Oxford Road and Southcote Junctions Grade Seperation

[whole diary]

[stuving]

And another point arising from the Wessex Route Study, while I'm at it. It says there that the extra multi-modal path - the one that does the camel's-back thing to the junction - would have to be routed via Laverstoke and Andover anyway. There are capacity issues via Winchester, related to the length of twin-track that you'd be expecting trains of dissimilar speeds to share. So there is muttering (p 98) about extra loops, including a pair four miles long around Micheldever - but only to meet the 2043 requirement (i.e. CP10).

But if the Basingstoke grade separation - needed sooner - can't be done, or can't be approved due to its cost, wouldn't that change the arguments about where some of those container trains should be routed further north?

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Grade separation is the ultimate “nice to have” solution to increase capacity and timetable robustness at flat junctions.  I’m not convinced that grade separation at Southcote J, which would be difficult and thus expensive, is necessary.  My modest idea to have reversible working on both lines between Reading Station and Southcote J, plus a new trailing crossover just west of Southcote J, would provide extra pathing opportunities at modest cost.   There must be many busier junction that work quite happily being flat – although long slow freights do complicate the comparison.

I think Basingstoke has a stronger case for grade separation.  My solution, not yet developed to Oxonhutch standards, is to double the flyover at Worting Junction, and then to add/ rearrange the tracks through Basingstoke so that southbound FL’s can stay north of the Southampton ML’s, go over the widened flyover, and then join the Southampton Down Line south of Worting Junction.

Worting J is in open country so land take would be easier.

[paul7575]

Having said that about the empty space around Basingstoke station, it occurred to me that I don't have (and can't find) any recent maps or images to check for encroachments. But I can think of two I've heard about - the ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region) just to the north and Basingstoke Campus on the junction triangle.

The relatively new signal building (known as Basingstoke New) alongside P5 (so immediately north of the station) is only temporary, it will all be moved into the ROC in due course.   The future ROC is the main function contained in the Basingstoke Campus, the training etc is the sideline.  The Campus is well away from any track.

But I think NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are trying to do far too much in the station area with the proposals in the Wessex route study.  I suggest they would be far better running the pair of Reading lines west of the station through two full length platforms, and sorting out the grade separation of the down line of that pair somewhere between Basingstoke and Working Jn. There's no real need for it to be at or near the existing flyover - doing it further east may allow it to descend between the two existing down lines which would possibly be more flexible.  The up line would just be a normal junction off the existing up slow.

If they still want a bay for Reading stoppers, then move it onto the other side of the existing platform.  Then the existing bay becomes P6, and a new up line towards Reading a P7.   Then leave the existing junction alone for reversionary routes during maintenance.

Paul

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Yes, I think Paul 7755 and I have come up with the same key proposal, which is to run the Reading lines independently through Basingstoke station, and then to put in a grade separated junction to the west.  Whether you go for widening the flyover at Worting J or by some other grade separation between there and Basingstoke station is a detail which can follow later - exactly what you do would involve modelling of the options against the present and planned timetables.

(The layout north of East Croydon emerged from a project done by some management trainees in the 1970's, who came up with various ideas - there were quite a few - on grade separation and where various line went, and they modelled as above.)

[paul7575]

[Re Basingstoke]

Another question is whether you have to remove every flat crossing move whatsoever.

If the up and down Reading lines ran through the station (what I suggested might be P6 and P7), would you really need an up direction passenger platform anyway?   Up direction XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services that currently pass through P4, (and are the majority of P4 services over the course of the day), could continue to do so using the existing route - they'd only have to be timed to cross with any down freights coming from Reading. 

Another suggestion to deal with the trains that terminate at Basingstoke, once down XC services are out of the picture over on a new through P6, then how about using P1 as the main through platform for down direction trains and putting the terminating trains in P2, from where they can return onto the up fast?

Paul