Really need that 'Penryn Loop' don't we......
We need *something*. I could still be swayed / advised in various directions - a Penryn style loop, long (dynamic, two directional) loop(s) away from the station at Melksham, redoubling except at Thingley due to camber, redoubling throughout. And I would very much like to see Westbury 4th platform relaid as part of the process.
One of the things that I do note from yesterday is that although we say current capacity is "3 trains per hour" - i.e. 20 minutes per train - the
HSTs▸ and
IETs▸ manage the route (Bradford Junction to Thingley EAST) in 12 minutes, with trains making the Melksham call taking 2 minutes longer. The six minutes "line turn around time" may look plenty ... until we realise that each end is a flat junction where the services join (and have to knit in) with lots of other trains.