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Cars and trains share railway at Strome Ferry

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PaxVobiscum

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Don't think I've seen any reference to this curiosity on these forums:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17380880

The first batch of rubber mats have been laid alongside tracks at Stromeferry in Wester Ross to allow road traffic onto the railway.

Highland Council is having the material called HoldFast installed to ease travel in the area.

A stretch of the A890 has been shut since December following landslides.

Traffic will be allowed onto the nearby railway when there are no trains passing through and until the risk of further slides is reduced.
 
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Gathursty

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A great idea. There's only about 4 trains a day so I'd imagine there won't be too much of a wait on passing trains.
 

marks87

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I've just checked and there's four scheduled return services Inverness-Kyle, so 8 trains in total pass the area. As I said, though, it's nowhere near a number that would pose a risk to this scheme.
 

tsr

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As I have posted before on another thread about this (I don't know where it's gone - sorry!), I imagine this may be operated like a very long level crossing, with the possible addition of a convoy system (perhaps operated by RRVs).

Unfortunately, the media do not seem to have been given access to any operational details yet (as if they would publish the most relevant bits of these ;) ) and I am not local, so I don't know exactly how this will work.
 

fsmr

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I cant really see an issue, provided the trains run slow enough along that section probably on a 15 mph speed restriction, then it is no different to tram tracks running down the middle of the road in Blackpool or Manchester
I cant see 500 ton plus 70 mph freight using the route

I guess the only bit will be the legals in terms of who pays compo to any damaged car suspension while traversing the section. I can see the legal eagles getting the council to take temporary ownership of the section
 

D1009

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I cant really see an issue, provided the trains run slow enough along that section probably on a 15 mph speed restriction, then it is no different to tram tracks running down the middle of the road in Blackpool or Manchester
I cant see 500 ton plus 70 mph freight using the route

I guess the only bit will be the legals in terms of who pays compo to any damaged car suspension while traversing the section. I can see the legal eagles getting the council to take temporary ownership of the section

If you look at the link to the photo from the 1990s in post #3, you can see temporary signals had been erected. I'm sure some sort of protecion with the RETB system will be in place, I presume the road will have to be closed while a train is in section ?
 

marks87

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If you look at the link to the photo from the 1990s in post #3, you can see temporary signals had been erected. I'm sure some sort of protecion with the RETB system will be in place, I presume the road will have to be closed while a train is in section ?
Nah, they should just let the 158s take their place in the tailbacks like everyone else :lol:
 

fsmr

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Nah, they should just let the 158s take their place in the tailbacks like everyone else :lol:

yeh bit like the old Weymouth harbour branch :o

BTW i wasnt suggesting trains and cars mix in the previous post but I can see proving no pedestrians or broken down vehicles etc are in the section could be hard unless they run a convoy system and send a pilot quad bike or similar through at the back of each convoy so i would suggest vigilance on the part of the DMU driver though the section will be similar to running an inspection train, or trundling doen the old Weymouth harbour line, although i dont expect to see the epic scenes recreated of BR staff and Pc Plod bumping parked Ford Sierras off the track:roll::roll::roll:
 

Tomnick

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One press release somewhere online, from the 'opening times' for road traffic quoted, suggests that the shared section is closed to road traffic for the whole time that a train is to occupy the (long) RETB section. It also suggests a convoy system will be in use, so presumably an NR chap on site will take a line blockage (or whatever NR is calling them this week!) between trains to allow the line to be obstructed, then confirm that everything's clear before giving it up for the next train.
 

apk55

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Connel Ferry bridge on the now closed (1966) Ballachulish branch from the Oban line used to have have cars running along the railway tracks in a similar manner, with gates at each end. It is now just road only but still single track with lights at each end.
 

cjp

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Scotrail have been running extra services on this part of the line recently, though.

Yes but they kept them a secret from the National Timetable as well as ScotRail's enquiries and Customer Sevice:roll:

I was really cross last week when I saw the 10xx departure from Plockton leave when I was killing time in the Post Office before the 12xx departure.
 

Liam

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Yes but they kept them a secret from the National Timetable as well as ScotRail's enquiries and Customer Sevice:roll:

I was really cross last week when I saw the 10xx departure from Plockton leave when I was killing time in the Post Office before the 12xx departure.

The 10xx departure from Plockton only went as far as Achnasheen to pick up b
passengers bussed from Inverness before returning to kyle.
 
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