East-West Rail (EWR) countdown to entry into service

[DarloRich]

I think 4 freight trains over the line today: 3 to Southhampton and 1 to Northampton

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, all done.....just a new connecting bridge (since the new one will be too small when Ph2 opens!) and the eastern entrance to do now!
NRs architects are looking to solve both problems in a single scheme with a new bridge spanning all the existing platforms and connecting to the upper platforms with a new small concourse and lift down to Saxon St. No funding secured yet though, of course

I did see a proposal (from MK Council as part of Bletchley town centre redevelopment proposals, I think) that involved building residential on the present station car park with that becoming a secondary entrance primarily for those walking from nearby housing and to/from the college, with a new main entrance and multi storey car park on the aggregate factory site, so on the EWR side, as that side is less useful for housing. That I guess depends on the factory not staying there and I've heard nothing to suggest it would actually close.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Wednesday at 09:01 ==

As per #305/375, nothing has changed as to the reason why passenger services aren't in place.

For clarity, those posts seem to refer to the issue being whether it's DOO or not? Are negotiations with Unions ongoing, or do we have another pointless stalemate? Are the new drivers being trained to drive DOO even if they'll end up with guards?

 

[Sun Chariot]

I think 4 freight trains over the line today: 3 to Southhampton and 1 to Northampton

Excellent. I suspect same paths as per post #409. Shame three workings are so early in the morning!

 

[Zomboid]

I like the way that East West Rail is being used for trains between Southampton and Northampton.

Would be even better if they were operated by DRS with their compass logo.

 

[Sonik]

I think 4 freight trains over the line today: 3 to Southhampton and 1 to Northampton

It looks to me like EWR is very useful for quite a few Southampton services because it avoids previous paths that zig-zag through Coventry or go via central Birmingham, both busy areas where freight gets held for long periods.

It also avoids time consuming reversals into both Lawley Street & Hams Hall by approaching via Nuneaton rather than from the south.

Seemingly FOCs are not hesitating to take advantage of the better new route.

 

[zwk500]

It also avoids time consuming reversals into both Lawley Street & Hams Hall by approaching via Nuneaton rather than from the south.

Don't these reversals have operational advantages by keeping the locos at the access end of the terminals, and take place off the mainline anyway?

Avoiding Landor Street/Duddeston Jns is a massive bonus for sure, as is not needing to cross Coventry, but does have to be balanced against the difficulty getting paths on the WCML Rugby-MK and on the section of 3-track that means all northbound trains from Rugby to Nuneaton are squeezed onto 1 track.

 

[swt_passenger]

It looks to me like EWR is very useful for quite a few Southampton services because it avoids previous paths that zig-zag through Coventry or go via central Birmingham, both busy areas where freight gets held for long periods.

It also avoids time consuming reversals into both Lawley Street & Hams Hall by approaching via Nuneaton rather than from the south.

Seemingly FOCs are not hesitating to take advantage of the better new route.

IIRC in a NR strategy document a few years ago they mentioned it being possible that services that currently have to cross the WCML on the flat at Nuneaton would be better running via EWR, ie it’s a bigger advantage for southbound trains, which could lead to a southbound bias in the traffic, (assuming there’s no obligation for a FOC to necessarily run the same way in both directions).

 

[pokemonsuper9]

assuming there’s no obligation for a FOC to necessarily run the same way in both directions.

There are already some places where freight trains run via different routes in different directions, I can't see why if it is more operationally convenient this couldn't be done.

 

[Sonik]

Don't these reversals have operational advantages by keeping the locos at the access end of the terminals, and take place off the mainline anyway?

I'm no expert but I'd suggest that FOCs mostly prefer to drive into terminals forwards. Setting back needs ground staff (which is an extra cost) whereas a driver can usually run around on their own for departure.

IIRC in a NR strategy document a few years ago they mentioned it being possible that services that currently have to cross the WCML on the flat at Nuneaton would be better running via EWR, ie it’s a bigger advantage for southbound trains, which could lead to a southbound bias in the traffic, (assuming there’s no obligation for a FOC to necessarily run the same way in both directions.

V Interesting. Northbound EWR trains also have to cross the up slow at Bletchley so I guess we could well see asymmetric flows.

 

[The Planner]

It looks to me like EWR is very useful for quite a few Southampton services because it avoids previous paths that zig-zag through Coventry or go via central Birmingham, both busy areas where freight gets held for long periods.

It also avoids time consuming reversals into both Lawley Street & Hams Hall by approaching via Nuneaton rather than from the south.

Seemingly FOCs are not hesitating to take advantage of the better new route.

You still have to get across Oxford North northbound. Landor St is only a problem if you are long and hang back over St Andrews. If Milverton to Kenilworth gets doubled, then its an issue as you can't hide them and you may end up being forced into E-W.

 

[Zomboid]

I guess every route has it's imperfections. But no bad thing that there's one more possibility now than there used to be.

 

[fishwomp]

I was also wondering if Leeds to Southampton containers should go via Bedford?

You still have to get across Oxford North northbound.

It's not so bad there - the passenger workings northbound would not be crossed, as the centre lines at Oxford are the freight - so only southbound to cross.

Further, it's not actually that busy: there are more workings south of Oxford than head north: Didcot stoppers are way more frequent than Banbury stoppers.

 

[D1511]

I did see a proposal (from MK Council as part of Bletchley town centre redevelopment proposals, I think) that involved building residential on the present station car park with that becoming a secondary entrance primarily for those walking from nearby housing and to/from the college, with a new main entrance and multi storey car park on the aggregate factory site, so on the EWR side, as that side is less useful for housing. That I guess depends on the factory not staying there and I've heard nothing to suggest it would actually close.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Wednesday at 09:01 ==

Interesting.....I've not seen anything that proposes building on the existing station car park on the Sherwood Drive side, nor that proposes a new MSCP on the Saxon St side......and if they exist, I probably should have seen them. It's certainly not a proposal originating from either MKCC or MKDP, I can confirm that. There's a re-jig of the bus 'station' proposed, and a narrowing and realignment of Saxon St to create public realm space for an eastern entrance (the pointless roundabout at Chandos Pl is being removed) in the town deal proposals, so there wouldn't be space for a MSCP. The old police and fire station site is being marketed now, and the Brunel Centre is just about to go to market, but I've not seen proposals for either yet.
Cemex are a problem for the eastern entrance design alright, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon, but there's an option to relocate their access road to work around them, although it is likely to involve a bit of retaining wall shenanigans.
In an ideal world, you'd build a nice new wide overbridge spanning all the platforms and also Saxon St and land it in the new Brunel Centre building, with escalators and lifts down to a dual aspect concourse and ticket line with entrances on both the Queensway and Saxon St sides, but I suspect the market thinks there isn't the development value in Bletchley to fund a scheme like that. Bletchley is located at the centre of the Oxford Cambridge arc and will be well connected by EWR to both.....but with more and cheaper land available for housing, so I think the market is short sighted.
I experienced this before in E London, where the property market was really slow to pick up on how places like Maryland and Manor Park would suddenly become super attractive post Crossrail. It wasn't until we did the public realm schemes outside those stations in advance of the service starting (some time in advance, as it transpired.......and, for the record, I took the call from Olympic Park Security when the PML substation went pop.....but that's another story for another thread! ) before the penny finally dropped that they could ask more money for property there.
If I had the money, I'd buy the police and fire station site right now.....!

 

[BlueLeanie]

If freight paths are blended between E-W and Kenilworth does this give potential for more passenger paths between Leamington and Coventry?

 

[The Planner]

If freight paths are blended between E-W and Kenilworth does this give potential for more passenger paths between Leamington and Coventry?

Unlikely. XC would be first.

It's not so bad there - the passenger workings northbound would not be crossed, as the centre lines at Oxford are the freight - so only southbound to cross.

Further, it's not actually that busy: there are more workings south of Oxford than head north: Didcot stoppers are way more frequent than Banbury stoppers.

Always been mooted as a flyover location in route studies.