Bristol Temple Meads - eastern approach remodelling

[snowball]

Went into a newsagent today (Sunday) and failed to find it. Perhaps the edition is not out yet but I will keep my eyes open as I would be interested to read that.

Dave

I have a subscription and my copy came by post on Friday, earlier than I was expecting. I thought it was supposed to come out on the fourth Friday of each month. My copy often comes on the Wednesday before the fourth Friday.

 

[brad465]

Apologies if I've missed this, but are there any plans to raise line speeds on the eastern approach in these remodelling works (from the dominant 25mph IIRC)?

 

[class26]

Went into a newsagent today (Sunday) and failed to find it. Perhaps the edition is not out yet but I will keep my eyes open as I would be interested to read that.

Dave

Modern Railways Is always out is paper edition the last Thursday of any month so end of this week

 

[Annetts key]

Apologies if I've missed this, but are there any plans to raise line speeds on the eastern approach in these remodelling works (from the dominant 25mph IIRC)?

I don’t know.

The current speed between gantries is 20MPH as a mitigation against the lack of any significant overlap between the back to back mid platform signals.

This situation is unlikely to change.

On the main line from London, the line speed is 90MPH up to the the signals that protect Bristol East junction (next to Kingsland Road sidings). So the length of the 25MPH section is fairly short. It’s a similar situation on the Filton lines except here the higher line speed is only 40MPH.

In the photos, if you zoom in, you can see the speed signs. All photos are taken looking in the down direction, looking towards Temple Meads station.

 

[Brissle Girl]

I get the point re the mid platform section overlaps, but could not trains heading away from the station be permitted a higher speed than inbound ones?

 

[Sean Emmett]

I get the point re the mid platform section overlaps, but could not trains heading away from the station be permitted a higher speed than inbound ones?

I understand trains departing Temple Meads are still allowed 25 mph?

 

[stuu]

The 10mph limit into the platforms introduced introduced couple of years ago seemed to me a major step backwards, is anything being done this time to mitigate that?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The 10mph limit into the platforms introduced introduced couple of years ago seemed to me a major step backwards, is anything being done this time to mitigate that?

The 10mph only applies for inbound trains from the start of the platform ramp, if they received a single yellow aspect on the gantry (ie red at the mid-platform signal.) Otherwise it is 20mph.

 

[Annetts key]

The 10mph only applies for inbound trains from the start of the platform ramp, if they received a single yellow aspect on the gantry (ie red at the mid-platform signal.) Otherwise it is 20mph.

All the 10MPH speed limit signs appear to have gone.
Apart from platforms 13 and 15 which have always been 15MPH.

Trains leaving Temple Meads can do 25MPH after leaving the platform. Most signals on or near the ends of the platforms have 25MPH signs attached on the signal structure or next to them.

The strange thing is, the Up Through and the Down Through are also subject to the 20MPH limit, and so also have 25MPH signs at the signals that protect Bristol East Junction and Bristol West Junction. As this photo of BL2149 on the Up Through for the down direction shows:

 

[Sean Emmett]

And pic from the London end

 

[stuu]

The 10mph only applies for inbound trains from the start of the platform ramp, if they received a single yellow aspect on the gantry (ie red at the mid-platform signal.) Otherwise it is 20mph.

In my (daily) experience, this happens for every train, even when the platform is empty. The train I usually use arriving from the west is booked for platform 3, but still crawls into the platform - are the mid-platform signals red until cleared for each train, or approach-controlled?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

In my (daily) experience, this happens for every train, even when the platform is empty. The train I usually use arriving from the west is booked for platform 3, but still crawls into the platform - are the mid-platform signals red until cleared for each train, or approach-controlled?

No, the mid platform signals should be cleared well in advance. Drivers of long trains that don’t fit in a half-platform are instructed to wait at the gantry for the double-yellow, as there is a risk of door release incidents if the train stops at the near end of the platform with the rear end overhanging.

All the 10MPH speed limit signs appear to have gone.
Apart from platforms 13 and 15 which have always been 15MPH.

Trains leaving Temple Meads can do 25MPH after leaving the platform. Most signals on or near the ends of the platforms have 25MPH signs attached on the signal structure or next to them.

The strange thing is, the Up Through and the Down Through are also subject to the 20MPH limit, and so also have 25MPH signs at the signals that protect Bristol East Junction and Bristol West Junction. As this photo of BL2149 on the Up Through for the down direction shows:

The 10mph still applies as a local instruction to drivers if approaching a mid-platform signal at red. Anything signalled through can proceed at 20mph. If some drivers continue to drive at 10mph unnecessarily then it’s on their own authority.

 

[Annetts key]

Are the mid-platform signals red until cleared for each train, or approach-controlled?

They are controlled signals, so are normally red. But they can clear up to a proceed when the signaller routes them. They are not approached controlled unless the overlap for the next signal is unavailable.

 

[hello]

The 10mph still applies as a local instruction to drivers if approaching a mid-platform signal at red.

Does it?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Does it?

According to my info it does. Do you reckon otherwise?

 

[hello]

According to my info it does. Do you reckon otherwise?

20 gantry to gantry, I believe grids for middle signal if only signalled that far are set at 12.5

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

20 gantry to gantry, I believe grids for middle signal if only signalled that far are set at 12.5

Which would translate to 10mph in terms of platform entry speed surely.

The 10mph instruction is for SPAD mitigation at the mid-platform signal so only applies to trains arriving on a single yellow and is not signed.

 

[Right Away]

Does it?

Not any more. If approaching a mid-platform signal at danger, the TPWS overspeed sensors are effectively set as if approaching a buffer stop (because of the back to back layout of the mid platform signals) so the train speed over these will need to be below the trip speed (12.5 mph) but the 10mph instruction from the platform ramp has gone if signalled in by a main aspect. However, if signalled in permissively there are specific company instructions to enter the platform at no more than 10mph.

 

[Kremlin Stooge]

Having had a concentrated period of using Temple Meads over the last couple of weeks it appears there is good progress already being made with this project, even before the main shutdown. I have noted several track components being renewed, plus every day that I have departed from the station there was a large complement of the ‘Orange Army’ poking about in various lineside cabinets. A stockpile of materials has also been building up.

A travelling colleague of mine, who is heavily into railway modelling, light-heartedly wondered if C & L Finescale track parts were being used! I spotted a stockpile of cable drums and said to him ”Well, there’s your reels of solder!”

There is also plenty, and I mean plenty, of publicity around the station for the forthcoming works, so full marks to everyone involved in that.

Here’s hoping for a smooth and successful outcome for the project.

 

[Yindee8191]

Having had a concentrated period of using Temple Meads over the last couple of weeks it appears there is good progress already being made with this project, even before the main shutdown. I have noted several track components being renewed, plus every day that I have departed from the station there was a large complement of the ‘Orange Army’ poking about in various lineside cabinets. A stockpile of materials has also been building up.

A travelling colleague of mine, who is heavily into railway modelling, light-heartedly wondered if C & L Finescale track parts were being used! I spotted a stockpile of cable drums and said to him ”Well, there’s your reels of solder!”

There is also plenty, and I mean plenty, of publicity around the station for the forthcoming works, so full marks to everyone involved in that.

Here’s hoping for a smooth and successful outcome for the project.

I also use the station regularly and I agree the public information blitz has been impressive. It’s all over GWR’s website and there are posters everywhere you look.

 

[Roast Veg]

Must be the same strategy as the Derby works. It worked well then too.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Nice to see they have the timetable info online now (it was supposed to be from Friday just gone but wasn't there over the weekend so must have been added this morning).
Also nice to see that at least for August 7th, the services from Gloucester way down to Westbury and beyond are stopping at Lawrence Hill before heading around the curve to avoid Temple Meads, makes life much easier for those of us who live within walking distance of both Temple Meads and Lawrence Hill!

 

[Mag_seven]

Just a gentle reminder that we have a separate thread for the diversions associated with these works which can be found here:

Diversions due to line closures in the Bristol area (August 2021) | RailUK Forums (railforums.co.uk)

thanks

 

[Sean Emmett]

Took XC HST from Parkway to Temple Meads yesterday, via rhubarb curve and reversal in Bristol East yard.

Re-modelling work well under way. Low numbered platforms at Temple Meads closed.

Chunks being taken out of P3 at London end, and the rubble dumped on top.

Assume this to ease the alignment for the new track to link up with the up Filton relief, creating the extra running line?

 

[Ashley Hill]

GWR is advertising a reduced service from Bristol to WSM due to the "Pingdemic". Will this affect the diversions around St Phillips Marsh next month?

 

[snowball]

Press release including a 2-minute video

Work progressing well at Bristol East Junction as major track upgrade reaches half-way point

Passengers are set to benefit from brand-new track and better journeys when travelling to and from Bristol Temple Meads station.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Passengers are set to benefit from brand-new track and better journeys when travelling to and from Bristol Temple Meads station.


The Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, is visiting Bristol today (Thursday 12 August) to see the progress Network Rail is making on completing the £132m Department for Transport-funded project.


Network Rail engineers have been working around the clock to complete the track upgrade which involves removing a bottleneck into Bristol Temple Meads and installing a clever new track layout just north of the station. This will allow more trains to enter and exit the station, increase capacity, reduce congestion and help make journeys more reliable.


The eight-week project started on Saturday 10 July and is scheduled to finish on Friday 3 September. In addition to replacing the 1960s track and components, work is also ongoing to install state of the art signalling equipment.


Engineers have already replaced over 2.1km of track, laid around 7,000 tonnes of ballast (stones that support the track), completed over 400 welds and realigned 200m of copers to suit the new track alignment design on platforms 1, 3 and 5 to ensure the safe and smooth running of the railway.


Last weekend (7-8 August) work continued to remove the old signalling gantry and upload the data onto the new signalling gantry, which was installed over the Christmas period last year (2020).


Attention now turns to the London side of the junction whereby engineers will repeat the similar process of digging out and replacing the old track and stone, focusing on the railway lines towards Bath Spa and London Paddington.


As part of the upgrade of Bristol East Junction, an extra line is also being introduced which will support new suburban services in the future as part of the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) MetroWest scheme. Once complete, this scheme will provide over 4,000 additional seats on trains every day in the area.


This track upgrade work is part of the wider Bristol Rail Regeneration programme that will see a number of improvements to the iconic Bristol Temple Meads station over the next three years, representing a major investment in sustainable transport in the region and creating a major transport hub that will serve millions of passengers each year and support business right across the region.

 

[TheLastMinute]

This week's work is overrunning meaning the line block through Bristol Temple Meads is extending into Saturday, maybe Sunday. Trains were meant to start running again from tomorrow (Sat).

Changes to train services in Bristol area​

While upgrade work continues in the Bristol area there will be changes to train services on Saturday 14 August. Please note that online journey planners are still being updated and will not reflect the changes that are being made. We are sorry if you are affected by these changes.
Buses will continue to replace train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway and stations along the Severn Beach line. This will be in addition to the Rail Replacement Service already operating between Bristol Temple Meads, Keynsham, Oldfield Park and Bath Spa.
Trains will be operating as follows:

• An hourly service between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads
• An hourly service between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol Temple Meads
• High Speed Services from London Paddington will continue to terminate at Bath Spa
• Trains between Cardiff Centre and Portsmouth Harbour will continue to be diverted and will NOT call at Bristol Temple Meads

Some CrossCountry services will divert around Bristol with longer journey times, with others terminating at Taunton or Bristol Parkway for alternative road transport.
If you are affected by these changes with tickets for travel on Saturday 14 August your tickets will be valid for travel on Sunday 15 August and Monday 16 August. Alternatively you can get a full refund here.
For customers travelling on Sunday 15 August please check your journey before you travel.
Where rail replacement services are running, customers with a valid rail ticket can also travel on First West of England Buses instead from Saturday 10 July to Friday 3 September.
For details of local bus routes visit Firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Maybe they spoke too soon in the media a day or two ago! With works this big something was bound to go wrong eventually.

Pretty frustrating at how short notice it is though and how little alternative travel info is being given. I'm supposed to be heading up to Blackpool from Central Bristol early morning and there's no info about what times or how often the replacement buses are and journey planners are an absolute mess at the moment. So I'll probs aim for the 73 bus to get upto Parkway or Uber it if that fails.

 

[Class 170101]

Problem is a similar thing happened with the London Waterloo Blockade.

 

[PHILIPE]

This week's work is overrunning meaning the line block through Bristol Temple Meads is extending into Saturday, maybe Sunday. Trains were meant to start running again from tomorrow (Sat).

Much of the overrun discussion is here:-

/www.railforums.co.uk/threads/diversions-due-to-line-closures-in-the-bristol-area-august-2021.218994/page-7