Axminster Loop redoubling

[whole diary]

[willc]

I'm not sure, I think a lot of people from Chard use Taunton as the range of services/destinations is better from there.

Yes, you can get to the Midlands and the North from Taunton as well, but are you really going to make a 30-minute or so drive to catch a train to London if you could get one five minutes away? And if you're going west, it's still going to be quicker with a change at Exeter (once SWT^▸ (South West Trains) stops running further west).

If the idea is to get people out of cars and on to trains, something all the politicians agree on, if we're to believe them, then you need to make trains as easily accessible as possible. Ignoring places the size of Chard isn't going to help achieve that.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

would shute be able to deal with the influx of people that this could generate?

[John R]

Are you thinking of Seaton Junction?

[Phil]

would shute be able to deal with the influx of people that this could generate?

Shute Shelve was a tunnel on the old Strawberry Line, as it headed out of Winscombe towards Cheddar. I used to live next to it, and played in the tunnel as a boy (only after it closed, obviously - the first two years I was there we still had goods trains trundling through)

Not sure of the relevance of that, but I saw "Shute" mentioned and went off on a reminiscence...

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

rolls eyes seaton junction was in shute

[signalandtelegraph]

I'm not sure, I think a lot of people from Chard use Taunton as the range of services/destinations is better from there.

Yes, you can get to the Midlands and the North from Taunton as well, but are you really going to make a 30-minute or so drive to catch a train to London if you could get one five minutes away? And if you're going west, it's still going to be quicker with a change at Exeter (once SWT^▸ (South West Trains) stops running further west).

If the idea is to get people out of cars and on to trains, something all the politicians agree on, if we're to believe them, then you need to make trains as easily accessible as possible. Ignoring places the size of Chard isn't going to help achieve that.

As Chard was my  home town, I've been trying to ignore it for Years     Where do you draw the line with number of stops against overall end to end time though?  If the trains will not cross at Chard in the new timetable then the overall timetable will suffer if extra stops are added.   Of course re-doubling would go some way to solving the problem!

[signalandtelegraph]

I think it's either side of the station, With the suggested the extra signals it should be possible to get at least two possibly 3 trains on each loop. One waitng to enter next single line, one in station, possibly one entering loop on each line.

Or am I being too optimistic.Will it be one train in each loop at a time?

Just a bit too optimistic. It's basically a glorified passing loop, but the recent trend is to make them a bit longer than just a loop in the station, and quite right too. That way, there's a bit more margin for error and hopefully less hanging around if one train is slightly late.

Another recent example is at Merthyr Vale.

Both lines will be fully reversible with 3 aspect signals and more than one train can be in the loop at one time.  Technically  it will be possible to have 6 trains in the loop waiting plus one on the single line either side although I doubt this will ever happen!

[eightf48544]

I think it's either side of the station, With the suggested the extra signals it should be possible to get at least two possibly 3 trains on each loop. One waitng to enter next single line, one in station, possibly one entering loop on each line.

Or am I being too optimistic.Will it be one train in each loop at a time?

Just a bit too optimistic. It's basically a glorified passing loop, but the recent trend is to make them a bit longer than just a loop in the station, and quite right too. That way, there's a bit more margin for error and hopefully less hanging around if one train is slightly late.

Another recent example is at Merthyr Vale.

Both lines will be fully reversible with 3 aspect signals and more than one train can be in the loop at one time.  Technically  it will be possible to have 6 trains in the loop waiting plus one on the single line either side although I doubt this will ever happen!

That's good to hear, although I am not sure that you could have six trains in the loops and one on the single line either side unless the ones on the single line were going away from the loop. If they were coming towards  the loop you would have an impasse, but otherwise it sounds excellent and should smooth out the service.

[The Grecian]

I'm delighted this is happening at last. While the line probably needed economies back in the 60s, I suspect a lot of politics meant it was pruned more severely than was necessary. What it could really do with now along with this loop is an extension of the Tisbury loop to the east, as nearly everything has to stop here. As it's not possible to extend the loop into the station (sold off land), it might be possible to extend it east so this can also be a dynamic loop. Another place which could do with a loop is Crewkerne - the platform's in situ and I read once (not sure if it's true though) that Chard Junc - Yeovil Junc is the 4th longest stretch of 'pure' single line in the country. Given that it's on NR^» (Network Rail - home page) maps as a principal route, that's absolutely ridiculous!

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

just a quick update on this... ok this line is swt not fgw but remember that it is used for paddington diverts and this will improve things

work is now underway on clearing the trackbed, the second platform and the carpark

[John R]

Doesn't exactly seem a hive of activity after 3 1/2 months, does it?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

there was alot of head scratchin, spanner tapping and then sod it power up the circular saw have to say wasn't impressed with lineside safty compliance ok it's within a station but no horn on aproach no standing back or arms up, subcontractors.....

[Electric train]

Doesn't exactly seem a hive of activity after 3 1/2 months, does it?

The GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) process turns very slowly, once the project is approved by the sponsor (that is usually internal to Network Rail they manage the budget on behalf or the funders DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) local authority etc) the engineers can set too to produce the detailed design based on the outline design produce in earlier GRIP stages. 

Once the detailed design has been approved the work can then go out to tender or released for internal NR^» (Network Rail - home page) staff to start work.  The tender stage can take time down to competitive tender, the successful principle works contractor may have to produce "for construction designs" or if the NR "detailed design" was only an "A" design the contractor will have to produce a "B" design and then the for construction issue usually not a lot of difference.  Then there is all the safety and environmental documentation to produce and get signed off by NR.  Work my not be allowed to start in times like bird nesting.  There are materials and equipment to order, some equipment like signaling my have a lead time of several months, you can not just go to B & Q and buy it off the shelf.

As for the working practices in relex 109 post there does seem a lack of fencing to produce a safe work site, however I am not sure how busy the line is but on quiet rural lines it is easy to obtain a T12 or even a T2H (railway techie terms T12 is a possession of the line given to engineering staff by the signaler, the signaler places the signals controlling the line to danger place a reminder device on the signal controls / leavers and issue the Controller of Site Safety authority to work, T2H requires a and signaler to be place at signals the hand signaler displays a red hand signal and places dets on the line they have to seek to authority of the signaler to allow a train to proceed past them) So it is diffcult to see from the photos what their safe syatem of work is I am sure they will have one as NR is quite hot on ensuring the rule book is followed

[kizzers]

The safety there is dubious, ive seen people working on the front of that green box with the doors open at about 11am, and when a train comes someone or 2 people stand in from of the box holding the doors open so that they dont hit the train, leaving a small gap between them and train...

And as soon as a train goes theyre back on the job so i doubt possession is given. Theres a train about every 2 hours each way, but hourly from about 6-10 in the evening.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

does anyone have information on the loop that was proposed at whimple? seems to have gone silent