London services.

The north side reinstatement would also be Meggar useful when engineering works occur in the Box Tunnel. :)

I think the Bristol - London services have already been slowed down enough over the last 20 years. So unless the services you describe were in addition to the existing half hourly service they would be very unwelcome for Bristol and Bath passengers.

So you're not a fan of the campaign to reopen Corsham station then, John?  ;D

It looks like (and do correct me if I am wrong) John R was more objecting to increased journey times if Bristol-London services were diverted via Melksham in the way that smokey suggested.

Regarding Corsham, research (backed up by source info) suggests that calling HST's there would take 3 minutes extra, and that there is approximately 3 minutes slack into Bath. Stage Two of my West Fleet plan takes this into account, and also makes provision for a seperate hourly daytime service calling at Corsham (link below.)
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=1407.msg8181#msg8181

I am aware, though, that some passengers are opposed to the idea of including any extra stops in such services (example link below.)
http://thirdratewestern.blogspot.com/

That would be me  :)

In fact, I would be quite happy with extra stops between CPM and BRI provided:

1. It's during peak only, when the extra capacity is really needed
2. There is actually space on the trains to carry extra people, which has NOT been the case recently
3. They do something about the delays that happen at the short platform stations as the HSTs don't have power doors

Ironically despite the gross overcrowding, the Adelante service on the 0746 CPM-BRI has been, on the whole, reliable and because it accelerates faster and doesn't have to hang about at Keynsham waiting for the doors to be closed and checked, it has made up the time for the extra stop by the time it gets to Bristol.

I wasn't suggesting any service level, just that it could be done, now if the Oxford-Bristol service was reinstated going though (and calling at) Melksham hourly and on to Bath via the restored north curve me thinks His Holyness Grahame would be a very Happy man.

I think there should be 3tph on the Bristol corridor Comprising of:

xx00 Calling: Swindon, Chippenham, Bath, Bristol (with extension to WSM/PNZ/PGN every 2 hours)
xx10 Calling: Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, Melksham, Bradford on Avon, Bath, Keynsham, Bristol
xx35 Calling: Reading, Swindon, Chippenham, (Corsham), Bath, Bristol (peak extensions to Taunton/WSM)

Thanks for that clarification, miniman.


I am sure he would  ;D

Something like this: http://southwest-railways.50webs.com/M4%20corridor.htm

In result; Didcot gets a more spread service and Wales gets a faster service along with Bristol.