Great Western RUS

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:43 am

Network Rail has published a draft Route Utilisation Strategy for the GW main lines. http://tinyurl.com/mlndok

There are various welcome proposals for the Bristol area (although some are merely suggestions or aspirations) such as 4-tracking Dr Day's to Filton and Parson Street to TM.

One sensible idea is a through service from Bath to Clifton Down.

jolly47roger · Post by **jolly47roger** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:21 am

... but the map on page 155 seems to imply the end of Intercity services to Weston

To my mind, most of this document is not 'strategic'. Whether trains have 3 or 4 coaches is up to the operator, not Network Rail. And if FGW think there is a market for a Bath to Clifton service then they should be able to just get on with it.

Further afield, the plans for Oxford seem designed to block the Chiltern Railways 'Evergreen' plans and there is no mention at all of Tavistock

stumpytrain · Post by **stumpytrain** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:12 pm

Always great to hear 4 tracking Dr Days to Filton being mentioned in official documents. This is is required NOW... there's no doubt about it.

A down relief to Parson Street from Bristol would be handy now and would certainly improve performance. I would imagine this would be essential when the line to Portishead finally reopens. I hope they would also move the Up Relief junction back to South Liberty as part of these works as well. With so many trains now calling at Parson Street it would be great to clear the Up Main of the trains calling at that station.

One thing that always surprises me is the lack of thought given to a rail link for Bristol Airport. With the chronic shortage of platforms at Temple Meads and electric traction to climb the presumably steep gradients required I would have thought extending the Paddington - Bristol trains to Bristol Airport would be attractive. In the style of Geneva (Switzerland) where most Intercity services start / terminate at the airport station.

Who actually enjoys travelling on the bus there?!

Alex

lowjack · Post by **lowjack** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:34 pm

Do you reckon they will reinstate the station at pill?

stumpytrain · Post by **stumpytrain** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:38 pm

lowjack wrote:Do you reckon they will reinstate the station at pill?

Yes, but only the former down platform.

Alex

Post by **madhattie** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:36 pm

stumpytrain wrote:With the chronic shortage of platforms at Temple Meads

Get your signal box moved and there's a couple of platforms behind it

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:49 pm

madhattie wrote:
stumpytrain wrote:With the chronic shortage of platforms at Temple Meads
Get your signal box moved and there's a couple of platforms behind it

You could argue there's four platforms behind it

stumpytrain · Post by **stumpytrain** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 8:40 pm

madhattie wrote:
stumpytrain wrote:With the chronic shortage of platforms at Temple Meads
Get your signal box moved and there's a couple of platforms behind it

Well I really hope they look at reinstating former platforms 12/14 when the panel eventually closes. A longer platform 1 and a new 0 (though I'm sure they're renumber them all) would be fantastic for longer terminating trains such as the XC services.

Fingers crossed.

Alex

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:37 pm

stumpytrain wrote:
Well I really hope they look at reinstating former platforms 12/14 when the panel eventually closes.

Fingers crossed.

Alex

Aha, somebody who still uses real money

It might have been 38 years now, but "number 9" to me is still the one you stand on when you go through the ticket barrier, and 4 and 5 are those you stood at the end of to look at Bath Road depot!

(And it was 12 to 15!)

Robin Summerhill · Post by **Robin Summerhill** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:59 pm

stumpytrain wrote: One thing that always surprises me is the lack of thought given to a rail link for Bristol Airport. With the chronic shortage of platforms at Temple Meads and electric traction to climb the presumably steep gradients required ....
Alex

I just had a look on Google Earth. The B&E line at Flax Bourton is 34 metres above sea level, the airport is 174 metres above sea level. A line going "uphill" from Flax Bourton to the airport would be about 3.75 miles long. This would give a ruling gradient of about 1 in 50.

The S&D managed that with steam, and the Lickey is 1 in 37

stumpytrain · Post by **stumpytrain** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:26 pm

Robin Summerhill wrote:Aha, somebody who still uses real money

It might have been 38 years now, but "number 9" to me is still the one you stand on when you go through the ticket barrier, and 4 and 5 are those you stood at the end of to look at Bath Road depot!

(And it was 12 to 15!)

Well in my work life I use one way and in my hobby like I use the way I'm used to. The signalling of Bristol Temple Meads is my area of interest, both old and new.

Robin Summerhill wrote:I just had a look on Google Earth. The B&E line at Flax Bourton is 34 metres above sea level, the airport is 174 metres above sea level. A line going "uphill" from Flax Bourton to the airport would be about 3.75 miles long. This would give a ruling gradient of about 1 in 50.

Wow, well researched! So we're going for it then... HST2 to Paddington, XC to the north and units working Bristol Airport - Avonmouth all stations. Resulting in no terminators clogging up Temple Meads... sorted!

Alex

Rich_Eason · Post by **Rich_Eason** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:40 am

stumpytrain wrote: units working Bristol Airport

Why do I get the feeling that it would be a 143 crammed full of business types, hen doos and people returning from 2 weeks in Benidorm - including stuffed donkey with straw hat included.....

jolly47roger · Post by **jolly47roger** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:55 pm

Filton is in a much better place than Lulsgate - handy for Parkway and Patchway, too. Far better to develop that and close Lulsgate and Rhoose. Less than an hour from Paddington, too, if you put your foot down (I've reached Parkway in 61 mins)

tonyperks · Post by **tonyperks** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:46 pm

They will NEVER open an airport at Filton Now, especially as most of it has gone for housing development. Any ways the airfield already has a station, well the platforms are still there, last used for the billy graham event in the 80's was it?

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:56 pm

I thought that was Ashton Gate...?