Gloucester - station, facilities, services, events & incidents (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[infoman]

if you get stuck over the summer again on saturdays and sundays this might be of some interest

https://www.gloucestershirecommunityrail.org/slimbridge-shuttle

[Electric train]

Loss of signalling control and indicators at Gloucester Panel due to blown fuse. Replacement fuse also blew. Severe wire degradation discovered. Currently (0700) no route setting available in and out of Gloucester. Only route available is north/south on the main line avoiding Gloucester.

Would it be an overreaction to find this extremely worrying? ‘Degraded wires’ suggests the possibility of false indications, as happened at Clapham all those years ago…

The Clapham accident was not due to "degraded" wiring, the cause was due to the "electricians PVC insulation tape" used to hold a disconnected wire taken off of a "jam jar" relay as part of a re-signalling project, this wire dropped down and came into contact with the exposed terminals on the top of a "jam jar" relay.

Degraded wiring in signalling equipment is a known issue and the risks are known, the signal maintainers have specific plans in place for the regular non disturbance checks on the equipment

[Henry]

 Perhaps you could argue that the current signalling system is 'not fit for purpose'.
 
  I'm sure that with all the modern technology their must be a more efficient way to
  manage the safe movement of trains ?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Loss of signalling control and indicators at Gloucester Panel due to blown fuse. Replacement fuse also blew. Severe wire degradation discovered. Currently (0700) no route setting available in and out of Gloucester. Only route available is north/south on the main line avoiding Gloucester.

Would it be an overreaction to find this extremely worrying? ‘Degraded wires’ suggests the possibility of false indications, as happened at Clapham all those years ago…

The Clapham accident was not due to "degraded" wiring, the cause was due to the "electricians PVC insulation tape" used to hold a disconnected wire taken off of a "jam jar" relay as part of a re-signalling project, this wire dropped down and came into contact with the exposed terminals on the top of a "jam jar" relay.

Degraded wiring in signalling equipment is a known issue and the risks are known, the signal maintainers have specific plans in place for the regular non disturbance checks on the equipment

That’s reassuring. I have read the Clapham report, and understand the circumstances of the signalling fault that led to it.

So do we think this ‘problem’ in Gloucester might have been a failed non-disturbance test?

[Electric train]

Loss of signalling control and indicators at Gloucester Panel due to blown fuse. Replacement fuse also blew. Severe wire degradation discovered. Currently (0700) no route setting available in and out of Gloucester. Only route available is north/south on the main line avoiding Gloucester.

Would it be an overreaction to find this extremely worrying? ‘Degraded wires’ suggests the possibility of false indications, as happened at Clapham all those years ago…

The Clapham accident was not due to "degraded" wiring, the cause was due to the "electricians PVC insulation tape" used to hold a disconnected wire taken off of a "jam jar" relay as part of a re-signalling project, this wire dropped down and came into contact with the exposed terminals on the top of a "jam jar" relay.

Degraded wiring in signalling equipment is a known issue and the risks are known, the signal maintainers have specific plans in place for the regular non disturbance checks on the equipment

That’s reassuring. I have read the Clapham report, and understand the circumstances of the signalling fault that led to it.

So do we think this ‘problem’ in Gloucester might have been a failed non-disturbance test?

Degraded insulation has a higher risk of a fault.

It may not have been an insulation failure that lead to the fuse blowing; the degraded insulation could have impacted on how a failed item that blew the fuse was replaced

[froome]

 Spent a 'delightful'  3hrs 15mins at Cam and Dursley this morning. 
 
 No sign of the 'Great Experience Makers'  GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) brag about.
 Watching both XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and GWR flying through, (perhaps a special stop order might have been appropriate).
 So my thanks to the local passengers who kept my declining spirits up.

On that day, I was on a local train from Oldfield Park travelling to Temple Meads. This was a service which was due to go to Gloucester, and the announcement on the train was that it would terminate at Bristol Parkway, and "would not be calling at Yate and Gloucester", which i found intriguing as they didn't even mention Cam and Dursley!

[grahame]

On that day, I was on a local train from Oldfield Park travelling to Temple Meads. This was a service which was due to go to Gloucester, and the announcement on the train was that it would terminate at Bristol Parkway, and "would not be calling at Yate and Gloucester", which i found intriguing as they didn't even mention Cam and Dursley!

Cam and Dursley has only about a half of the service of Yate as I understand it. So perhaps it wasn't scheduled to call?  I also understand that bus links to that station are "less than ideal".  Not the only station around where one feels that more trains calling might make a huge difference, although thankful for the improvements at many in May.

[froome]

On that day, I was on a local train from Oldfield Park travelling to Temple Meads. This was a service which was due to go to Gloucester, and the announcement on the train was that it would terminate at Bristol Parkway, and "would not be calling at Yate and Gloucester", which i found intriguing as they didn't even mention Cam and Dursley!

Cam and Dursley has only about a half of the service of Yate as I understand it. So perhaps it wasn't scheduled to call?  I also understand that bus links to that station are "less than ideal".  Not the only station around where one feels that more trains calling might make a huge difference, although thankful for the improvements at many in May.

Ah, I hadn't realised that the doubling of trains to Gloucester didn't include stops at Cam & Dursley.

[Red Squirrel]

My understanding is that there is capacity for a call at Cam & Dursley, but that this capacity will be needed when Charfield opens. It is considered better not to provide Cam & Dursley with a 2tph service which would then have to revert to hourly when trains begin stopping at Charfield.

[froome]

My understanding is that there is capacity for a call at Cam & Dursley, but that this capacity will be needed when Charfield opens. It is considered better not to provide Cam & Dursley with a 2tph service which would then have to revert to hourly when trains begin stopping at Charfield.

Do we know if that will mean that no trains will stop at both Cam & Dursley and Charfield, or whether every other train will stop at both and other trains stop at neither?

What then happens if a new station opens at Stonehouse on the main line? Or is that just too far in the future to be considering?

I do find it surprising if there is a capacity issue. The only competing passenger services are the inter-city half hourly services, and perhaps naively, I would assume the stopping services could just slot in a few minutes behind these.

[Bmblbzzz]

I didn't think Charfield was anything more than a vague "would be nice". I know an application for planning permission was made but are there solid plans, architectural drawings, contracts with engineers, etc, behind it?

[Red Squirrel]

Charfield Station got planning approval in March 2023 (South Glos P22/05778/R3F). So it does indeed have a full set of architectural drawings.

In terms of its prospects, I'd say it was about par with Portishead.

See https://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom/transport/charfield-station-plans-approved/

[Bmblbzzz]

That makes it a shame if it's the reason more trains aren't calling at Cam & Dursley.