West of England Line CMSP study

[whole diary]

[RichardB]

This has just been published on Network Rail's website. 

https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/West-of-England-Study-Continuous-Modular-Strategic-Planning.pdf

[Celestial]

Interesting that the current fleet is described as... The provision of new rolling stock to replace the nearing end of life and unreliable fleet
currently in operation is essential. I thought the Class 159s used to regularly be the most reliable dmu fleet in the Modern Railways surveys when under SWT^▸ (South West Trains)? What happened there? 

And also interesting that it's apparently near the end of its life, but close by the Class 165/6's are being refurbished for several more years.

[stuving]

Interesting that the current fleet is described as... The provision of new rolling stock to replace the nearing end of life and unreliable fleet
currently in operation is essential. I thought the Class 159s used to regularly be the most reliable dmu fleet in the Modern Railways surveys when under SWT^▸ (South West Trains)? What happened there? 

And also interesting that it's apparently near the end of its life, but close by the Class 165/6's are being refurbished for several more years.

Ask yourself this question: which is the longer -
a) the time from a study like this to getting a new fleet in service
b) the remaining life of a fleet that makes a refit worth doing ?

[Celestial]

Interesting that the current fleet is described as... The provision of new rolling stock to replace the nearing end of life and unreliable fleet
currently in operation is essential. I thought the Class 159s used to regularly be the most reliable dmu fleet in the Modern Railways surveys when under SWT^▸ (South West Trains)? What happened there? 

And also interesting that it's apparently near the end of its life, but close by the Class 165/6's are being refurbished for several more years.

Ask yourself this question: which is the longer -
a) the time from a study like this to getting a new fleet in service
b) the remaining life of a fleet that makes a refit worth doing ?

Fair comment - having read the report it doesn't sound as though any of the infrastructure improvements proposed will be "shovel ready" for some time.

As an aside, I have a high degree of cynicism of any government offer to provide funding for an immediate start to any schemes which are shovel ready. From what I can see, schemes (certainly railway schemes) only get to that stage once the funding is pretty much wrapped up anyway.

[stuving]

As an aside, I have a high degree of cynicism of any government offer to provide funding for an immediate start to any schemes which are shovel ready. From what I can see, schemes (certainly railway schemes) only get to that stage once the funding is pretty much wrapped up anyway.

Indeed - readying shovels is a very expensive business, taking a significant fraction of the total project cost.

[grahame]

As an aside, I have a high degree of cynicism of any government offer to provide funding for an immediate start to any schemes which are shovel ready. From what I can see, schemes (certainly railway schemes) only get to that stage once the funding is pretty much wrapped up anyway.

There has been a very serious funding gap in getting projects to the "Shovel Ready" stage and I am delighted that's somewhat reversed by the "reversing Beeching" element which is going to help with the early stage studies.    Up to now, it has been very hard to get the relatively smaller sums for these studies, on the basis that the only certain outcome is a detailed report, and that you may end up spending £££ for a document that says "you should NOT proceed".   It may well be that the 30 or so reports from these studies come up with a number that are one step closer to shovel-ready so that at some point in the future there might be a pool ready for "immediate start".   With my cynic's hat on, such government funding tends to by cyclic and synchronised with the general election cycle.

I would argue that at times there is too much reporting.  Reading the 81 page document this thread's about, I note references on pages 19, 22, 23, 24, 31, 48, 50, 53 and 76 to stakeholder aspirations to continue the Romsey / Southampton / Salisbury service on through Salisbury station and up to Westbury thence Swindon,  and find myself thinking "goodness ... all that for an net increase of perhaps half a dozen trains each way through the station each day, some of which replace trains that terminate at the through platforms and block or require shunts at present".   Frustration suggest that this element should be in the "JFDI^▸ (just flipping do it (polite version))" bucket by now!

[chopper1944]

All the talk about extending and inserting loops west of Yeovil Junction, why not as far as possible do the job properly and double the line, even as far as Castle Cary. You could even run trains from Paddington to Exeter St. Davids. on this route! More vision is required instead of lengthy reports. Action not words. The report could be split into two, west of Yeovil and east of Yeovil, Time for west of Yeovil to be included with the West of England.

[ellendune]

All the talk about extending and inserting loops west of Yeovil Junction, why not as far as possible do the job properly and double the line, even as far as Castle Cary. You could even run trains from Paddington to Exeter St. Davids. on this route! More vision is required instead of lengthy reports. Action not words. The report could be split into two, west of Yeovil and east of Yeovil, Time for west of Yeovil to be included with the West of England.

Would be really good, if the Axminster loop is being extended eastwards it might make sense to at least join it up with Chard as they are already close together, but the more you do the more the cost increases. These proposals probably miss some very expensive bits so its not probably more than a proportional increase in cost. The benefit of the full scheme does not increase though so if all you need is less than the full job. So you are looking for more money and have a lower Benefit Cost Ratio.

[Umberleigh]

Well, it's a positive document. For me, third rail electrification as per Weymouth is the answer along with extended and new passing loops. I just hope that new trains plus increased capacity doesn't equal 3 + 2 seating, it being the bureaucrats standard answer to 'increased capacity'

[IndustryInsider]

Hardly any new builds get fitted with 3+2 seating these days.  Regional and long distance layouts are generally 2+2 with the suburban layouts either being the same, without such luxuries as arm rests, or increasingly, some longitudinal seats to create more standing room.