FGW have priority between Reading and Didcot?

[whole diary]

[Boppy]

Hi,

I've just got back from a trip up to Penrith from Reading (XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager Reading to Man Picc and then TransPenn Man Picc to Penrith).

I was delighted that my journeys there and back went smoothly with one exception on each journey on the same piece of track.

I noticed on our outward journey from Reading that we were on the relief line up to Didcot seemingly stuck behind a local service whilst FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) one after another passed us on the main line.  We arrived about 10minutes late at our first stop at Oxford.

Then on the way back with no hold ups anywhere after passing Didcot we were again put on the relief line and had a halting journey all the way to Reading whilst several FGW HSTs passed us by with us arriving late at Reading.

The thing is is that it wasn't for about 10minutes that any train passed us on the way back which makes me wonder why the XC Voyager couldn't have been put on the main line instead.

Does anyone know if there is a policy to keep the XC trains off the main line in that area so that the FGW HSTs aren't held up?

Thanks,

Boppy.

P.S.  I did have a look at the other forums and wasn't sure where to post this.  Also apologies if this is a known/already debated subject!

[devon_metro]

Most Voyagers are booked to use the relief lines, I presume there are clashes at Reading which mean the Reliefs are easier to use. Besides; Swindon B (The Panel that controls Didcot) uses ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting) which sets routes as per the timetable automatically.

[Boppy]

Hi,

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Boppy.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, thanks, d_m! 

Something occurs to me, in light of your post.

I was on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager 0846 from Nailsea & Backwell to Durham (well, it goes there eventually!) this morning, and I noticed that, yet again, we went up the relief past Bedminster.  There was no apparent reason for this - we were on time, there was no goods train in evidence and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services were either a quarter of an hour ahead or a quarter of an hour behind us.

Is it policy to just put any XC trains off the main line whenever possible??

 

[Conner]

Is it policy to just put any XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains off the main line whenever possible??

 

Completly the oposite for Plymouth-Edigburgh services they are headcode 9 giving them special priority.

[John R]

Yes, thanks, d_m! 

Something occurs to me, in light of your post.

I was on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager 0846 from Nailsea & Backwell to Durham (well, it goes there eventually!) this morning, and I noticed that, yet again, we went up the relief past Bedminster.  There was no apparent reason for this - we were on time, there was no goods train in evidence and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services were either a quarter of an hour ahead or a quarter of an hour behind us.

Is it policy to just put any XC trains off the main line whenever possible??

 

Yes I noticed that this morning. I suppose we can't be sure that the preceding train wasn't held for some reason at Bedminster, but I sometimes get the feeling they do it for the variety. I estimate it loses about a minute because of the approach controlling at Long Ashton, and of the braking down to around 20mph and need to accelerate wastes energy as well.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, John!

That's my theory too, actually - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2050.msg15798#msg15798 

[swlines]

Is it policy to just put any XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) trains off the main line whenever possible??

 

Completly the oposite for Plymouth-Edigburgh services they are headcode 9 giving them special priority.

To most siggies class 9 means "ok, it's a CrossCountry, if they've lost their path, let's put them behind stoppers to wind Beardy!"

[dog box]

Yes, thanks, d_m! 

Something occurs to me, in light of your post.

I was on the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) Voyager 0846 from Nailsea & Backwell to Durham (well, it goes there eventually!) this morning, and I noticed that, yet again, we went up the relief past Bedminster.  There was no apparent reason for this - we were on time, there was no goods train in evidence and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services were either a quarter of an hour ahead or a quarter of an hour behind us.

Is it policy to just put any XC trains off the main line whenever possible??

 

Nailsea to Durham on a Vomit comet........you poor soul Chris

[Btline]

If the Voyagers are booked to go on the relief lines, how come Boppy's trains became late - surely XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) would have enough slack?

[Boppy]

That's what I was wondering .. but I am thinking that as we did arrive at the final destintaion Man Picc on the way out on time then this kind of delay is just catered for in the slack.  I am guessing that maybe on the way back the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) also maybe caught up it's 10minutes on the way to Guildford which was it's final destination.

If the delay though is caused by a late running preceding train on the relief is there the option for the XC to be switched to the main?  Or is it designed so that the XC is expected to catch up on time elsewhere so just always stays on the relief.

Thanks,

Boppy.

[devon_metro]

If the Voyagers are booked to go on the relief lines, how come Boppy's trains became late - surely XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) would have enough slack?

Late turbo no doubt

[grahame]

From my mailbox ...

"Boppy FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains run at 125 on the main line between Didcot and Reading. the max speed for a Vogager on this stretch is 110. The reason for this is the line is fitted with Automatic Train Protection whilst the Arriva rolling isn't If the rolling stock is missing the equipment then thats the rules I'm afraid. If the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service has a clear path to Reading it makes sense to use the relief save holding up any faster trains. However on saying that FGW services are constantly made to wait for Cross Country trains to pass. When stood on Platform 4 with my train recently a XC arrived into Platform 3 from Basinstoke, the driver was allowed to change ends and the train then allowed ahead of the GW^▸ (Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) along the down main towards Didcot. My train left about 4 late and was held up again due to fact that the XC service had to pass from the Main line to the Relief at Morton Cutting!"

[eightf48544]

Grahame

The experience related is not unusual. Snooker Junction (colour after red) didn't get it's name for nothing.

Reading panel was always a law unto itself even in the 80s when I travelled from Taplow to Reading. One of the problems being that the layout has too many conflicting moves so in a real time situation the signalman has to make a decison as to which trains  to let into/out of the station and which to hold outside. As the running of trains is never consistent to the split second they sometimes make what seem bizarre decisons. However, without knowing the position and running of every train at the precise time the decision is made it is difficult to know whether it was the right one.

Coming the  other way Swindon B has control with ARS^▸ (Automatic Route Setting). As far as I know ARS doesn't have hindsight. Therefore, if a late running stopper is  on the Up Relief ARS will route the following XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) onto the Up Relief as well as booked. The signalman would, therefore, have to switch off ARS for the Up Oxford and route the XC over to the mainline. Looking at the timetable this sceanario is more likely to be a late running XC 15/43 that has followed the ontime stopper 21/55  from Oxford. However, the signalman would still have to intervene. Hopefully I can check this on Friday.

The question of ATP^▸ (Automatic Train Protection) is not relevant Vomiters can run Main or Relief as can Turbos also not ATP fitted. The Brightons were on the main at Taplow this am.