Train delays

[whole diary]

[simonw]

Over the past several months, every evening the Crosscountry 16:30 train from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) to Edinburgh has 'parked' outside BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) for several minutes. Why? Is the timetable too tight, or are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) useless at running trains on time and freeing up platform 3?

Over the years, I have experienced many minutes on trains stuck outside stations waiting for platforms to be cleared, but only Reading station up to 2011/12 has equalled these delays in waiting for a platform.

Is there a known issue?

[grahame]

Today the 15:56 Cardiff to Paddington was 12 minutes late, and that held it up.   The Cardiff train was 6 minutes late yesterday, 4 minutes late on Tuesday (and the Edinburgh just 2 late), and Monday's delays were identical to Tuesday's.

[simonw]

Thanks for the update.

So the next question,

• is the timetable too tight
• are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) not capable of running to a timetable
• does BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) require more capactity

[rower40]

Thanks for the update.

So the next question,

• is the timetable too tight
• are GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) not capable of running to a timetable
• does BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains) require more capactity

(Meekly holds hand up slowly.  Gets ready to run for cover...)
The timetable for Bristol Parkway shows:
1L74 (1524 Swansea to Paddington) arr 1630H, dep 1633 platform 3.
2D20 (1615 Bristol TM^‡(resolve) to Bristol Parkway) arr 1634 platform 4
1S55 (1425 Plymouth to Edinburgh) arr 1638, dep 1639H.

2D20 leaves Filton Abbey Wood at 1626H, and has a 3.5 minute pathing allowance approaching Bristol Parkway, so that it is meant to follow 1L74.
But the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) programming gets it wrong - it "thinks" that it can get 2D20 over the junction ahead of 1L74. If the signaller doesn't catch it in time, then 2D20 goes first, causing delay to 1L74, meaning it can't vacate its platform in time to prevent delay to 1S55.

But the good news: I'm doing a fix to the ARS logic (due to be installed in November) to sort this out.

[Oxonhutch]

Thanks Rower,

Please also could you have a look at the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) logic that holds traffic on the Down Relief at Didcot East Junction.  I have spent too many minutes of my life at that locality - often being passed by an Up Local (showing the route into Didcot is clear) yet continuing to wait for a further conflicting crossing on the junction ahead.  Like the love of God - it passeth all understanding.

[eightf48544]

Another place the ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) seems slow on the uptake is coming into Padd on Line 6 waiting by Royal Oak LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) for a platform. The Down train seems to have gone past  a long time before we move.

[simonw]

Thanks rower for the update.

Obviously, as rail demand increases, some bright spark will have to consider someways to increase the capacity of places like BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains), possibly with A|B platforms.

[chrisr_75]

I believe the intent is to add a new platform at BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)

[paul7575]

I believe the intent is to add a new platform at BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)

Indeed, and there are closures in the 'reasonably near future' for at least some of the required work:

https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/autumn-upgrade-2017

Paul

 

[John R]

The new platform won't help matters as it will be in the down direction.  The additional platform in the up direction was added a few years ago, but the movements described by rower40 are conflicting, so the two moves can't take place in parallel despite the extra platform.

[stuving]

The new platform won't help matters as it will be in the down direction.  The additional platform in the up direction was added a few years ago, but the movements described by rower40 are conflicting, so the two moves can't take place in parallel despite the extra platform.

If the new platform 1 is used for the terminators from the south, instead of platform 4, that would remove the conflicts. Whether it will be used that way is another matter.

[chuffed]

According to that esteemed organ of non fake news, otherwise known as the Bristol Evening Post, printed in Didcot.....Platform 11 at Temple Meads is closed because the heat has caused the expanding bitumen in the edging slabs to push them out of alignment, with the possibilty that trains could be scraped.

I wonder if they missed an extra letter p in that last word ?!

[John R]

The new platform won't help matters as it will be in the down direction.  The additional platform in the up direction was added a few years ago, but the movements described by rower40 are conflicting, so the two moves can't take place in parallel despite the extra platform.

If the new platform 1 is used for the terminators from the south, instead of platform 4, that would remove the conflicts. Whether it will be used that way is another matter.

That's a very good point. Let's hope they do.

[SandTEngineer]

If the new platform 1 is used for the terminators from the south, instead of platform 4, that would remove the conflicts. Whether it will be used that way is another matter.

According to the signalling scheme plan I have seen there will be no connection from the Filton direction to allow northbound trains to directly access the new platform no.1

Health Warning: The plan I have seen is dated 2011 (yes, the new platform has been planned for that long!)

[John R]

Thanks for the clarification. (Though on a point of detail I didn't make the comments quoted as mine.)