Bridlington rationalisation and re-signalling

[pdeaves]

Cheers all. Seems odd platforms not renumbered to 1-3 at this stage. Plus where would they put a special if one were to terminate there, are there any sidings nearby?

No sidings.

 

[swissrailpassion]

No sidings and no run round. The last train to run round was probably in 1996. Since then specials starting form Brid have been TnT. The crossover from 4 to Up main was useful in times of perturbation but with extra flexibility on 5 they appear to have decided to save money. At one time all 8 platforms had turnback or main signalling towards Driffield/Hull.

Today was a bad day on the line with a broken rail and then a TC failure

Realtime Trains | Departures from Bridlington all day on 08/11/2021

Train information at Bridlington all day on 08/11/2021. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[sjm77]

I cannot believe they did not re-number the platforms 1-3!
4 has been the lowest number platform for getting close to 40 years now. Lazy.

However I do like the idea of making what should be platform 2 (still platform 5) as bi-directional. It could be used by certain Scarborough bound trains so that customers do not have to use the footbridge.

 

[swissrailpassion]

Platform 3 closed in 1972. 1 and 2 in 1983. Having 5 as bidirectional is a help although lifts to platform 4 are being installed from January. Whether any northbound trains will actually use No5 remains to be seen.

The main problem is the lack of a separate access to No4. No1 had access straight to the town hall as the original station was designed to serve north and south of the town etc but when it was demolished the access was not retained, forcing everyone to use the concourse. For pedestrians it made life much harder. The new one way system for motorists is not ideal either. However it all adds up to significant long overdue investment in more than the concourse.

 

[Brush 4]

Sounds like a revival of BR rationalisation days. No room for manouvre and no spare capacity.

 

[John Webb]

Cheers all. Seems odd platforms not renumbered to 1-3 at this stage. Plus where would they put a special if one were to terminate there, are there any sidings nearby?

Renumbering can cause considerable extra expense - not only new signs etc., but also it would need much electrical equipment around the station to require relabelling as needed as a safety matter.

 

[D6130]

No sidings.

No specials these days either.

 

[Ploughman]

During relay work elsewhere on the line in about 1998 -2006, we used to have a number of Engineering trains use the run round at Drifffield.
As well as having some do the great circle Doncaster, York, Seamer Bridington, Beverley and back to Doncaster.
There were a pair of sididngs South of Brid on the UP side that I can recall being usd for outstabling in about 2000 plus a tamper siding in Brid station adjacent to the carpark.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Sounds like a revival of BR rationalisation days. No room for manouvre and no spare capacity.

Sounds like a sensible way to manage costs.

 

[Brush 4]

Which then has to be reversed by NR and TOC's, as at the Chiltern line, Cotswold, Axminster, Midland line in part, Filton bank, platforms at Swindon, Axminster and elsewhere........ Mismanagement I think.

 

[ainsworth74]

Mismanagement I think.

Is it though? We're not talking about singling a line we're talking simplifying a track layout to remove features which haven't been used in many years, in some cases decades, to reflect the current traffic demand and, indeed, the likely future traffic demand (anyone think that the line is likely to ever see more than two trains per hour each way?). For me the real mismanagement would have been spending millions more to install infrastructure which wouldn't see anything other than the odd test train. Does Bridlington honestly need more than two through platforms (one of which can have a train terminate in from the south and then return to Hull) and a bay? Really?

I'll agree that missing the opportunity to renumber is a shame but that's more about aesthetics than anything else!

 

[pdeaves]

I'll agree that missing the opportunity to renumber is a shame but that's more about aesthetics than anything else!

Well, it leaves open the possibility of reopening the low numbered platforms in the future...

 

[YorksLad12]

Well, it leaves open the possibility of reopening the low numbered platforms in the future...

And if it does get renumbered 1-3 no-one's going to suddenly ask for a new platform 0 to the north... no room at that inn.

 

[IanXC]

Renumbering can cause considerable extra expense - not only new signs etc., but also it would need much electrical equipment around the station to require relabelling as needed as a safety matter.

My understanding is that everything has been replaced from top to bottom anyway.

 

[Ianno87]

My understanding is that everything has been replaced from top to bottom anyway.

Signage etc would still need changing.

In a rail industry being challenged on affordability, re-numbering the platforms for "neatness" sake is an entirely avoidable cost.

 

[mike57]

Specials beyond Bridlington northwards toward Scarborough are quite unlikely due to the hourly service and the long single track section. The chaos that ensued after the last special northbound got in the way of the scheduled services was probably the last one. I wont say 'never' but I think there would be reluctance to plan anything during normal service hours.

Specials finishing at Bridlington tend to be very rare, pre covid one every other year maybe, and they have been topped and tailed anyway.

As for platform numbering, well its different but it reflects the history, and if money is available I would rather it be spent on something that delivers a real benefit.

You will never have more than 2 trains an hour towards Hull and 1 towards Scarborough, there isnt the demand for anymore and the works allow this to continue with new and hopefully better infrastructure

 

[HSTEd]

You will never have more than 2 trains an hour towards Hull and 1 towards Scarborough, there isnt the demand for anymore and the works allow this to continue with new and hopefully better infrastructure

And even if capacity for more than 2 trains an hour towards Hull appears it can easily be handled by the current layout.

Honestly I'm not sure if retaining the bay was even a reasonable choice given the circumstances.

 

[swissrailpassion]

Retaining the bay is essential as trains need to turn back to Hull in addition to Scarborough services. Stock can be kept clear at peaks. A turnback on 4 using a crossover(which was removed) could do the same job in some ways but that would be more expensive and create more problems during out of sequence running. Having the bay gives flexibility to stack trains and also shunt clear of the mains if needed.

Intermediate block signals at Burton Agnes and Lockington would help punctuality if trains are delayed. Timetabling trains to pass at Royal Oak, between Hunmanby and Filey, as designed (e.g. Trains leaving Brid and Scarborough at the same time) would also help.

 

[mike57]

Honestly I'm not sure if retaining the bay was even a reasonable choice given the circumstances.

When passing through Bridlington North to South there is often the next Hull service waiting in the bay so doing away with it would introduce further timetable complexities. The single track sections north of Bridlington already constrain the timetable, and anymore would just lead to problems. I personally think that Network Rail got the balance right, simplifying the layout whilst retaining enough to allow for some future flexibility.

 

[Legolash2o]

Have all sidings been removed from Bridlington station? I've been trying to find some updated pictures.

 

[3RDGEN]

Yes you can list things overnight, as NR found out in Yorkshire when they turned up to resignal a station the name of which escapes me and somebody quickly got the signal box listed which forced NR to cancel the works mid-project.

The Bridlington remodelling and resignalling went ahead and was completed, the original plan was to remove/alter the lever frame for the new control panel to be installed but the listing prevented that. The new panel was just installed in a different position and the lever frame left in situ, the box was not due to be closed/demolished and the works weren't delayed as I understand it (Modern Railways Dec 2021 issue).

 

[JD2168]

The last time I used Bridlington Station in September there was work being performed on the bridge with a temporary footbridge in place.

 

[sjm77]

I still think it is disappointing that Scarborough bound services do not use platform 5 more to save customers using the footbridge. During the daytime there is more than 20 minutes between the service arriving from Scarborough into platform 5 and the next Northbound service arriving. An added feature of the rationalisation not being used.

 

[323235]

It’s probably because they don’t want to confuse passengers and only intend to use it if absolutely necessary.

At Macclesfield they used to use Platform 2 daily to turn units around back to Manchester but nowadays it seems to be out of favour as they don’t like confusing passengers by putting a Northbound train in what is generally considered to be a southbound platform.

 

[Metroman62]

I still think it is disappointing that Scarborough bound services do not use platform 5 more to save customers using the footbridge. During the daytime there is more than 20 minutes between the service arriving from Scarborough into platform 5 and the next Northbound service arriving.

Platform 5 is used for Scarborough bound trains sometimes. I have caught a Scarborough train from it and my train from Beverley to Scarborough went through platform 5 last week. But it can be confusing at Bridlington to know which platform to go to

 

[3RDGEN]

I still think it is disappointing that Scarborough bound services do not use platform 5 more to save customers using the footbridge. During the daytime there is more than 20 minutes between the service arriving from Scarborough into platform 5 and the next Northbound service arriving. An added feature of the rationalisation not being used.

The current Mon - Sat daytime timetable doesn't allow for northbound Scarborough's to use platform 5 as the Bridlington to York train departs at xx:56 from 6 and the Hull - Scarborough arrives at xx:02, to depart out of 6 you block the southbound approach to 5 so it's too tight to risk timetabling that move. There are a few northbound services that use 5 for example the 09:03 to Scarborough since the 08:53 Brid - Hull should be long gone before it arrives. On Sundays the Scarborough's are timetabled to pass at Bridlington so 4 must be used northbound.

In the Winter 2022/23 timetable the Brid - Hull stopper didn't run so the Scarborough's used 5 most of the time, access to the footbridge was restricted on Platform 5/6 to avoid passengers on autopilot going to Platform 4.

 

[sjm77]

Thanks for the explanation

 

[YorksLad12]

It’s probably because they don’t want to confuse passengers and only intend to use it if absolutely necessary.

Makes you wonder how the great people of Castleford coped until recently. Five departures per hour to four destinations, from one platform.

 

[JD2168]

I noticed that there has been no trains through Bridlington all weekend which have been replaced by buses due to engineering work. Trains were terminating at Driffield.

 

[Notabene]

Track renewal between Bridlington and Sewerby is just finishing. 2 miles of new track using steel sleepers has been laid.
6 trains and 1 tamper were used.
A much needed improvement