|
Post by buspete on May 12, 2024 12:54:57 GMT
Thanks.
I know the old patrol routes on the Underground it had to be done every 48 hours, don’t know if that is still the case as I am not track based anymore. I forgot about the track had to be patrolled. I understand with different track technologies it isn’t as labour intensive.
Withstanding the cost of turning a double to single track had to be very significant cost.
The 60s seemed to be very short sighted with rationalisation in the rail network and also closing down a lot of tram networks.
|
|
|
Post by gwiwer on May 12, 2024 22:16:31 GMT
There are tentaive plans afoot to re-double Moreton - Dorchester. One reason it was singled was because the limitations of single-end power supply would have meant ( and still does mean) that the train service and formation is restricted by the ability to provide adequate traction current. Electrification "on the cheap" as it has sometimes been called but electrification which would not have happened at that time had a full double-track layout with additional substations been specified. It does cause operational headaches. It can barely cope with four moves an hour as it was built and intended for only two - an hourly train each way.
Westwards from Yeovil Junction SWR is occasionally obliged to reduce its train service if NR plans to close the GWR route. This happens for example when Whiteball Tunnel is undergoing programmed maintenance. Queen Camel would like a station, please, midway between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill but stopping trains there might upset the fairly tight crossing arrangements elsewhere on the routes in question.
Chard Junction has also been suggested as a future reopening not least because some trains are booked to stop in the loop there anyway to await a cross. It would serve the villages of South Chard, Perry Street and Tatworth but is rather remote from Chard itself. SWT and SWR have both gone on record as saying that any additional stops west of Salisbury would compromise the ability to run the hourly service because the extended timings would not match crossing points. It is largely for that reason that alternate trains skip either Whimple or Feniton though neither is particularly busy.
The "Devon Metro" proposals which would have offered additional services between Axminster and Exeter seem to be dead in the water. The tentative plan was to run the London service fast from Honiton to Exeter saving around 10 minutes (but not saving on stock / crews as the layover at Exeter would simply be extended) with an hourly all-stations service added locally. That would have required significant additional double track. It might yet happen. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the Chard Junction loop can be extended to join the long one at Axminster. Something else west of Honiton would also be required which might mean a loop with a second platform at Whimple. Such things are unlikely to attract funding at present.
There are also local calls for Seaton Junction to reopen but it has no settlement of significance nearby to serve which is not already better served by bus from Axminster. The reason would be to connect with the tram service towards Seaton but the operator of that has already stated they are not interested in extending from Colyton to the main line. That would require them to roster two more trams for a service of little commercial value but of very significant additional cost. It looks nice on paper but it won't happen.
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on May 14, 2024 16:27:53 GMT
The rail bridge over the Thames at Barnes Bridge will close for a week at the end of July.
During the closure, engineers will replace all 48 of the solid wooden wheel timbers which carry the tracks over the Grade II Listed bridge. Engineers will also change the baseplates connecting sleepers to the track, and will improve the rail alignment on the approach and exit to the bridge. There will also be trackwork and attention to the electric third rail at other locations on the Hounslow loop.
On Sunday 28th July, buses will replace trains over the entire Hounslow loop, from Barnes to Feltham. From Monday 29th July to Friday 2nd August, buses will replace trains between Barnes and Kew Bridge, with trains running between Kew Bridge and Feltham.
The pedestrian walkway that runs along the side of the bridge is not affected by the work and will remain open throughout.
|
|
|
Post by buspete on May 20, 2024 19:49:27 GMT
It would be nice if the London Waterloo - Exeter could become a successful secondary route in the same way London Marylebone- Birmingham/Oxford has.
|
|
|
Post by greenboy on May 21, 2024 9:47:28 GMT
It would be nice if the London Waterloo - Exeter could become a successful secondary route in the same way London Marylebone- Birmingham/Oxford has. Indeed and it's always been my preferred way of getting to Exeter, apparently the decline started in 1963 when it became part of Western Region and the service from Paddington was always their priority.
|
|
|
Post by gwiwer on May 21, 2024 10:15:41 GMT
It would be nice if the London Waterloo - Exeter could become a successful secondary route in the same way London Marylebone- Birmingham/Oxford has. I would argue that it has already become just that. In steam days it never had a truly regular service in common with most main lines. Stopping trains at the smaller stations were few and far between though in fairness locating stations at the likes of Sutton Bingham reservoir (largely for sport anglers) was always optimistic. The hopelessly unremunerative stations were closed in the 1960s along with the loss-making branches which only saw significant traffic for a few weeks in summer. BR introduced a roughly alternate-hours service west of Salisbury which served most remaining stations although calling patterns varied. Tisbury and Whimple had few stopping trains and a few skipped Crewkerne and even Gillingham. 8 or 9-coach rakes sufficed and were often more than generous although the decline in traffic started to reverse. A few "extras" were introduced with extensions of selected Waterloo - Salisbury services to Gillingham or Yeovil Junction. Limited local services ran west of Axminster to serve the peak flow into and out of Exeter. Sector management and then NSE improved upon that with the reopening of Sidmouth Junction (as Feniton) and Templecombe stations, the Tisbury loop and the coming of the class 159 units. These allowed greater flexibility of formation and the new loop - later loops as Axminster was provided with one as well - permitted an hourly service all the way to Exeter and still with extra shorts at either end to Gillingham or Axminster. SWT then took the bold step of introducing the Yeovil Pen Mill services. This vastly improved the services at Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill offering direct trains to and from London for some stations which had not had them in many years, and more options for those which already enjoyed a limited London service. There was also the Waterloo - Bristol service which provided additional capacity over the very busy Warminster - Trowbridge - Bath - Bristol axis when GWR could only manage to find 2-car or 3-car trains. Cranbrook station opened on an all-new site to serve a major new housing area east of Exeter. The Yeovil-via-Frome service has not been particularly well used but has survived Covid and returned at almost its previous level. It attracts just enough business to ensure its retention for the time being and requires only a 2-car unit which would otherwise be sitting idle at Salisbury between trips. Salisbury - Gillingham became half-hourly for most of the day at one time but this move wasn't supported by traffic offering and has largely been withdrawn. Some extras remain however which continues to offer Tisbury and Gillingham a best-ever half-hourly peak-times service. All stations except Feniton and Whimple are served hourly by all trains. Those two have remained rather quiet and are served on alternate hours outside the peaks. Traffic is up to pre-Covid levels and the 3-car or 6-car formations used west of Salisbury hourly equate to an increase of capacity against the previous alternate-hours 8-coach or 9-coach rakes. There are ongoing calls for more stations to reopen and for faster trains which don't stop at all stations. There is a need for more passing loop capacity weest of Yeovil Junction. When the GWR main line is blocked and they divert via Honiton the SWR service has to be halved or retimed to allow for this. There are arguments for Seaton Junction to reopen and be connected with the tram-line to Seaton however the tramway operator has stated they are not interested in such a link and cannot afford to support it. SWT and SWR have consistently maintained their stance that the time required for more station calls will affect the timetabling of single-line crosses threatening reliability and the hourly headway. On the whole it is now a successful secondary route. It had new rolling stock when it was needed. It has had investment in infrastructure. It has seen a modest growth in passenger numbers. And it remains not the cheapest way to travel between London and Exeter since GWR often offer some advance fares much cheaper than SWR's best price. It is not seen as a primary London - Exeter railway but more as a service for local people There have been plans advanced to reopen Wilton (South) station partly as a park & ride option for Salisbury but these are AFAIK on hold indefinitely. Somerset councillors would like Queen Camel to have a station on the GWR line from Yeovil to Castle Cary which SWR might serve if it opened. Re-doubling Axminster - Chard Junction (i.e. linking existing loops) would help with capacity when GWR diversions take place but an all-new loop would also be required somewhere in the vicinity of Whimple to cope with 2 - 3 trains an hour each way. A westward extension of Honiton loop all the way to Whimple would give a new dynamic loop option reducing the need to stand and await a cross. These would also require resignalling to allow for such moves all of which costs money that isn't there currently. But they remain on the wish-lists of the operators nonetheless. Yes, the Waterloo - Salisbury - Exeter route is a successful secondary route akin to the Chiltern lines.
|
|
|
Post by lj61nwc on Jun 24, 2024 15:04:10 GMT
Not too into trains, just use southern and swr frequently, nice to see the old red 455 are being replaced with something nicer
|
|
|
Post by twobellstogo on Jun 24, 2024 15:17:54 GMT
Not too into trains, just use southern and swr frequently, nice to see the old red 455 are being replaced with something nicer Think of us poor SW Mainline/New Guildford commuters, we’re stuck with clapped out 455s for some while yet ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png)
|
|
|
Post by vjaska on Jun 24, 2024 17:27:56 GMT
Not too into trains, just use southern and swr frequently, nice to see the old red 455 are being replaced with something nicer Think of us poor SW Mainline/New Guildford commuters, we’re stuck with clapped out 455s for some while yet ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png) We have different interpretations of clapped out then ![;)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/wink.png)
|
|
|
Post by gwiwer on Jun 25, 2024 22:19:51 GMT
New or refurbished trains have to go somewhere first. Somewhere will always be the last with old stock. The 455s are attracting followers who chase their preferred units and who might, in the act, be boosting SWR's fares revenue.
The 458/4s are going onto the 2Sxx service group for now. That's Waterloo - Brentford - Weybridge to the lay person. A group which has had all manner of stock in recent years but mostly the 458/5s. The press release does not specifically state that this is where they will stay.
There is more in what is not said than what is. The 458/4s are ready to go, staff are familiar with them as they are in most respects similar to their former class 458/5 identities. The increased top speed (reverted to 100mph as designed after being reduced to 75mph) is of no consequence in the suburban area. The differing length and stopping positions will still be familiar as most other SWR suburban units are 4-car.
SWR states that these are being used until the Arterio fleet (i.e. class 701) is ready for squadron service. In other words a stop-gap. They also explicitly state that while the first class area has been restored to the units this may be used by all ticket holders on suburban services where first class has not been advertised for many years.
So they are still expected to cascade to the Portsmouth "Direct" line in due course but as they are ready now and the 701s are mostly not ready they are being put into service to release other stock. The last pair of 707s should finally be transferred to SE and the remaining 450s on suburban duties can revert to main line work. The Portsmouth Direct has become desperately quiet since Covid. It is the route which has suffered most from apparently-permanent loss of traffic. Five years ago its peak-time trains were packed and 12-car 450 (i.e. maximum capacity) services were not enough. They are now less than half full and 8-car formations suffice. The full peak-time timetable has never been restored. The off-peak timetable which at one time was four trains an hour of which two were semi-fast is now down to half that with more stops making them slower. Isle of Wight traffic, which once required no fewer than six fast trains an hour on summer Saturdays, is now virtually non-existent. Guildford station, once bustling and always busy, can feel like ghost town.
There is no rush to get the 458/4s onto the Portsmouth line. All staff there will need type training as they have not worked that way before. Bournemouth depot will have responsibility for them meaning there will be some duties on that route either from Waterloo or Portsmouth. Fratton will have some overnight maintenance tasks. Northam will not be involved. But when they do move over they can run as 4, 8 or 12-car formations as do the 450s currently. The service will be worked by a mix of 444 and 458 stock with the 444s planned to be kept on the quieter trains as single 5-car units. Most of these will remain required for Weymouth line services. Flexibility with 4-car units will allow formations to be tailored to demand. The 100mph capability will be of use when they are required to share the fast lines with other 100mph units on 100mph schedules.
That's the intention as it presently stands. We all know things can change. The 701s are slowly - very slowly - being accepted and introduced but there remains a long way to go and a certain amount of rectification still required for the faults found during testing.
|
|