Helping to keep trains on schedule when timetables tighten up in December 2019

[whole diary]

[jamestheredengine]

When I got home I checked what happened subsequently on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website). 4.75 down by BOA, same at Trowbridge, a minute knocked off the 3 min booked at Westbury so now down to 3 late, but probably missed its path at Clink Road because it passed there 14 late, and was 13 late arriving st Frome.

For what it's worth, there was a late quarry train going the other way. But it does strike me as odd that Fairwood Junction to Clink Road Junction isn't four-tracked. It's only a couple of miles with pretty much nothing in the way, and the two-track section there just introduces needless opportunities for things to go wrong.

[grahame]

But it does strike me as odd that Fairwood Junction to Clink Road Junction isn't four-tracked. It's only a couple of miles with pretty much nothing in the way, and the two-track section there just introduces needless opportunities for things to go wrong.

There are of the order of 4 trains each way per hour through that stretch and noting there are layby tracks at both Frome and Westbury, the issue of slow trains and fast trains mixed eating up lots of paths is much less than elsewhere.  If the Bristol Metro were be to extended to Frome you would be adding an extra train each way, ditto if that were in combination with turning the Heart of Wessex to Hourly as far as Yeovil Pen Mill. To some extent, those extras would replace the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) fillers between Yeovil and Westbury.  I suspect that 4 tracking between Swindon and Didcot, or between Didcot and Oxford, would have a better case, and that redoubling Chippenham to Trowbridge would also be a better investment.

Interestingly, the Westbury to Frome corridor along the railway looks bland on a map ... but there's history there. A relief road just to the north of the railway, linking the A36 to the West Wilts Industrial Estate would move (road) traffic from the South Coast to the industrial area - and through traffic headed further north too - away from the pinch points of Haynes Road and West End in Westbury, which have congestion, vibration and air quality issues.

[Robin Summerhill]

... eliminating trains without central door locking (which, by the way, have existed for a lot longer than 30 years - Class 303s were introduced 60 years ago for example)...

Yes, and there were of course other isolated examples such as the Waterloo & City.

But until around 30 years ago, coinciding with the demise of the last first generation DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) and older EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) stock, the overwhelming majority of passenger services in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) were operated by slam door stock without central locking.

[Surrey 455]

The argument of "single stopping point at Melksham in case the driver forgets how many he has on" would carry more weight if the very same "unit" trains and drivers routinely stopped forward at Trowbridge and Westbury irrespective of number of carriages

I walked past the cab of a Southern 455 recently and noticed a digital display which showed something along the lines of "Number of Cars". On this occasion it was correctly showing the number 8. Is this common on other trains and TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)?

[TonyK]

I have never known a train arrive at a station and the doors not opening immediately the train has come to rest.

The one time I have experienced the doors not opening immediately was at Birmingham New Street. The TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) had tried valiantly, but in the face of threatened violence decided that it may be prudent to stop trying to explain to the obnoxious passenger that he really wasn't exempt from needing a ticket. The said passenger sat down with a smug grin, his battle won - or so he thought. He stood relatively patiently in the line of passengers wanting to get off, asking loudly as time progressed why the doors weren't opening. Too late, it dawned on him that he might be the reason, and he started a comedy sprint down the carriage. He came running back, pursued by two BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers. He was led away in handcuffs to loud cheers and applause.