Windsor Branch line - services, rolling stock and signalling - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Services have been disrupted on the Slough-Windsor line this afternoon, with "earlier train fault" cited as the reason on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website.

[81F]

Possibly connected with the derailment at Reading earlier this morning -- Journeycheck is currently saying that the "1020 Windsor to Slough [and subsequent journeys] will be formed of one coach instead of two. This is due to a train fault."
Does this mean one coach locked out of use , or perhaps they've borrowed a Chiltern bubblecar?

[fatcontroller]

My technological gubbins tells me it is 165126. Must be a coach LOOU^▸ (locked out of use).

[Southern Stag]

Door fault, so presumably the carriage with the fault had to be locked, leaving just one carriage available for use. 165126 can't be swapped for another train because of the derailment at Reading.

[James]

I know and by looking at the post an seeing its ancient, I thought it worth saying something about this.
With the weather disrupting services around the area I was wondering what sort of level of coach length is running between Slough and Windsor.
Now in the mornings a 2 car train is sufficient enough, however when it comes to late afternoon or evening it starts to get busy meaning a 3 car train is needed.
So what coach length is being used here, I have an idea but this changes day to day.

[Network SouthEast]

The same train stays on the Windsor branch for the entire day, because it is a time consuming process to get trains on and off the branch (plus it interferes with fast services on the main lines at Slough). The only time you might see a change of train during the day is if there is a fault on one.

Usually it's a two car train, but sometimes a three car ends up on the branch. Three car trains are sometimes specifically allocated to the Windsor branch for big events (i.e. the Olympics).

[James]

That's fair enough, i suppose its more realistic to have 2 car trains on the Windsor Branch, however with the current weather and the closure of the Windsor and Eton Riverside station, i can say that a 3 or even 4 car turbo train is really needed, as i don't think the trains can be increased from every 20 minutes currently due to the single track and distance between Slough and Windsor of 6 miles.

Aside from this I wonder what is happening with the railway bridge at Windsor and Eton Central Station over the River Thames?
Its been like that even before the wild weather arrived, has the railway bridge deteriorated so it now requires fixing?

[Network SouthEast]

There has recently been a refurbishment of a number of bridges on the network, you may not have noticed the majority of them because you'd be speeding past at faster than 20mph.

Four car trains on the Windsor branch aren't currently possible because although the platform is long enough, there isn't a safe way of them being dispatched from Windsor & Eton Central. The platform is too curved for 'look back', and there is no DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) monitor or mirror where a four car train would be on the platform.

Don't forget that the Windsor branch is receiving electrification, so in a few years time four car electric trains will be the norm.

[James]

There has recently been a refurbishment of a number of bridges on the network, you may not have noticed the majority of them because you'd be speeding past at faster than 20mph.

Four car trains on the Windsor branch aren't currently possible because although the platform is long enough, there isn't a safe way of them being dispatched from Windsor & Eton Central. The platform is too curved for 'look back', and there is no DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) monitor or mirror where a four car train would be on the platform.

Don't forget that the Windsor branch is receiving electrification, so in a few years time four car electric trains will be the norm.

I see that makes sense. I hope the upgraded railway bridge is resilient for 200 plus years 

[autotank]

I passed Slough today and noticed some new signs have gone up which indicate the branch is now signaled by means of a train staff. Is this a permanent move or just a temporary one whilst new signalling is commissioned?

[Louis94]

What are these signs? I believe the old signals that were bagged over have been taken down, and new signals put up, and a Fixed Distant board on the approach to Windsor. Although the line is still Track Circuit Block - the new signals have all already been commissioned afaik.

[insider]

The Windsor Branch is currently (and for next 4 weeks or so) using One Train Working with staff. As the new signalling has not been commissioned. This was planned.

The Unit can be taken off the branch, with a points operator, however think the unit will outstable as much as possible to limit the number of times that is required.

[autotank]

Thanks insider for the info! Glad this is the case as it would seem a retrograde step (but perhaps understandable) to abolish the use of signals on the branch. Is the loop at Slough remaining? I know in the past it was suggested that this was unnecessary given the current service pattern and usage of the branch.

Looking ahead is there any chance of running a 15 minute interval service? What infrastructure upgrades would be needed? The current 20 minute gaps doesn't fit in that well with the 15 minute relief line service which operates for most of the day.

[bobm]

I wonder what they are using for the train staff?  Given it is only for four weeks I doubt it will be one of the nice wooden ones we see for some of the Cornish branches for example.

[eightf48544]

Looking ahead is there any chance of running a 15 minute interval service? What infrastructure upgrades would be needed? The current 20 minute gaps doesn't fit in that well with the 15 minute relief line service which operates for most of the day.
[/quote]

To run a 15 minute service would require considerable doubling along the viaduct to give a dynamic loop and require two units.

The current running time is 6 minutes one way so 12 for both direction. Giving only 90 secs turn round at each end. I don't think an EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) would be much faster.

I believe the loop has been disconnected and is now a headshunt from the Down Main to the branch to get the unit on and off the branch.

However I presumme there is no reason why it could not be extended to from such a dynamic loop and points fitted nearer the bridge.