Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[metalrail]

Apologies if i've missed this somewhere, but not been able to find any info on it....

One thing that's been puzzling for a while now is how Filton Junction will be remodelled...  does anyone know please?

Watched the Network Rail youtube clip a couple of years ago which showed the new 4 x 75mph crossovers to transfer stock from the relief to main lines at various points on the southern approach to FIT which would make sense if expresses had to be re-routed onto the relief lines, but will there be crossover provision at Filton Junction itself?

At the moment FIT platform 3 takes all Cardiff bound trains, and the junction itself has crossovers so those returning from Cardiff can transfer to what will be the new main lines to use FIT platform 1, which will no doubt become redundant once all Cardiff trains use both the relief lines at FIT following the introduction of new platform 4?

So will the junction be remodelled - basically switched around the other way - with crossovers from the BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) lines to FIT platforms 3 and 4 so that all local BPW bound trains can use the relief lines all the way down, leaving FIT platforms 1 and 2 free for all the 800 expresses and Cross Country Voyagers / HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s?  The animation vid still basically shows the junction as it currently is which seems weird, plus there's ample room to provide the crossovers the opposite way around

Otherwise, especially seeing as FIT is the only 'local' station currently with scheduled stops on main line services - plus the introduction of 4 new IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)'s per hour between BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) and BPW - FIT platforms 3 and 4 will literally just see Cardiff services, whilst 1 and 2 will have all express stopping and through services (both GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Cross Country), plus all local BPW services, meaning the famous BPW area bottleneck will just get worse!

[SandTEngineer]

I'll post up a diagram of the F4T layout, but I need to draw it up first so it may take a few days......

[metalrail]

That would be great SandTEngineer, thanks so much!

[metalrail]

Took another trip yesterday to film the down side, starting just before Muller Road bridge where the current track slews over from the old main side to the current 'relief' side.  Trackbed all just about cleared, various stages of drainage works and ballasting.  Plus lots of progress on new Stapleton Road viaduct piers since last week, with new viaduct itself in the background.  Also showing the current state of Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill stations

Here's the link....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DMrtx6qZMw

Got off at Lawrence Hill to catch the train back, and took a pic of how the station is now looking with nearly all of the new ballast down....

[martyjon]

Took another trip today to film the down side, starting just before Muller Road bridge where the current track slews over from the old main side to the current 'relief' side.  Trackbed all just about cleared, various stages of drainage works and ballasting.  Plus lots of progress on new Stapleton Road viaduct piers since last week, with new viaduct itself in the background.  Also showing the current state of Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill stations

Here's the link....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DMrtx6qZMw

Got off at Lawrence Hill to catch the train back, and took a pic of how the station is now looking with nearly all of the new ballast down....

Still needs a lot of lineside vegetation to be removed though.

[metalrail]

Still needs a lot of lineside vegetation to be removed though

Just guessing - I know there's loads more people who will know better than me on this - with the amount of new sleeper work happening over the past couple of weeks on the new relief line side, that during the 2 upcoming weekend blockades in May between BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) and BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains), the current 'main' lines will be transferred to the new relief lines being laid just south of FIT, then rejoining the existing relief side lines at Ashley Hill, thereby removing the current track slew

That would then mean work can be concentrated on the new main line side between FIT and Dr Days

Happy to be wrong, and more interested to find out exactly what will be happening then!   

[TonyK]

Thanks for that video, metalrail - I hadn't seen the extent of the work on the northern abutment at SRD. I don't know what's occurring over the two possessions, but a bit of track realignment would seem a good idea, maybe even the installation of the live sides of the crossovers. The new viaduct goes up in June, and it would be so much easier to lay two new tracks and keep the railway running that way.

[SandTEngineer]

As promised above here is the diagram.  If you have any questions please ask. Apologies, but I can't seem to get it to fit to the screen width

[martyjon]

So between Ashley Hill and Abbey Wood the Mains become the Reliefs and the Reliefs the Mains, is that so.

[SandTEngineer]

So between Ashley Hill and Abbey Wood the Mains become the Reliefs and the Reliefs the Mains, is that so.

No.  Designers error    The RELIEF should be the top pair and the MAIN the bottom pair throughout.  Version 02 coming shortly.....

[SandTEngineer]

Version 01 now replaced with Version 02 in original post above.  I'll get my dunces hat out and go and stand in the corner.....

[JayMac]

Has the Barrow Hill siding been reconnected to the Up Filton Relief?

[SandTEngineer]

Has the Barrow Hill siding been reconnected to the Up Filton Relief?

It wasn't last time I passed over it (two weeks ago), but its still technically there as a siding and thus shown as in situ on all the signalling drawings.

Just to be clear, its not intended to be a scale drawing but what is called in the S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph) trade, a facilities sketch.  If I do another update I'll make that a bit clearer on it.

[JayMac]

I remember it being disconnected a couple years ago. Was plain track for a while.

See: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13173.msg142770#msg142770

Should have read that thread first to remind me. Was only a temporary disconnection.

[martyjon]

As promised above here is the diagram.

Just a minor point, isn't the current line from North Somerset Junction to Dr. Days Junction (neither shown on diagram) a two way line to allow access to SPM^▸ (St Philip's Marsh (Bristol depot)) from the Lawrence Hill direction. Issue 3 beckons ?