Trains reversing beyond the station

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains terminating at Southampton usually run through to either up or down side loops, but there’s a single XC train that arrives just after the morning peak that runs down to Totton Yard, it takes up most of the turn round time:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C78203/2018/09/27/advanced

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) and XC use proper dedicated reversing sidings just beyond Bournemouth, these are in the ideal middle of the formation, complete with full length staff platforms.

Paul

[grahame]

Goodness - a lot more of this goes on than I had noted!

Can someone confirm - on the same basis:
1. train from Bristol direction can reverse at Bradford Junction having terminated at Bradford-on-Avon
2. train from Swindon direction can reverse at Bradford Junction having terminated at Melksham
3. train from Bristol or Swindon can terminate at Trowbridge and reverse at Heywood Road Junction

[brooklea]

Can someone confirm - on the same basis:
1. train from Bristol direction can reverse at Bradford Junction having terminated at Bradford-on-Avon
2. train from Swindon direction can reverse at Bradford Junction having terminated at Melksham
3. train from Bristol or Swindon can terminate at Trowbridge and reverse at Heywood Road Junction

Yes, all three of those scenarios are possible.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Newbury, where the new wires have been extended westwards beyond the station to enable electric-only turnbacks via a cross-over just west of the Station.

Apparently the wires go far enough to reverse a 12-coach 387 (if that were ever needed?)

[rogerpatenall]

Poole - certainly in XCountry days, and perhaps still so.

[paul7575]

Poole - certainly in XCountry days, and perhaps still so.

Yes, that’s another where empty down trains run beyond into a siding and come back into the up platform later, in the normal offpeak pattern they seem to be in the sidings around 45 mins or so.  Poole S.S. On realtimetrains if interested.

Going back a few years, when Southern’s Brighton <> Southampton first started, many of them ran on to just beyond Southampton, and IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') often reversed from a position on the slow lines.  Helpfully the slows west of Southampton are the centre pair of the four running lines, so this isn’t as conflicting as you’d think.

As of today, there are a couple of Southern shunts each day, one via the down loop, and one the up loop.  I dare say they could be about retaining route knowledge in case it goes pear shaped:  http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/SOU/2018/09/27/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=non-passenger&order=wtt&toc=SN

Paul

[Adelante_CCT]

One train a day reverses twice outside of Newbury to get into position

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C43689/2018/09/20/advanced

[Adelante_CCT]

Doesn’t Cardiff Central not have bi-directional signalling?

It does, but usually operationally easier to go out and come back in to a different platform

[plymothian]

There are lots of places where a train could turn back due to operational reasons, which is different to where they regularly turn back. 
For instance, at Topsham trains terminating short run beyond the platform to switch sides, the same can happen at Exeter Central before St James Park.  At Highbridge and Burnham trains can shunt via the loop to return to Bristol.  During the Cowley blockage trains terminating at Tiverton Parkway reversed via Tiverton loops.

[JayMac]

Taunton.

The weekday 1355 arrival from Cardiff Central terminates on the down main, the island platform 3. It then heads back up the down main, crosses over to the up main, reverses and heads down that line onto the up relief and then into the up bay platform 6.

Two reasons for doing this move. Firstly, to keep up route knowledge of the reverse into platform 6, and second, to clear platform 3 for a terminating service from London.

[4064ReadingAbbey]

Also Reading. Some Southbound terminating XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains run further East to the loop off the Down Relief at Kennet Bridge, reverse there and come back later to pick up their return working.

[FarWestJohn]

Also gets the unit off the Portsmouth direct line.

[Surrey 455]

Epsom

Plenty of SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) and Southern Terminators from London. Some stay on the platform, others continue to the sidings.

[Bob_Blakey]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services from the Waterloo line generally use the New Yard at EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) to swap from Platform 3 to P1.

[Thatcham Crossing]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) 16x's at Gatwick reverse or stable between runs beyond the Station, don't they?