Speed limits on the Westbury avoider

[whole diary]

[grahame]

What are the speed restrictions around the Westbury avoiding line and through the two junctions at either end?   What would need to be done to raise those limits in the future?

[JayMac]

That information should be in the Western Sectional Appendix. Google is your friend. 

I'd look myself on your behalf but only have phone to hand and it's a rather large pdf to go searching on a phone.

[IndustryInsider]

100mph on the down Westbury and 100mph, falling to 90mph for a short section at the eastern end over Heywood Road Junction, in the up direction. 

Not sure you'd get much more out of it without very major work as it's on a bit of a curve, though the short 90mph could be raised up to 100/110 fairly easily.

[grahame]

That information should be in the Western Sectional Appendix. Google is your friend. 

I'd look myself on your behalf but only have phone to hand and it's a rather large pdf to go searching on a phone.

Sometimes it's a question of knowing what to put into Google!

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/sectional%20appendix/western%20sectional%20appendix.pdf

Even in there a lot to look through.

100mph on the down Westbury and 100mph, falling to 90mph for a short section at the eastern end over Heywood Road Junction, in the up direction. 

Not sure you'd get much more out of it without very major work as it's on a bit of a curve, though the short 90mph could be raised up to 100/110 fairly easily.

Thank you. Phew! That's what I thought I had just made it (was just about to post) from reading those hundreds of pages. Good to have an expert confirm.

I was wondering if it was at all lower based on a comment someone had made to me. 

[SandTEngineer]

Don't forget that there has been a long term 50mph 'Temporary Speed Restriction' (TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction)) on the Up Avoider due to sighting issues associated with a footpath crossing.  Also, the turnout speeds on/off the Avoider lines are less at 50mph at Heywood Road Junction at the East End and 40mph at Fairwood Junction at the West End.

[grahame]

Don't forget that there has been a long term 50mph 'Temporary Speed Restriction' (TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction)) on the Up Avoider due to sighting issues associated with a footpath crossing.  Also, the turnout speeds on/off the Avoider lines are less at 50mph at Heywood Road Junction at the East End and 40mph at Fairwood Junction at the West End.

Ah!    That's what I was looking for (the TSR) - thank you.    Not shown in the sectional appendix .

[Thatcham Crossing]

A bit off topic, but have often wondered why it is that the actual B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) route is not shown in the Sectional Appendix? (as far as I can see)

[RichardB]

A bit off topic, but have often wondered why it is that the actual B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) route is not shown in the Sectional Appendix? (as far as I can see)

I've got the printed Railtrack one of 2000 and it is in as Reading to Cogload Jn via Westbury & Frome A/Ls.  Just checked the current on-line one - it's the same, route GW500 starting on page 213.

[bobm]

One of the sites like Realtraintimes or Opentraintimes did used to show a list of TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) - it is one of the Network Rail datafeeds - but I cannot find one showing it now.

[eightf48544]

Raises an interesting question. When is a TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) not a TSR.

[IndustryInsider]

When it's a PSR^▸ (Permanent Speed Restriction) or an ESR^▸ (Emergency Speed Restriction (see also EROS))...

[SandTEngineer]

Raises an interesting question. When is a TSR^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) not a TSR.

Well, in my days at the 'sharp end' in NR^» (Network Rail - home page) there used to be a 6 month rule that stated that if a TSR was installed for more than that then it had to be converted to a 'Permanent Speed Restriction' (PSR^▸ (Permanent Speed Restriction)).  That was to do with the risk of train drivers being accustomed to cancelling the TSR speed restriction AWS^▸ (Automatic Warning System - an arrangement of permanent magnets and electro-magnets that convey information about the associated signal to the train driver) warning but potentially forgetting the TSR (and yes, it has happened).  Not sure if that applies now

[Thatcham Crossing]

Just checked the current on-line one - it's the same, route GW500 starting on page 213.

Thanks RichardB, I looked through it several times and somehow managed to miss it. Interesting to see how speed limits vary up and down the route (some that I knew of and some that I didn't), but it's quite a curvy line in places as we all know.

[Zoe]

One of the sites like Realtraintimes or Opentraintimes did used to show a list of TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) - it is one of the Network Rail datafeeds - but I cannot find one showing it now.

They are posted on the Railway Performance Society's forum.  This weeks list is at http://www.railperformancedata.org.uk/index/siteforum-list-action/post.3398/title.tsrs-15th-21st-october-

From that it seems that there are two separate 50 mph TSRs on the Up Westbury Avoiding Line.  One as stated above due to crossing safety an the other due to track condition.  Considering there is only 1 mile and 24 chains between the end of one and the start of the other, I wonder how much the driver s able to accelerate before they have to start braking again.  It can't be that far between the T board for the first and the warning board for the second.

[SandTEngineer]

One of the sites like Realtraintimes or Opentraintimes did used to show a list of TSRs^▸ (Temporary Speed Restriction) - it is one of the Network Rail datafeeds - but I cannot find one showing it now.

They are posted on the Railway Performance Society's forum.  This weeks list is at http://www.railperformancedata.org.uk/index/siteforum-list-action/post.3398/title.tsrs-15th-21st-october-

From that it seems that there are two separate 50 mph TSRs on the Up Westbury Avoiding Line.  One as stated above due to crossing safety an the other due to track condition.  Considering there is only 1 mile and 24 chains between the end of one and the start of the other, I wonder how much the driver s able to accelerate before they have to start braking again.  It can't be that far between the T board for the first and the warning board for the second.

Looks like the second one is between Clink Road Junction (Frome) and Fairwood Junction (Westbury) as its a 4 mile stretch.  The track on that part has been getting worse for the past few years (all those heavy stone trains) and it looks as though its got to the point of 'no return'   Going that way on Sunday so will find out.