Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[metalrail]

The Relief Lines will be generally 60mph on the Up, increasing to 75mph between Narroway Hill Junction and Filton Abbey Wood and 75mph on the Down throughout.  The main lines will be 75mph throughout.  Speeds obviously decreasing for the curves at each end.

SandT - I remember you said a while ago that the whole four tracking project won't be fully commissioned until after New Year.  I know NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are closing the bank again the following 2 weekends after the 3 week blockade, and can't remember if you mentioned whether all 4 tracks would be in use straight away or whether it will have to wait until all the works are completed in January?  (Sorry to be asking even more!) 

[Red Squirrel]

...between Narroway Hill Junction and Filton Abbey Wood

It's NARROWAYS

[SandTEngineer]

The Relief Lines will be generally 60mph on the Up, increasing to 75mph between Narroway Hill Junction and Filton Abbey Wood and 75mph on the Down throughout.  The main lines will be 75mph throughout.  Speeds obviously decreasing for the curves at each end.

SandT - I remember you said a while ago that the whole four tracking project won't be fully commissioned until after New Year.  I know NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are closing the bank again the following 2 weekends after the 3 week blockade, and can't remember if you mentioned whether all 4 tracks would be in use straight away or whether it will have to wait until all the works are completed in January?  (Sorry to be asking even more!) 

I originally had xmas/new year 2018/9 in my diary some two years ago, but it seems they decided to bring it all forward.  The weekend closures are probably for follow up track works (tamping, clearing up etc.).  Think there might still be something going on over xmas/new year but its probably only closure of two tracks out of four (nice having these four track railways isn't?).

[metalrail]

I originally had xmas/new year 2018/9 in my diary some two years ago, but it seems they decided to bring it all forward.  The weekend closures are probably for follow up track works (tamping, clearing up etc.).  Think there might still be something going on over xmas/new year but its probably only closure of two tracks out of four (nice having these four track railways isn't?).

Ah great news, we could even be finished in time for the December timetable change after all then!

And yeah will be great to still have trains running on two tracks out of four during engineering works, we're used to just two lines obviously!   

[Red Squirrel]

Couple of pictures of Filton Abbey Wood, in case it feels left out after metalrail's efforts:

First one, taken from a footbridge south of the station, shows the approach and signal gantry looking all new and shiny;
Second is a rather blurred zoom shot taken from the same spot - could be worse given that it's taken by a phone;
Third is the classic 'off the footbridge' shot showing the Orange folk hard at it.

[metalrail]

Couple of pictures of Filton Abbey Wood, in case it feels left out after metalrail's efforts:

Great pics... saves me going over there tomorrow now!   

The station is definitely getting there...  although all those new railings running along the olympic sized access ramp on P4 look pretty hideous

[SandTEngineer]

...between Narroway Hill Junction and Filton Abbey Wood

It's NARROWAYS

The offical railway name is NARROWAY HILL JUNCTION.....

[metalrail]

Looking at the first pic and back at SandT's second layout plan, the Up Main is bidirectional until the junction with the Down Relief yeah?  I'm taking it that's why there's a down facing signal with junction indicator (see I got it right that time!) on the gantry there?

[SandTEngineer]

Looking at the first pic and back at SandT's second layout plan, the Up Main is bidirectional until the junction with the Down Relief yeah?  I'm taking it that's why there's a down facing signal with junction indicator (see I got it right that time!) on the gantry there?

Correct.  But that reversible working facility along the Up Filton Main will be out of use for the initial commissioning.

It looks to me, from the info I have, as though the additional third line between Bristol Parkway and the old Filton Platform area won't be commissioned until a later date.  Anybody been that way recently to have a look at that work (before the blockade, obviously)?

[SandTEngineer]

One thing that intrigues me is, will train crew have to 'route learn' and sign the new four tracked line from Bristol East to Filton Abbey Wood before they can operate a passenger carrying service over this stretch of 'new' railway.

Yeah I wondered that yesterday when I was looking at all the new junction changes around Horfield cutting, and the new signals going in all up the bank.  Gonna be a fair bit to take in

An interesting question ...

On lines like the Borders Railway, shadow services including route learning ran without passengers; Bristol resignalling seemed to be OK with just paperwork and instruction, although trains crept in. 10 m.p.h. up Filton Bank, even on 4 tracks, would perhaps be even slower than the buses?

The staff briefing document (what in the trade is referred to as a WON^▸ (Weekly Operating Notice ) SECTION C NOTICE, or in some places as an OPENING NOTICE or YELLOW PERIL) is 12 pages long and includes a diagram of the new arrangements.

[Red Squirrel]

...between Narroway Hill Junction and Filton Abbey Wood

It's NARROWAYS

The offical railway name is NARROWAY HILL JUNCTION.....

The 1844-1888 25" OS^▸ (Ordnance Survey) Map (1st Edition) shows it as Narrow-ways Hill Jct, and Baker (14th Edition, 2015) continues the tradition, without the hyphen. I hesitate to use the word 'correct' in this context, but the name of the area is 'Narroways'. Just to the east of the hill is Narroways Road, and the area at the top is Narroways Millennium Green. I hesitate to be prescriptive about these things, but if 'the railway' is in some documentation referring to the junction without the terminal 's', they are out of step with every source that I am aware of.

[Red Squirrel]

Ooh, one other thing: https://goo.gl/maps/kDkBx4Xc4CR2

[SandTEngineer]

Ooh, one other thing: https://goo.gl/maps/kDkBx4Xc4CR2

Ah, but thats not NARROWAY HILL JUNCTION......

OK.  I give up.  Somebody has got it wrong on all the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) plans and documents then.  Makes no difference to me....

So from now on its NARROWAYS!

Can we get back now to people asking me difficult railway signalling questions

[Bmblbzzz]

Perhaps a bit like Clifton Down station, but in every other context people talk about Clifton Downs. Although maybe they didn't when it opened in the 1870s.

[paul7575]

Great pics... saves me going over there tomorrow now!   

The station is definitely getting there...  although all those new railings running along the olympic sized access ramp on P4 look pretty hideous

I expect someone’s been ultra cautious and it’s to guard against people getting onto the roof of the platform shelter.

Paul