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Author Topic: MetroWest services begin  (Read 10776 times)
Noggin
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« Reply #30 on: January 25, 2024, 22:00:46 »

There's a nice article about increasing Severn Beach Line capacity on the FoSBR» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) website at https://bristolrailcampaign.org.uk/how-could-severn-beach-line-capacity-be-improved/, including a rather neat idea for redoubling the line through St Andrews Road with some nifty re-purposing of the old freight tracks.
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #31 on: January 26, 2024, 00:18:18 »


The line is effectively doubled up to Narroways Junction (the now four tracked Filton Bank).


Doubling the Severn Beach Branch from Narroways Jct to just short of Montpelier seems to have some merit. At the moment outbound trains have to stand at Stapleton Road if the inbound service is delayed, as the single lead junction means that inbound services have to occupy the Up Filton Relief for about 125m before crossing onto the Down Filton Relief. Reading the WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about) rail plan a few years back, I got the impression that doubling this junction might be all that was needed to get to 3tph to Avonmouth.
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« Reply #32 on: January 26, 2024, 12:20:05 »

Reading the WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about) rail plan a few years back, I got the impression that doubling this junction might be all that was needed to get to 3tph to Avonmouth.

Looking at Real Time trains for today, the 13:00 from Clifton Down (a random train) arrives in Avonmouth at 13:12 and that 12 minutes includes a half minute performance element.  It calls at Portway Park and Ride at 13:10.  I note it calls also at Sea Mills and Shirehampton. I note that the double track into Avonmouth starts a bit of a way out but the line goes single as it leaves Clifton Down.

This suggests to me that a service every 20 minutes would work, tight, with 2 stops between Clifton Down and Avonmouth, but not with three without other interventions.  Those could be such things as
* Electrify the line to get better acceleration of trains
* Have just 2 stops, alternate trains (so 40 minute service, or 60 minute if you want clock face) at Sea Mills and at Shirehampton
* Extend the loop at Clifton Down into the tunnel (but that would mean trains waiting in the dark for the single line)
* Extend the double track at the Avonmouth end - but that would mean it being doubled over a level crossing and probably a second platform at Portway Park and Ride
* An intermediate signal would allow 2 trains one way then two the other, but that would then be "three trains an hour" and not a regular 20 minute service.
* An Ormskirk or Headbolt Lane arrangement
* Something I have not thought of
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Sulis John
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« Reply #33 on: January 26, 2024, 12:58:08 »

It should be possible to extend the loop from just the Bristol side of Sea Mills station almost to the Arches without massive effort, shouldn’t it? Level access to a second platform at Redland shouldn’t be a problem as long as the park’s owners (BCC» (Bristol City Council - about)?) play ball.
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grahame
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« Reply #34 on: January 26, 2024, 13:35:52 »

It should be possible to extend the loop from just the Bristol side of Sea Mills station almost to the Arches without massive effort, shouldn’t it? Level access to a second platform at Redland shouldn’t be a problem as long as the park’s owners (BCC» (Bristol City Council - about)?) play ball.

Maybe - and that's my extension from Clifton Down into (and now through) the tunnel.

A further issue which I have NOT look at is that if we had a 20 minute service with trains passing at Avonmouth and on the river bank to the east of Sea Mills,  would that mean that the next passing place was - oops - Montpelier which would still be single track?  And if it was a 20 minute service onward to Severn Beach, 10 minute run from Avonmouth ... issues to be looked at.   One stretch of single line can be maximised but with three you have a can of worms.  See also The Mule and the Heart of Wessex ....
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #35 on: January 26, 2024, 14:43:53 »

For reference, Page 17 of the WEMCA 10 Year Rail Delivery Plan (2020) has:

Quote
Severn Beach to
Bristol Temple
Meads and
Westbury
enhanced service
     3 TPH (trains per hour) Severn Beach
to BTM (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI))
4 TPH Bristol Temple
Meads to Westbury
     Line doubling between
Montpelier and Filton.
Double junction at
Holesmouth.
Platform capacity at Severn
Beach.
Resignalling Severn Beach
Line.
Westbury to Bath corridor
capacity works.
Potential for new Saltford
and St Annes Park stations
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TonyK
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« Reply #36 on: January 26, 2024, 18:01:19 »

Line doubling between Montpelier and Filton - in which direction?
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Sulis John
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« Reply #37 on: January 26, 2024, 20:12:58 »

Might not be deliberately vague - but there’s a world of difference between “all the way between” and “somewhere between”. Which it is is not clear!
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« Reply #38 on: January 27, 2024, 07:23:50 »

Quote
Line doubling between Montpelier and Filton.

Wasn't that before the four tracks were completed on Filton Bank.  So it could be read as up from 1 track to 2 from Montpelier to Narrowways Junction, and double the number of tracks (up from 2 to 4) from Narroways / Stapleton Road to Filton.
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TonyK
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« Reply #39 on: January 27, 2024, 12:23:51 »

Quote
Line doubling between Montpelier and Filton.

Wasn't that before the four tracks were completed on Filton Bank.  So it could be read as up from 1 track to 2 from Montpelier to Narrowways Junction, and double the number of tracks (up from 2 to 4) from Narroways / Stapleton Road to Filton.

I wondered that, but Narroways / Stapleton Road isn't Montpelier. I guess the idea is therefore all the way around to Henbury then Abbey Wood, plus the new curve to the east at Holesmouth Junction. If so, Sea Mills bridge will have to be restored or rebuilt as a minimum. Could the tunnels fit double tracks? I know they did pre-1970 and that trains then were much the same size as now, but I would imagine safety margins have increased since.
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #40 on: January 27, 2024, 12:34:43 »

Line doubling between Montpelier and Filton - in which direction?

BRC/FoSBR» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) think it's just a typo (maybe omitting the word 'Bank'). I think it has been clarified that they meant Narroways Jct.
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Red Squirrel
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« Reply #41 on: January 27, 2024, 12:40:52 »

Could the tunnels fit double tracks? I know they did pre-1970 and that trains then were much the same size as now, but I would imagine safety margins have increased since.

Interesting question. I've always assumed there would be no problem with relaying double track through Clifton Down Tunnel. The Clifton Extension Railway was build to standard gauge (according to Wikipedia), but the tunnel doesn't feel particularly 'tight'.
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johnneyw
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« Reply #42 on: September 18, 2024, 16:37:36 »

At last, Redland and Montpelier have "proper" arrivals boards installed....if not completely working yet.
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