Tram-Trains For Southampton-Fareham?

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Article on the future plans of Transport for South Hampshire, with the reintroduction of passenger services between Totton and Hythe also mentioned  - http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/4467633.Tram_train_backed/

[eightf48544]

We just don't get what tram/trains are in this country.

Basically they are a way of getting on road trams in a city to serve outer suburbs and short inter urban runs utilisng existing heavy rail lines. The road tram runs off the tram network onto the heavy rail route, which it shares with heavy rail trains both ICE and freight.

If the heavy rail is electrified the tram will be dual voltage thus for this country 600 DC^▸ (Direct Current) trolley wire in town and 25KV on heavy rail. If the heavy rail is not electrifed (Nordhausen) then ED trams are used.

Thus the essential first requirement for tram/train operation is an urban tramway and suitable heavy rail branches that can be connected at suitable points to the urban tram system.

Thus at  Manchester Victoria or Birmingham Snow Hill, or Bulwell the existing trams could connect to heavy rail. The Croydon trams could be easily linked onto the heavy rail but they would need conductor shoes.  There would also probbly need to be a form of ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) on the heavy rail, which could also be fitted to teh trams, if they are to share the tracks. This wasn't a problem in Germany as they already had Indusi on the main lines.

Thus the Netley line is probably one of the least suitable lines for tram/trains in the country. It is an important "main line" forming important links with the South Coast to the WEst Country via Salisbury, Wales via Bristol, North via Bristol and Birminham. There is even a thread on this board discussing if it could become part of a Channel Tunnel Link to Ashford if Ore to Ashford was electrified and faster trains run. It is also third rail electrified. Thus the trams would need conductor shoes.

A couple of people on the comments have suggested putting a Southward curve at Eastleigh from the Fareham line to allow heavy rail trains to serve both Southampton Airport as well as Central. This would be essential if the Netley  line were to  become solely light rail.

[paul7575]

Agree this is not an appropriate use of tram trains, if there are no tram routes combined stick with proper rail. But I don't think diversions are that eaasy either...

Even if there was a high speed south west curve to avoid Eastleigh, and trains such as Cardiff - Portsmouth would possibly be just a little slower than current Southampton - Fareham times, (but an extra stop at Southampton Airport would slow them down a bit more of course).  The difficulty as far as I see it, is that if the Netley line was to become all station stoppers only, you'd also have to put the two SN services through Botley, and a fair number of SWT^▸ (South West Trains) ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) moves. Alternatively perhaps the Brighton service could run as a second Netley line stopper, with about a 15 min increase in journey time.

All three fasts plus the Waterloo via Eastleighs (2 tph peak) would be well above the capabilty of the Botley line, due to the single track section between Botley and Fareham, even assuming the single track alongside Eastleigh works was no longer a problem due to the new curve.  Dualling as much as possible would still leave the Fareham tunnel bottleneck.

It all starts looking lot more expensive.

Paul

[Lee]

More on the plans, which form part of a series of aspirations for rail infrastructure investment in south Hampshire over the next 30 years - http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/New-Hampshire-stations-could-be.5427882.jp

'I cannot stress enough that we are long way from any of the schemes suggested in the visionary report becoming a reality.

The aspirations also include new stations at Farlington and Paulsgrove, and having watched previous proposals for both fail over the years, I have to say that I agree with his view 

[paul7575]

Funnily enough, Knowle, Paulsgrove and Farlington could all be considered reopenings!

The former Knowle Asylum Halt (overgrown platform still visible today) is interesting because of its location alongside the single tracked section between Fareham and Botley. If there was no change to the existing service pattern on the Botley line, I don't see a huge issue with reopening as a single platform initially, like Chandlers Ford, as current paths have the up and down trains crossing at Hedge End.  Indeed there is plenty of space as the formation allowed for 3 tracks, the up and down Eastleigh - Fareham and the single track heading for the Meon Valley route to Alton, which ran past the halt platform.  Of course in conjunction with increased use of the Botley line as a bypass of the Netley line discussed earlier, dualling would probably become a necessity.

All the current 'Knowle Village' housing developments are within easy walking distance on the down side, and the obvious station site backs onto mainly light industrial units etc.  The area is also at the centre of a fairly massive proposed housing development, (North Fareham) around 20,000 homes IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly).

I think the difficulty with a rebuilt Farlington station would be that the earlier station was on the east - south curve of the triangular junction - probably difficult with today's restrictions. How about 4 platforms though, 2 on the Pompey route, and 2 on the Cosham spur?

A station at Paulsgrove would seem the easiest all round really. Straight track and a minimalist station like Portchester with no parking, stacks of housing, offices and light industry within a short walk.

Paul