Cambrian Line improvements

[tirphil]

If the extra loops come at the contractor's expense then I can't see why delays to the hourly service are a finance issue, since assumably funding for providing the service was prepared in advance of the 2011 date. Maybe they have decided more units are needed and they can't find the money to fund that...

Have the linespeed improvements claimed in earlier posts been implemented?

Linespeed enhancements are due to be implemented for Monday 29 October.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If the extra loops come at the contractor's expense then I can't see why delays to the hourly service are a finance issue,

I think that's a myth.
The ERTMS project was a trial, in order to "learn lessons" about the impact on capacity and operation of the route, plus the fitment of rolling stock kit.
I can't see Ansaldo being held responsible for not providing extra loops for a new service.
I suspect they (and NR) have already spent a lot more than planned getting this far.

 

[Gareth Marston]

I think that's a myth.
The ERTMS project was a trial, in order to "learn lessons" about the impact on capacity and operation of the route, plus the fitment of rolling stock kit.
I can't see Ansaldo being held responsible for not providing extra loops for a new service.
I suspect they (and NR) have already spent a lot more than planned getting this far.

The Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Line Liaison Committee Meeting is in Welshpool on Friday, I'm told many stakeholders are "seeking clarification" on the comments made regarding the loops. ATW side stepped answering this question last week when posed by a RUG.

 

[merlodlliw]

The Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Line Liaison Committee Meeting is in Welshpool on Friday, I'm told many stakeholders are "seeking clarification" on the comments made regarding the loops. ATW side stepped answering this question last week when posed by a RUG.

have received a little feedback from the Cardiff Bay conference held 1st October,(Wales & Borders franchise) organised by WG, attendees were selected for attendance ,not an open conference, my fly on the wall reports

The Conference was interesting in that everything is on the table for discussion. presentations included Dwr Cymru on operating as a non shareholding dividend company.
Many ideas were floated but its still at a very early stage with a lot of evidence being gathered. A public consultation was also mentioned.

Thats about it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Story on ERTMS at Mach during the Evan Davies programme last night on BBC2 2030.

Bob

 

[Gareth Marston]

Of course extra trains could have been run over the eastern section of the line (albeit not clockface) without spending a single penny on infrastructure at anytime since hourly service was first mooted in Dec99!


http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...ins-sidelined-despite-8m-work-91466-32029004/

Mid Wales rail upgrade remains sidelined despite £8m work

A promised improvement to Mid Wales’ main rail service cannot go ahead until another round of track improvements is completed, despite a £8m upgrade which has lain unused for years.

In 2007 the Welsh Government announced the multi-million pound upgrade for the line between Aberystwyth, Newtown and Shrewsbury to enable trains to run every hour, instead of every two hours.

But it has remained unused while Network Rail overcame delays and teething troubles with a European signalling system, untried anywhere else in Britain.

Now that the signalling is working, it has emerged that the track is still not ready for the hourly service. Network Rail has promised to make the necessary improvements so that hourly trains can start in December 2013 – but the Welsh Government says the earliest passengers could see their service boosted is 2014-15.

Its National Transport Plan, published in 2010, promised that the Welsh Government would introduce hourly Aberystwyth trains “by 2011”.

The rail service is important not only to the resort and university town at the end of the line but also to Newtown, Welshpool and Machynlleth, which all have stations along the main Cambrian line. The Aberystwyth trains also connect with the scenic Cambrian Coast line – from Machynlleth to Pwllheli via Barmouth and Porthmadog – which is vital to the local tourism economy.

Residents have long complained that the two-hour gap between trains is too long and makes commuting by rail impractical.

The nub of the problem is that the railway from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth has only one track for almost its entire 82 miles.

Loop lines at several places along the route enable trains in opposing directions to pass each other. The Welsh Government’s £8m investment, matched by £5m from Network Rail, provided an extra loop west of Machynlleth and other improvements to enable twice as many trains to run along the line.

(Read More)

 

[The Planner]

That is hilarious, why was there a need to run test trains ? They were told nearly two years ago the single line occupation was too high with the line speeds as they are.... I must have said it on here several times.

 

[Gareth Marston]

That is hilarious, why was there a need to run test trains ? They were told nearly two years ago the single line occupation was too high with the line speeds as they are.... I must have said it on here several times.

Indeed my friend you did.

 

[steamybrian]

..........
In my opinion it is very, very tight and one slight delay the train service has little time to recover.

I said this on the 24th September

 

[Rhydgaled]

So are the works to allow hourly by December 2013 only linespeed enhancements, with no extra/extended loops required?

 

[The Planner]

Difficult to say until we can see what impact they have but i will repeat again that i personally think what is there now is sufficient. The only issue is the single line occupation, the line speeds should take a chunck out of that. At risk of sounding like a parrot, if they sort out Forden and the one other they have mentioned in the past it will go even further.

 

[brianthegiant]

on a broadly related note, isn't Machynlleth supposed to be getting a footbridge with lifts? I saw it in the news about 6 months ago but haven't heard anything since?

 

[tirphil]

on a broadly related note, isn't Machynlleth supposed to be getting a footbridge with lifts? I saw it in the news about 6 months ago but haven't heard anything since?

There certainly was talk of this and I mentioned this to a union rep recently who stated that it was not looking likely.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
On an infrastructure usage note an heavily delayed 1J03 0624 Birmingham NS - Aberystwyth and 1G25 0930 Aberystwyth - Birmingham Intl passed each other at Dyfi junction this morning as well as 1J07 0809 Birmingham Intl - Aberystwyth and 5J03 1030 Aberystwyth - Machynlleth CS.

 

[Gareth Marston]

on a broadly related note, isn't Machynlleth supposed to be getting a footbridge with lifts? I saw it in the news about 6 months ago but haven't heard anything since?

DfT have pot that has to be matched funded - local transport body TraCC has budget size of half eaten packet of polo mints - the footbridge story is just hot air. TraCC would have to convince WG that this scheme was priority for investment after next WG election as infrastructure funding priorities are already allocated for next few years. TraCC's top transport priority at moment is suppose to be the hourly service though it can only lobby as "super stakeholder" as it has no budget.

 

[The Informer]

Its not all "linespeed increases". Its more "ERTMS smoothing". There are speed decreases too!