Southampton - Cardiff. 'Up' or 'Down'?

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

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?

[anthony215]

I'll have a go at this:

UP

[devon_metro]

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.

[JayMac]

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

[bobm]

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 

[paul7575]

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^▸ (London South Western Railway) 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

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

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

[JayMac]

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

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!