Great Western Coffee Shop

From south Glos council Street Care Department

From Monday 26 November, the Tytherington to Yate freight line will reopen

Please be aware that from this date, the line is expected to have one train per day carrying materials from Tytherington Quarry to Avonmouth.

This line has three level crossings so take extra care when driving in this area.

Network Rail has written to local residents: "This freight line has three level crossings, including two fitted with audible alarms, it is vital that people living nearby are aware of the change of activity to the track.

"From Monday 26 November 2018 the line will once again be live. For your safety, please be aware that the crossings are not manned and no barriers placed at the level crossings. The track is now classed as operational."

Excellent news.  Not holding my breath for a proposed re-opening to Thornbury passengers any time soon, but as we all know a track that was previously mothballed with a chance of being permanently closed now coming back into use is much easier to reinstate

Funny, unless the two level crossings with barriers which are train crew operated, if only a DOO movement, have 'rusted up' in the many months they haven't seen use, the crossings on both the Iron Acton by-pass and the Latteridge Road have the usual steady amber followed by the flashings reds whilst an audible warning is sounded with finally the barriers lowering. The line is track circuited so that the barriers raise after the consist has cleared each of these two crossings. The third crossing is on a very minor track from Iron Acton to Mayshill has the road sign pictogram of a chuffer as its an open crossing with the amber, red lights for road traffic and a flashing white light for the rail traffic, the sequence of which is activated by the approaching rail movement from either direction through a treadle approaching the crossing. Have to look up RTT to see when this movement is scheduled to take place and have to go and have a nose.

Yeah I thought I remembered lights and barriers on the main ones when I used to go that way to work years ago

Are you sure?  All my records show the level crossings as AOCL (i.e. without barriers).  All the images on the internet show that as well.  Somebody needs to go up there with a camera..... ;)

Pretty sure both the B4058 and 4059 have barriers, and Streetview confirms this. In one case the photo is from 2009 so that could have changed but I'm sure I've seen barriers there. Station Rd in Iron Acton doesn't have barriers and of course there are numerous footpath crossings.
https://goo.gl/maps/WkD4YMJzv4s
https://goo.gl/maps/WS1y6pMgtAH2
https://goo.gl/maps/ci3RRV327JJ2

That's definitely how I remember both the main routes with full barriers

Seems unlikely in this day and age when NR are constantly being pressed to either improve or do away with level crossings that they'd re-open some that had barriers before, with them now removed...  is basically asking for trouble if anything happens!

It's one thing writing to local residents about the line coming back into use, but the two main routes across the line are notorious rat runs for commuters from elsewhere trying to avoid the ring road and motorways to get to and from work (myself previously included and many other people I worked with) who definitely won't have heard anything about it

Would be nice to have Turbo train running 7 times a day to Thornbury, The Train would probably start from Bristol temple meads and arrive at Thorbury with a return journey.
If made a passenger route some alterations would have to take place I assume. Signal no BL2034 would need a pos 1 ji. And the ground signal replaced for main use.


I like the pictures of the crossings.

I cant believe that it is over a year since I travelled that road and haven't noticed the barriers had gone but checking out on the net it is evident that the two barriered crossings have been converted to open crossing and had to laugh at the 3rd one, CONTACT BR ...

http://i63.tinypic.com/ka2o7t.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/o07wiv.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/124vr6b.jpg

A quick phone call to an acquaintance tells me that todays test/route learning move has been cancelled but the facility is being re-incarnated to carry stone to Hinckley Point 'C' from quarries in the South Gloucestershire area. Still to Check RTT.

Yep, todays movement cancelled but there is on RTT movements, Westbury - Tytherington, return working Tytherington - Yate Middle - Tytherington, Tytherington - Westbury, for tomorrow 16 November 2018.

I take it they'll be having to divert via Swindon to do Tytherington - Westbury with Filton Bank still closed?  That's gonna be a fair few reversals

Thanks.  My records still up to date then..... :)

Yep, more up to date that my memory but as you could see the barriers were there albeit dumped on the roadside verge. The bypass crossing was a split barrier with the barrier facing the approaching traffic lowering first followed by the complementary barrier on the other half of the highway.

I am really surprised that NR have converted the barriered crossings on this line to open crossings over the two busy roads considering their insistence that there should be no crossing at all over Quay Road at Portishead to allow the Portishead line, if it ever reopens, to reach further into the town itself.

What about the other crossing, on the B4059 Latteridge road?

Presumably converted to an open level crossing too as NR communication letter to residents state no barriers and as S&T remarked that his records show them as open crossings.

Right, just to firmly draw a line under this.

The pictures you have posted were taken by me personally, on the 25th April 2017.

The barriers, motors and lights have been replaced on the Iron Acton Bypass crossing and white Pickett style fencing erected around the new motors.

The lights have been replaced on both the Latteridge and Iron Acton Station Road crossing.

So in summary, no barriers have been removed.

Thanks for that clarification, Oliver - very helpful!

Whilst the reopening of the Tytherington line is good news the only train I can find out of there at the time of writing this is one, which does not serve Avonmouth:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H45558/2018/11/29/advanced

Could be there is a missing path I suppose.

Dave

Went out there today and took some photos:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/44232098290_36d560085f_c.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4804/45998077612_9a2fb143db_c.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4811/44232096170_0c94b49b95_c.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4916/31108956897_f61d6c5878_c.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4842/45136118575_1800db1b8b_c.jpg)

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/45998081672_b278a4f336_c.jpg)

Barriers all present and correct!

Appears to be 660K sat at Parkway waiting to go to Tytherington at present from Arc, good to see the route back in use.

This one ran - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H42133/2018/11/29/advanced

There is a train scheduled for Willesden every morning next week. I doubt that any will actually run as there is no mention of any train inbound.

If I get my way, there will be trains to Thornbury again?.