Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

I've resisted linking to all the twittage that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have been blurting of late, on the assumption that you can find it as well as I can if you're interested(!), but this one is worth looking at because in the background you can see the one bit of track we've not been able to get at - by Dovercourt Road Allotments: https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1063401565883633664

By the way, David, 'enormity' refers to monstrous evil... I think 'size' would have been a better word!

[SandTEngineer]

Why is everything NR^» (Network Rail - home page) does is 'challenging'

Interesting to note the Major Projects Manager hasn't been on the track much (he has a blue safety helmet).

[metalrail]

I seem to remember that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are only prepared to schedule a single stop between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbey Wood. As to the Horfield Halt site: this is now full of high-speed pointwork, and there's nothing left of the old infrastructure... hard to see how that would ever be rebuilt.

Ashley Hill is a good location - potential for really good access, and handy for Fairfield School, City of Bristol College, The County Ground, Gloucester Road - OK, I'm biased; near me too.

Yeah they said a few years back that the option of both a Horfield and Ashley Hill station had been ruled out so only one would be provided.  The fact - like you've said - that the old Horfield station site has now been completely obliterated and turned into the new 'Horfield Junction' completely rules out re-instating the station there, plus it is very close to FIT

Ashley Hill will make a really good midway point between FIT and SRD with a large catchment area, and lots of local amenities that you mention that could benefit from it

Doesn't make sense to me having the platforms on the 2 main lines, just the 2 on the relief lines should suffice perfectly well, along with the 2 both at LWH and SRD.  Any stopping trains running down from BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) will be switched onto the relief's at Horfield Junction anyway, so would then be able to call at Ashley Hill, along with SRD where you could change to the Severn Beach line

[Phantom]

Why is everything NR^» (Network Rail - home page) does is 'challenging'

I'd prefer the phrase "doing our job"

[Dispatch Box]

I seem to remember that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are only prepared to schedule a single stop between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbey Wood. As to the Horfield Halt site: this is now full of high-speed pointwork, and there's nothing left of the old infrastructure... hard to see how that would ever be rebuilt.

Ashley Hill is a good location - potential for really good access, and handy for Fairfield School, City of Bristol College, The County Ground, Gloucester Road - OK, I'm biased; near me too.

Yeah they said a few years back that the option of both a Horfield and Ashley Hill station had been ruled out so only one would be provided.  The fact - like you've said - that the old Horfield station site has now been completely obliterated and turned into the new 'Horfield Junction' completely rules out re-instating the station there, plus it is very close to FIT

Ashley Hill will make a really good midway point between FIT and SRD with a large catchment area, and lots of local amenities that you mention that could benefit from it

Doesn't make sense to me having the platforms on the 2 main lines, just the 2 on the relief lines should suffice perfectly well, along with the 2 both at LWH and SRD.  Any stopping trains running down from BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) will be switched onto the relief's at Horfield Junction anyway, so would then be able to call at Ashley Hill, along with SRD where you could change to the Severn Beach line

Sorted this is the best plan.

I assume that trains from Gloucester will use the relief lines as many trains also stop Stapleton and Lawrence.

[SandTEngineer]

F4T  T-3 

[Bmblbzzz]

Passive provision is just space. It doesn't have to be filled and unless it involves extensively repositioning other things, it doesn't cost anything much. Any future station would need a platform on each "relief" line and the down platform being an island doesn't mean both sides have to be used, as Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Rd show. Perhaps this is overly cynical, I don't know...

S&TE's diagram shows passive provision for a four-platform station. While this passive provision was being made, Stapleton Road was being actively 'deprovisioned'.

I presume the old main line platforms at Stapleton Rd were demolished because that made the four-tracking easier. They certainly had a lot of plant there.

[Red Squirrel]

F4T  T-3 

 

The thought have having to mix it with the binners for another Friday morning school run makes me feel physically sick. I'm not expecting everything to be working on Monday, but please please let it be sorted by Friday!

Doesn't make sense to me having the platforms on the 2 main lines, just the 2 on the relief lines should suffice perfectly well, along with the 2 both at LWH and SRD.  Any stopping trains running down from BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) will be switched onto the relief's at Horfield Junction anyway, so would then be able to call at Ashley Hill, along with SRD where you could change to the Severn Beach line

Thank you - at last I understand! Why allow for 4 platforms at Ashley Hill though?

[metalrail]

I assume that trains from Gloucester will use the relief lines as many trains also stop Stapleton and Lawrence.

With the current timetable, yeah the local hourly xx.19 to xx.23 GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stopping services from Gloucester / Worcester / Great Malvern will have to switch to the relief lines at the new Horfield Junction as they're currently the only regular southbound services from BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) that stop at SRD & LWH, and after Horfield Junction there's no other way to reach the relief's

However all of the current XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services switching to the main lines, along with the future IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) services to be introduced in the future, that should allow more trains to serve SRD & LWH in both directions

Currently the xx.12 hourly WSM service starting at BPW doesn't call at these stations southbound, but does on it's return from WSM to BPW.  So with more capacity on the bank now being introduced, so long as they switch either the long distance stoppers or the WSM service to a different time, we'd be able to have a hourly service stopping all stations down the bank and back again to / from BPW (which i'd personally be grateful for!) 

[metalrail]

Thank you - at last I understand! Why allow for 4 platforms at Ashley Hill though?

I'm assuming it's exactly that, just allowing for them, even though it's 99% likely that platforms would only actually be built on the relief's

Guess we have to be grateful that they've been allowed for in the first place...  nice to know forward planning has actually happened in this case! 

[metalrail]

I presume the old main line platforms at Stapleton Rd were demolished because that made the four-tracking easier. They certainly had a lot of plant there.

The 2 new main lines were actually laid with the old P4 and the full island platform still in situ so there was plenty of room for the platform to stay.  My understanding is that they've had to remove P4 to incorporate the 2km new log flume access ramp to the footbridge that isn't being opened until April!   

[Red Squirrel]

Exciting news from the Evening Bristol. However did they find out about this?

When the Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway rail line will finally reopen revealed

Your time on rail replacement bus services is coming to an end

The railway line between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway train stations will reopen next week after upgrade works were completed on schedule.

Network Rail has confirmed the line between the two stations will reopen following nearly a month of works on Monday (November 19) morning.

During that time, crews have worked around the clock do double the number of existing railway lines and improve signalling equipment.

It is hoped doubling the number of tracks from two to four will enable an increase in train services, including more journeys between Bristol and London.



More here: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/when-temple-meads-parkway-reopen-2225132

Good choice of picture: GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Driver Mr Sydney Gardens drives an InterCity Express train through Lockleaze. How many tracks can you see?

[Trowres]

Why is everything NR^» (Network Rail - home page) does is 'challenging'

Because even a plain ladder crossover is Complex
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1060108439521767424

Does that mean it has real and imaginary parts?

By which adjective would NR describe this? :-
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/dbduck2010/media/bWVkaWFJZDo3NDcxMTI3MQ==/?ref=

[paul7575]

Exciting news from the Evening Bristol. However did they find out about this?

It is hoped doubling the number of tracks from two to four will enable an increase in train services, including more journeys between Bristol and London...

^^^
So it’s a case of build it then work out what it can be used for?   

Paul

[metalrail]

By which adjective would NR^» (Network Rail - home page) describe this? :-
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/dbduck2010/media/bWVkaWFJZDo3NDcxMTI3MQ==/?ref=

Nowadays?  Impossible!