Summer 2021 - Engineering Works at Bristol - Planned Train Changes

[whole diary]

[DaveHarries]

In my view there is little need to run rail replacement buses between Lawrence Hill and Temple Meads as there are numerous local buses passing the station, running to central Bristol, although none of them serve Temple Meads.

Exactly, and therein lies my problem. On days when I have to be in work for 0830 (the start of my working day varies) the 0754 Severn Beach to Temple Meads is the perfect train to get as it is the one that gets me in closest for that time and my workplace is within 5 minutes walk of Temple Meads, albeit not on the Old Market side. Ah well: no harm in getting the earlier train although I would have to get up a full half hour earlier (0615 instead of 0645) to get it. *yawn*

Dave

[grahame]

Been some changes to the original plan.  The Cardiff to Portsmouths in mid July were going to run as Swindon to Portsmouth via Melksham originally.

The revised plan to Bath means a bit of use for the Rhubarb Curve!

From a passenger viewpoint, it's a lot less disruptive to replace the Bristol Temple Meads stop in the Portsmouth-Cardiff trains with a stop at Bristol Lawrence Hill like they did in Great Bristish Railways days than to send passengers to Swindon (change for Bristol Parkway and South Wales) or bus them from Bath Spa.   Might even be cheaper in rail replacement bus costs!

There doesn’t appear to be any intention of stopping Portsmouth-Cardiff trains at Lawrence Hill in place of Temple Meads. With the exception of one early morning train from Westbury, which runs via Temple Meads (reverse), retraces it’s route to North Somerset Junction (reverses again), then runs via the Rhubarb and calls at Lawrence Hill, they are all shown as running via the Rhubarb, then calling at Filton Abbeywood, Bristol Parkway (reverse) and on to Cardiff.

Indeed - naughty of me to point out the station at Lawrence Hill. I asked if it was to be used at the Central timetabling / briefing meeting a couple of months back and did not get positive vibes from the answer.  These days, it's on the local lines (is that the term?) only with limited track work across at Dr Days's Junction and National Rail tells us:

Staff help available - No
Ramp for train access - No
Step free access note - Step-free category B3 station – “Some step-free access, may be in one direction only.” - This station has a degree of step free access to platform 1 via a supermarket car park however Platform 2 can only be accessed via a step bridge.
Wheelchairs available - No

[jamestheredengine]

Why not Stapleton Road rather than Lawrence Hill? That at least has step-free access.

[Sulis John]

Been some changes to the original plan.  The Cardiff to Portsmouths in mid July were going to run as Swindon to Portsmouth via Melksham originally.

The revised plan to Bath means a bit of use for the Rhubarb Curve!

Thank goodness a bit of sense has been seen! I dread to think what the travel times would otherwise have been from Bath to Filton AW or Bristol Parkway - even assuming that a direct RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) avoiding Temple Meads was in the plan, the Cleveland Bridge closure is likely to make for "interesting" traffic conditions in Bath over the next few months.

[DaveHarries]

Why not Stapleton Road rather than Lawrence Hill? That at least has step-free access.

True but the trains will have to go down to Lawrence Hill and then use the curve round to North Somerset Junction in order to reverse. The good news, however, is that rail replacement buses are showing as stopping at Lawrence Hill when replacing the Bristol Parkway - Bristol Temple Meads local stopping services. This is welcome but once you get to Lawrence Hill on the train the connection time onto the replacement bus is around 16 minutes as shown at https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:LWH/2021-07-12/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

The RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) would arrive at Bristol Temple Meads at 0824. With a journey time, including connection, from Lawrence Hill to Bristol Temple Meads of 27 minutes I can't help wondering if walking from Lawrence Hill station, along Lincoln Street and Days Road, through the Dings and over the bridge from Avon Street would be just as quick as waiting for, and using, the RRB. I may look into it.

Dave

[ellendune]

The RRB^▸ (Rail Replacement Bus) would arrive at Bristol Temple Meads at 0824. With a journey time, including connection, from Lawrence Hill to Bristol Temple Meads of 27 minutes I can't help wondering if walking from Lawrence Hill station, along Lincoln Street and Days Road, through the Dings and over the bridge from Avon Street would be just as quick as waiting for, and using, the RRB. I may look into it.

Google gives a walking time of 23 minutes!

[Red Squirrel]

Slightly off-topic, but this piece of news concerns the pub that gave the curve its name:

Last pub standing in Barton Hill is at risk of being turned into flats
A campaign has been launched to try and save the beloved local

A group of campaigners are determined to save the last pub standing in their neighbourhood from being turned into flats.

The Rhubarb Tavern is the only pub left in Barton Hill after The Lord Nelson, The Swan and The Russell Arms all pulled their final pints - but it's clinging on by a thread.

The long-serving local closed in August last year after the landlord moved on because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the disused building soon attracted the attention of developers.

...continues

Source: Bristol Live

[Bmblbzzz]

It's been closed for a year but every time I've been past it, it looks as if it's been closed for five.