RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted November 2, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 2, 2014 It seems like good news. http://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/2014/oct/Better-rail-services-on-the-way-for-Bristol/ Network Rail announces that work will begin this December on restoring four tracks between Dr Day's and Filton. However it doesn't say how long it will take. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterbournecm Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 That's great news. When I was Shift Manager at Bristol Panel, one or two "old hands" would never accept any blame for congestion on Filton Bank as an old Manager had given a life-excusement when it was doubled (1983?). I remember looking over Lockleaze bridge at the 660v silver boxes placed where the other pair of lines would sit and wondered who long would they last like that, around 12 years it seems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Western Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I witnessed the Trent Valley four tracking project pretty much every day over the course of the project, so I look forward to watching th four tracks rebuild at Filton. How they're going to sort out the viaduct at Stapleton Road is going to be interesting, also whether we'll see additional platforms at Stapleton Rd and Lawrence Hill..... Great Western. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I witnessed the Trent Valley four tracking project pretty much every day over the course of the project, so I look forward to watching th four tracks rebuild at Filton. How they're going to sort out the viaduct at Stapleton Road is going to be interesting, also whether we'll see additional platforms at Stapleton Rd and Lawrence Hill..... Great Western. The condition of the bowstring girder bridge over Stapleton Road was used as the justification for 'de-quadrifying' the route, wasn't it? Presumably, it'll have to be replaced, which might not be as disruptive as it would once have been, due to the M32 running parallel to Stapleton Road, and thus able to take much of the traffic. I doubt they'd bother restoring the platform faces on the restored lines at Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road; most likely, the local trains would use the existing (westernmost) pair of tracks, making it easier to access the Avonmouth line, with other traffic using the 'new' lines. Are there any plans to re-open any stations between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbeywood? I recollect there being the remains of a station near Muller Road, back in the mid-1970s when I lived in Montpelier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Would I be correct in inferring that although Temple Meads and Parkway stations will both have the wires up, the Filton Bank section will not? Or have I misread the guidance yet again? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium phil-b259 Posted November 3, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 3, 2014 Would I be correct in inferring that although Temple Meads and Parkway stations will both have the wires up, the Filton Bank section will not? Or have I misread the guidance yet again? Filton bank WILL be wired - the current London - Bristol service via Bristol Parkway will continue in the IEP age Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Ok, thanks. I was going to suggest that not to wire it would be rather short-sighted. I usually get the wrong end of the stick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 3, 2014 The condition of the bowstring girder bridge over Stapleton Road was used as the justification for 'de-quadrifying' the route, wasn't it? Presumably, it'll have to be replaced, which might not be as disruptive as it would once have been, due to the M32 running parallel to Stapleton Road, and thus able to take much of the traffic. I doubt they'd bother restoring the platform faces on the restored lines at Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road; most likely, the local trains would use the existing (westernmost) pair of tracks, making it easier to access the Avonmouth line, with other traffic using the 'new' lines. Are there any plans to re-open any stations between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbeywood? I recollect there being the remains of a station near Muller Road, back in the mid-1970s when I lived in Montpelier. The bowstring girder bridge will be replaced. The main lines at Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill will not have platforms restored on them, not initially, certainly. There is, I believe, 'passive provision' to be made for a further station (from memory, this may be Ashley Hill, it certainly won't be Horfield, as that area will be taken up by new high speed crossovers). Around the same time, the junction at Bristol East will be completely remodelled and re-laid, with provision for new tracks into the old trainshed, of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 3, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 3, 2014 The condition of the bowstring girder bridge over Stapleton Road was used as the justification for 'de-quadrifying' the route, wasn't it? Presumably, it'll have to be replaced, which might not be as disruptive as it would once have been, due to the M32 running parallel to Stapleton Road, and thus able to take much of the traffic. I doubt they'd bother restoring the platform faces on the restored lines at Lawrence Hill or Stapleton Road; most likely, the local trains would use the existing (westernmost) pair of tracks, making it easier to access the Avonmouth line, with other traffic using the 'new' lines. Are there any plans to re-open any stations between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbeywood? I recollect there being the remains of a station near Muller Road, back in the mid-1970s when I lived in Montpelier. The main justification was based on avoided relaying costs with some down to savings on bridge maintenance plus of course 'life term of project' general maintenance savings' all of which was the usual way of costing rationalisation schemes at that time, I've an idea there might also have been some savings on earthworks attention in that one. Track relaying savings alone could be a very tidy sum (that alone justified the Probus- Burngullow scheme) but I didn't see the figures for Filton Bank dequadrification; we justified the savings for Bradford Jcn - Bathampton singling almost entirely on avoided relaying costs but the scheme never happened - it was basically the WR's sacrificial lamb on the altar of Serpell and was quietly forgotten when he went away. My Norton Jcn - Shrub Hill parallel single lines scheme was justified by, and authorised on, the basis of a mix of staff savings and avoided relaying of the connections at Norton Jcn. In other words things could vary from scheme to scheme but avoided relaying costs was very often the thing which drove schemes and which turned out to be the biggest factor in cost savings. Strange now of course to see all these various things going back in but the railway is now living in a very different world from the one we inhabited in the 1980s. And of course the interesting thing is that all the singlings etc done back then have had sufficient time to have paid back on their original investments and cost savings - strange world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisman56 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Good to see the Stapleton Road bridge will be replaced - I passed under it recently and was quite surprised from the condition of it that it was still standing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted November 5, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 5, 2014 A little off topic perhaps, but the bridge due east of Parkway has gone the way of the dodo, currently temporarily replaced by a steel pedestrian only bridge, but a vehicle replacment is clearly in hand:- Also, Harcombe Hill bridge, just west of the site of Winterbourne stn was fenced off a couple of weeks ago, with a new temporary footbridge in place. I suspect that will have gone by now. Don't get me wrong, it's progress, I don't hanker after them, the whole job is 20yrs too late really. But time to get photting before the wires go up & the scenery changes forever! cheers N Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 The main justification was based on avoided relaying costs with some down to savings on bridge maintenance plus of course 'life term of project' general maintenance savings' all of which was the usual way of costing rationalisation schemes at that time, I've an idea there might also have been some savings on earthworks attention in that one. Track relaying savings alone could be a very tidy sum (that alone justified the Probus- Burngullow scheme) but I didn't see the figures for Filton Bank dequadrification; we justified the savings for Bradford Jcn - Bathampton singling almost entirely on avoided relaying costs but the scheme never happened - it was basically the WR's sacrificial lamb on the altar of Serpell and was quietly forgotten when he went away. My Norton Jcn - Shrub Hill parallel single lines scheme was justified by, and authorised on, the basis of a mix of staff savings and avoided relaying of the connections at Norton Jcn. In other words things could vary from scheme to scheme but avoided relaying costs was very often the thing which drove schemes and which turned out to be the biggest factor in cost savings. Strange now of course to see all these various things going back in but the railway is now living in a very different world from the one we inhabited in the 1980s. And of course the interesting thing is that all the singlings etc done back then have had sufficient time to have paid back on their original investments and cost savings - strange world. I apologise if I seem completely naive here (mainly because I am, where this subject is concerned); and I can see that the cost savings in relaying could justify singling in a cash strapped era. However, wouldn't the doubling of traffic on the single track end up with increased wear and tear, which would in turn halve the time for the rails to become life expired again? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 6, 2014 I apologise if I seem completely naive here (mainly because I am, where this subject is concerned); and I can see that the cost savings in relaying could justify singling in a cash strapped era. However, wouldn't the doubling of traffic on the single track end up with increased wear and tear, which would in turn halve the time for the rails to become life expired again? The increase in traffic would indeed increase wear & tear but wear rates are very closely linked to tonnage totals and even more so to axle loadings hence on lightly used lines with little heavy axle load traffic the changes in maintenance category (which in turn gives the maintenance cost) is comparatively small and while it was always taken into account it usually a very long way short of upsetting the economics of the sort of schemes I've mentioned. After big railway days I got quite closely involved in an asset life cycle study on another piece of railway and some of the numbers there were quite eye-watering when it came to maintenance costs and that was on retained quadruple track. One place where it had much greater effect was in South Wales and there it was rather more significant (although still well short of being the deal breaker) on the various dequadrification options which were considered or the variations of them which I devised. Mind you those prospective schemes were really shot down by traffic density and speed differentials together with some very expensive layout alterations which would have been needed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted November 6, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 6, 2014 we justified the savings for Bradford Jcn - Bathampton singling almost entirely on avoided relaying costs but the scheme never happened Got to say that I'm glad that this part didn't happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 7, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2014 Got to say that I'm glad that this part didn't happen. So am I - and it was my idea! Just one of a whole list of places I identified for singling or dequadrification on the WR as part of the Serpell study. Regrettably another of my proposal's - submitted for authorisation to a meeting which took place on 01 April - wasn't approved for some reason as it offered some very positive benefits; I think the bit in the last sentence was its downfall - where it proposed converting the entire Western Region to a broader track gauge of something around the 7ft mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith George Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 What is the estimated time for the extra tracks to be in position and operating.? Keith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 7, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2014 What is the estimated time for the extra tracks to be in position and operating.? Keith. If you want precise dates, I'd have to go away and check, but around 2017, I think, from memory... Edit - the project team have 'taken possession' of the redundant trackbed up the bank as of 01/11/14. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted November 7, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 7, 2014 Noticed that work has started to remove the old mail conveyor at the east end of the station too. That should improve things a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold rodent279 Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2014 Noticed that work has started to remove the old mail conveyor at the east end of the station too. That should improve things a bit. Do you mean at TM? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2014 Do you mean at TM? Yes, the old conveyor 'bridges' will be removed as part of the enhancement works. It's long overdue, but I gather that the 'legals' took a while to sort out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith George Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 If you want precise dates, I'd have to go away and check, but around 2017, I think, from memory... Edit - the project team have 'taken possession' of the redundant trackbed up the bank as of 01/11/14. Will the new reinstated 3rd and 4th tracks come into use before the electrafication is complete.? Keith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Fatadder Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2014 Has there been any more talk on increasing capacity on the Filton - avonmouth line (I'm sure I saw mention of reopening Filton North and running parkway to tm via avonmouth) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 8, 2014 The local BBC report the other day was noting that the Henbury loop was going to be upgraded as part of the Filton to TM line works. I don't think geography is their strong point... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2014 The local BBC report the other day was noting that the Henbury loop was going to be upgraded as part of the Filton to TM line works. I don't think geography is their strong point... I think what this means is that there will be some work on the signalling to make the Clifton Down - Hallen Marsh - Henbury diversion easier to use, when Filton Bank is completely blocked by a possession. Will the new reinstated 3rd and 4th tracks come into use before the electrafication is complete.? Keith. As far as I can recall without checking, I believe this to be the case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 8, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2014 Has there been any more talk on increasing capacity on the Filton - avonmouth line (I'm sure I saw mention of reopening Filton North and running parkway to tm via avonmouth) As most of this line is now double track, I don't think that there will be any increase in capacity, as it's far from operating at capacity at the moment. Any enhancement works would probably only arise from Phase 2 of 'Metro West' - the Bristol area 'metro' system (Phase 1 includes Portishead). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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