Summer 2021 - Engineering Works at Bristol - Planned Train Changes

[whole diary]

[grahame]

10th July to 3rd September 2021 - replacement (in a new layout) of tracks at Bristol East Junction will cause disruption to train services with some trains replaced by buses to a rolling program over the eight weeks.

Been coming up on us for a while ... probably time (over Easter?) to flesh out a new thread; some of us briefed last month, but at that time there remained some unknowns and tuning to be done of plans - in fact some points taken back from that meeting to, hopefully, improve with better knowledge. 

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/bristol-temple-meads-train-passengers-5213528 but other sources too - to be written up for our members (anyone fancy doing a key post??)

Q: Why do this now when the railways are expecting the most unpredictable of summers with unusual and is to be hoped health passenger flows?  Why wasn't it done while the railways were quiet? 

A: (official) Because a project like this could not be practically pulled forward - has been in the planning and things weren't ready last year, also limitations on the people doing the work.  And really can't wait for a later date as it needs to be done.

[TaplowGreen]

10th July to 3rd September 2021 - replacement (in a new layout) of tracks at Bristol East Junction will cause disruption to train services with some trains replaced by buses to a rolling program over the eight weeks.

Been coming up on us for a while ... probably time (over Easter?) to flesh out a new thread; some of us briefed last month, but at that time there remained some unknowns and tuning to be done of plans - in fact some points taken back from that meeting to, hopefully, improve with better knowledge. 

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/bristol-temple-meads-train-passengers-5213528 but other sources too - to be written up for our members (anyone fancy doing a key post??)

Q: Why do this now when the railways are expecting the most unpredictable of summers with unusual and is to be hoped health passenger flows?  Why wasn't it done while the railways were quiet? 

A: (official) Because a project like this could not be practically pulled forward - has been in the planning and things weren't ready last year, also limitations on the people doing the work.  And really can't wait for a later date as it needs to be done.

Really is poor timing isn't it? Just as things should be getting back to "normal", customers are hit by this.

Still, everyone is used to working from home now, so not such an impact on commuters..........those that still exist........

[Red Squirrel]

Really is poor timing isn't it?

Not really, for the reasons grahame stated in his original post. There was no way of bringing it forward, but delaying it would delayed the MetroWest programme. That extra track into Temple Meads will allow half-hourly trains to Severn Beach (and better reliability too) as well as opening the door for Henbury and half-hourly Bristol-Gloucester services.

[bobm]

A small part of the project was brought forward with this month seeing a short notice closure of some platforms at Temple Meads to accelerate the work which was due to be done during the Bristol East closure.

[TaplowGreen]

Really is poor timing isn't it?

Not really, for the reasons grahame stated in his original post. There was no way of bringing it forward, but delaying it would delayed the MetroWest programme. That extra track into Temple Meads will allow half-hourly trains to Severn Beach (and better reliability too) as well as opening the door for Henbury and half-hourly Bristol-Gloucester services.

I was looking it from the customer's point of view, emerging blinking into the sunlight after lockdown, perhaps considering commuting again, and being confronted with this news.

I have learned to understand however from personal experience and from the Coffee Shop that the customer's point of view is somewhat lower down the railways list of priorities than in more enlightened sectors.

[Red Squirrel]

Really is poor timing isn't it?

Not really, for the reasons grahame stated in his original post. There was no way of bringing it forward, but delaying it would delayed the MetroWest programme. That extra track into Temple Meads will allow half-hourly trains to Severn Beach (and better reliability too) as well as opening the door for Henbury and half-hourly Bristol-Gloucester services.

I was looking it from the customer's point of view, emerging blinking into the sunlight after lockdown, perhaps considering commuting again, and being confronted with this news.

I have learned to understand however from personal experience and from the Coffee Shop that the customer's point of view is somewhat lower down the railways list of priorities than in more enlightened sectors.

So how would this have been handled in more enlightened sectors?

[Noggin]

Indeed, it might have been quite convenient for it to have been done over this winter just gone, but the reality is that these things are planned a *long* time in advance, and messing around wwith sequencing etc tends to be a recipe for disaster. I think they're trying to shoehorn in some work for the new entrance to Temple Meads whilst the blockade is in place, but IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) it's been tricky to do.

In mitigation, a lot of offiice-based people like myself are still either banned or actively discouraged by our employers and others from travelling on business. Realistically that's going to continue for a while yet, and when it ends, I think that for a while, many people will be preferring to drive.   

My gut feeling is that by September things will be a lot busier on the railways

[Red Squirrel]

Going back to the original post, it's interesting (well, I think it is anyway) that this article appears to have first surfaced in the Chew Valley and Wrington Vale Gazette, under the byline of its editor Simon Harding, on 22nd March. The Gazette is an independent family-owned newspaper, so it's intriguing that this story, verbatim, found its way to Somerset Live, a Local World title, under the byline of Adam Postans. It also appeared on the same day in Somerset Live's neighbouring stablemate Bristol Live.

What piqued my interest was that the article is almost entirely positive about the benefits of this vital project, except for the opening two paragraphs:

Train passengers face a summer of potential chaos while crucial work takes place to upgrade tracks near Bristol Temple Meads.

Replacement services and closed platforms will become a feature for travellers and commuters over eight weeks from July 10 to September 3.

...which smacks of sub-editing what any reasonable person would describe as a very good piece of news to into something more negative. Why would they do that? Do train services have much impact on the daily lives of people who live in the Chew Valley?

[grahame]

Perhaps time to post some dates and plans - from https://gwr-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/timetable-changes-expected-in-bristol-area-this-summer-as-major-railway-upgrade-gets-underway dated 4th May.

Saturday 10 July to Friday 13 August

No direct trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central or Gloucester – these trains will stop at Bristol Parkway instead
Severn Beach trains will run from Lawrence Hill (except Sundays) – alternative road transport will run to/from Bristol Temple Meads

Saturday 7 August and Monday 9 to Friday 13 August

No trains can run between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa – alternative road transport will be provided instead, adding around 30 minutes to journeys
CrossCountry trains won’t stop at Bristol Temple Meads

Sunday 8 August

No trains can stop at Bristol Temple Meads – alternative road transport will run to/from Bristol Parkway, Bath Spa, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare or Severn Beach

Saturday 14 to Monday 30 August

No trains can run between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa – alternative road transport will be provided instead, adding around 30 minutes to journeys

Tuesday 31 August to Friday 3 September

No trains can stop at Bristol Temple Meads – alternative road transport will run to/from Bristol Parkway, Bath Spa, Taunton, Bedminster or Lawrence Hill

How much of the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet will be in service by that time?   If passengers from Cornwall and Devon are still routed via Bristol ...

[DaveHarries]

How much of the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet will be in service by that time?   If passengers from Cornwall and Devon are still routed via Bristol ...

All of it by the sound of things. Latest from GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) is that, starting Monday 17th May, they expect "to be able to run a core service on all key routes with an amended timetable" so it seems as if they are certainly getting on with it.

Dave

[DaveHarries]

Just to say that the RealTimeTrains website is now giving us some ideas of what is likely to happen schedule-wise during the first stages of work on the Bristol East Junction scheme (10th July - 06th August). On weekdays:

- Trains on the Seven Beach route will operate between Seven Beach / Avonmouth and Lawrence Hill but to a reduced timetable. As if to give a hint of what is, I believe, planned for the December timetable revamp that will be made possible by these works, there will be an hourly service between Severn Beach and Bristol Temple Meads. Some trains that are well used by commuters, such as the 0754 Seven Beach to Bristol Temple Meads, will not run. RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)'s current info for Severn Beach for Monday 12th July - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:SVB/2021-07-12/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt - gives an idea of the weekday pattern but Sunday services will be replaced by buses throughout. On arriving at Lawrence Hill trains then operate round the Lawrence Hill - North Somerset Junction curve to reverse direction and return to the opposite platform.

It is worth noting here that there are no replacement buses currently shown to replace trains between Lawrence Hill and Bristol Temple Meads which I guess is understandable as there would be nowhere to turn them at the Lawrence Hill end.

- Services from Cardiff Central that would normally continue through to Taunton will instead operate between Cardiff Central and Gloucester / Worcester / Great Malvern, via. Bristol Parkway and Yate.

- Services between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour will run direct between Lawrence Hill and Bath Spa and not call at Bristol Temple Meads

- Re[placement buses will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway although a number of non-stop services are showing. On leaving Bristol Temple Meads these will stop at North Somerset Junction for about 5 minutes and then reverse direction to operate to Bristol Parkway calling only at Filton Abbey Wood.

- Cross Country services will continue to serve Bristol Temple Meads but will follow the curve from Lawrence Hill to North Somerset Junction, reversing there.

Hope this gives some idea.
Dave

[bobm]

Been some changes to the original plan.  The Cardiff to Portsmouths in mid July were going to run as Swindon to Portsmouth via Melksham originally.

The revised plan to Bath means a bit of use for the Rhubarb Curve!

[grahame]

Been some changes to the original plan.  The Cardiff to Portsmouths in mid July were going to run as Swindon to Portsmouth via Melksham originally.

The revised plan to Bath means a bit of use for the Rhubarb Curve!

From a passenger viewpoint, it's a lot less disruptive to replace the Bristol Temple Meads stop in the Portsmouth-Cardiff trains with a stop at Bristol Lawrence Hill like they did in Great Bristish Railways days than to send passengers to Swindon (change for Bristol Parkway and South Wales) or bus them from Bath Spa.   Might even be cheaper in rail replacement bus costs!

[rogerw]

In my view there is little need to run rail replacement buses between Lawrence Hill and Temple Meads as there are numerous local buses passing the station, running to central Bristol, although none of them serve Temple Meads.

[brooklea]

Been some changes to the original plan.  The Cardiff to Portsmouths in mid July were going to run as Swindon to Portsmouth via Melksham originally.

The revised plan to Bath means a bit of use for the Rhubarb Curve!

From a passenger viewpoint, it's a lot less disruptive to replace the Bristol Temple Meads stop in the Portsmouth-Cardiff trains with a stop at Bristol Lawrence Hill like they did in Great Bristish Railways days than to send passengers to Swindon (change for Bristol Parkway and South Wales) or bus them from Bath Spa.   Might even be cheaper in rail replacement bus costs!

There doesn’t appear to be any intention of stopping Portsmouth-Cardiff trains at Lawrence Hill in place of Temple Meads. With the exception of one early morning train from Westbury, which runs via Temple Meads (reverse), retraces it’s route to North Somerset Junction (reverses again), then runs via the Rhubarb and calls at Lawrence Hill, they are all shown as running via the Rhubarb, then calling at Filton Abbeywood, Bristol Parkway (reverse) and on to Cardiff.