Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Thanks for the information!
If that’s not the final arrangement, then what change is being made at Christmas?

There is an additional third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction to be connected and commissioned.  Also an additional bit of reversible signalling through Filton Abbey Wood station to be commissioned.

[martyjon]

Thanks for the information!
If that’s not the final arrangement, then what change is being made at Christmas?

There is an additional third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction to be connected and commissioned.  Also an additional bit of reversible signalling through Filton Abbey Wood station to be commissioned.

Are you sure there is to be a third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction ?

I could see no evidence of this when I last travelled that stretch before the current blockade and that section is almost wholly on a raised embankment.

I understood the down line over that stretch was to made reversible so as to have a down, an up and a down reversible, 3 routings but only two tracks to do it on.

[SandTEngineer]

Thanks for the information!
If that’s not the final arrangement, then what change is being made at Christmas?

There is an additional third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction to be connected and commissioned.  Also an additional bit of reversible signalling through Filton Abbey Wood station to be commissioned.

Are you sure there is to be a third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction ?

I could see no evidence of this when I last travelled that stretch before the current blockade and that section is almost wholly on a raised embankment.

I understood the down line over that stretch was to made reversible so as to have a down, an up and a down reversible, 3 routings but only two tracks to do it on.

Apologies, had my 'railway speak' hat on..   The third line ends half way around the chord between Bristol Parkway and the closed Filton Platform station.  Its being laid on the site of the existing Stoke Gifford Siding which itself is being recreated adjacent to the existing siding.

[martyjon]

Thanks for the information!
If that’s not the final arrangement, then what change is being made at Christmas?

There is an additional third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction to be connected and commissioned.  Also an additional bit of reversible signalling through Filton Abbey Wood station to be commissioned.

Are you sure there is to be a third reversible track between Bristol Parkway and Filton Abbey Wood North Junction ?

I could see no evidence of this when I last travelled that stretch before the current blockade and that section is almost wholly on a raised embankment.

I understood the down line over that stretch was to made reversible so as to have a down, an up and a down reversible, 3 routings but only two tracks to do it on.

Apologies, had my 'railway speak' hat on..   The third line ends half way around the chord between Bristol Parkway and the closed Filton Platform station.  Its being laid on the site of the existing Stoke Gifford Siding which itself is being recreated adjacent to the existing siding.

Being of a certain vintage I can remember when the third line spoken of was a head shunt for a very busy Stoke Gifford marshalling yard but was taken out years ago. There was a second head shunt which when that was taken out performed that function for the much reduced freight facility but has been incorporated into the routing to Filton Abbey Wood from Parkways new platform 1 and I have noted and speculated that the works being done was to re-instate the "lost" head shunt.

[SandTEngineer]

Looks like I need to do an additional drawing to that I did earlier in this topic for the Filton 4 tracking bit, to show the Bristol Parkway bit.  Watch this space.....

[SandTEngineer]

Here we go then:

[Bmblbzzz]

 

[simonw]

With the lack of details about new rail schedules, for December, is it known when the extra trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington , via Bristol Parkway, will run?

It is great,   , to have all this investment at Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbeywood and Filton Bank, but the lack of coordination and clarity of delivery leaves me, and others, unsure when things will actually get better and justify all this hassle.

[CMRail]

With the lack of details about new rail schedules, for December, is it known when the extra trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington , via Bristol Parkway, will run?

It is great,   , to have all this investment at Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbeywood and Filton Bank, but the lack of coordination and clarity of delivery leaves me, and others, unsure when things will actually get better and justify all this hassle.

All those five car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) sat doing nothing waiting to work the Parkway Bristol’s... any long forms expected 

[Timmer]

With the lack of details about new rail schedules, for December, is it known when the extra trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington , via Bristol Parkway, will run?

Nothing new in December, existing timetable continues even beyond May TT change apparently. So looking to December 19 before we finally see the fruit of the years of infustructure work on the GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) network in terms of frequency changes and faster journey times.

[martyjon]

Here we go then:

Almost exactly as I had been led to believe.

I was unaware that the Down Tunnel line was to be made reversible between Patchway Junction and Stoke Gifford Junction but it does make sense as all the trackwork needed to allow that move to be made exists and has existed for years, all needed was the signalling enhancements to allow it. Thanks SanTEngineer.

[didcotdean]

All those five car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) sat doing nothing waiting to work the Parkway Bristol’s... any long forms expected 

Maybe they could take over a few turns on the Didcot-Oxford shuttle ...

Solve the peak capacity problem and put the IET stop boards already installed at Radley to some regular use.

(Not quite as silly as it looks as there are some Turbo diagrams that go Paddington-Oxford-Didcot-Oxford-Paddington.)

[grahame]

All those five car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) sat doing nothing waiting to work the Parkway Bristol’s... any long forms expected 

Maybe they could take over a few turns on the Didcot-Oxford shuttle ...

Solve the peak capacity problem and put the IET stop boards already installed at Radley to some regular use.

(Not quite as silly as it looks as there are some Turbo diagrams that go Paddington-Oxford-Didcot-Oxford-Paddington.)

You're not looking at the maths of releasing 165 and 166 units westward prior to the arrival of the 769s are you, making use of 5 car IETs rather than holding back cascades?

[CMRail]

By the end of March, all HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) will be gone. So working it out you’d have waiting for the new timetable 1 or 2 from the Cheltenham Rotation, 4 from the Parkways, and all of the rest of the IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) not working to full ability.

[Red Squirrel]

With the lack of details about new rail schedules, for December, is it known when the extra trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington , via Bristol Parkway, will run?

Nothing new in December, existing timetable continues even beyond May TT change apparently. So looking to December 19 before we finally see the fruit of the years of infustructure work on the GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) network in terms of frequency changes and faster journey times.

Presumably the new track will actually be used, though? It would be nice to see fewer delays on the Severn Beach line...