Feltham and Wokingham Resignalling

[Nicholas Lewis]

Possession 10th to 18th February Reading - Bracknell / Guildford to commission Wokingham area, the final part of the whole scheme.

week long closure for that is ridiculous, its a dozens signals 5 or 6 point ends and a couple of barriers - testing easily achievable in a weekend

 

[Goldfish62]

week long closure for that is ridiculous, its a dozens signals 5 or 6 point ends and a couple of barriers - testing easily achievable in a weekend

It did strike me as rather lengthy! Compared with what has been commissioned so far it really is simple! Maybe there are added complications given that Wokingham is a mechanical box?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

It did strike me as rather lengthy! Compared with what has been commissioned so far it really is simple! Maybe there are added complications given that Wokingham is a mechanical box?

Its all new kit and will have been running in shadow mode by now as usually want six weeks soak test before commissioning. Its also not a bank holiday so should have the pick of the testing resources. They also had this area closed for 5 days 12mths ago but as usual its not just these 9 days there are 52hrs on the previous weekend and the following weekend as well so no trains any Feb weekend. Why they can't just shut it once and get it all done is beyond me.

 

[TSG]

week long closure for that is ridiculous, its a dozens signals 5 or 6 point ends and a couple of barriers - testing easily achievable in a weekend

Absolutely. The tricky bit is that not all of the infrastructure will be ready to test at the same time...

It did strike me as rather lengthy! Compared with what has been commissioned so far it really is simple! Maybe there are added complications given that Wokingham is a mechanical box?

Yes, has something to do with it...

Its all new kit and will have been running in shadow mode by now as usually want six weeks soak test before commissioning. Its also not a bank holiday so should have the pick of the testing resources. They also had this area closed for 5 days 12mths ago but as usual its not just these 9 days there are 52hrs on the previous weekend and the following weekend as well so no trains any Feb weekend. Why they can't just shut it once and get it all done is beyond me.

The usual reason for blockades well in advance of signalling commissioning is enabling civil engineering work. It would not be simple to put a number of signal foundations and under track or under road cable routes in during an overnight (or even weekend possession) especially if say concrete needs curing. You certainly aren't going to run cables through them, put signal structures on them, power everything up and soak test the signalling for six weeks as well in that possession. Seeing as you don't want to leave it to the day of the race and want to give yourself contingency you start the enabling works a long way out.

Level crossings typically take a long time as they usually do a lot of civil engineering to get the crossing to modern standards, which has to be done before you can start fitting a lot of the signalling type kit. Digging round the town's gas main etc isn't something you rush. Often this will be staged or they'll do it across the main commissioning. So to close the road you need to close the railway to test in strapping out the crossing from the old signalling, then you run trains while they get started. You commission the main signalling with the crossing still strapped out and start running trains again. You then close the railway to decommission the strap out and test in the new crossing. Finally you open road and rail.

As pointed out, Wokingham Junction is mechanically worked. I believe the blockade is as long as it is (and the weekend before is required) because the entire junction area is being completely renewed. Obviously fitting point machines will be part of that, because the Basingstoke signallers would really need to eat their weetabix to pull from there.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Absolutely. The tricky bit is that not all of the infrastructure will be ready to test at the same time...

Yes, has something to do with it...

The usual reason for blockades well in advance of signalling commissioning is enabling civil engineering work. It would not be simple to put a number of signal foundations and under track or under road cable routes in during an overnight (or even weekend possession) especially if say concrete needs curing. You certainly aren't going to run cables through them, put signal structures on them, power everything up and soak test the signalling for six weeks as well in that possession. Seeing as you don't want to leave it to the day of the race and want to give yourself contingency you start the enabling works a long way out.

Level crossings typically take a long time as they usually do a lot of civil engineering to get the crossing to modern standards, which has to be done before you can start fitting a lot of the signalling type kit. Digging round the town's gas main etc isn't something you rush. Often this will be staged or they'll do it across the main commissioning. So to close the road you need to close the railway to test in strapping out the crossing from the old signalling, then you run trains while they get started. You commission the main signalling with the crossing still strapped out and start running trains again. You then close the railway to decommission the strap out and test in the new crossing. Finally you open road and rail.

As pointed out, Wokingham Junction is mechanically worked. I believe the blockade is as long as it is (and the weekend before is required) because the entire junction area is being completely renewed. Obviously fitting point machines will be part of that, because the Basingstoke signallers would really need to eat their weetabix to pull from there.

If they are relaying the jcn then that makes better use of the time but its closed the weekend before and the weekend after so all four weekends in February no trains and as usual extra long RRB journeys when they could have got closer with trains ie Ash and Bracknell both of which have full signalled turnback arrangements.

 

[Goldfish62]

As pointed out, Wokingham Junction is mechanically worked. I believe the blockade is as long as it is (and the weekend before is required) because the entire junction area is being completely renewed. Obviously fitting point machines will be part of that, because the Basingstoke signallers would really need to eat their weetabix to pull from there.

I've now got in my head point rods stretching across the fields between Wokingham and Basingstoke, with a lever frame set up in Basingstoke ROC.

 

[43096]

If they are relaying the jcn then that makes better use of the time but its closed the weekend before and the weekend after so all four weekends in February no trains and as usual extra long RRB journeys when they could have got closer with trains ie Ash and Bracknell both of which have full signalled turnback arrangements.

Looking at RTT, there are trains to Bracknell for most of the affected weekends. Perhaps there is other work going on between Ascot and Wokingham on some days (Sundays I think)?

 

[stuving]

This morning I got two "dear railway neighbour" letters in the post - the same text but one has an extra map of Wokingham Junction, the other has the schedule. These confirm TSG's last post, saying "we will be renewing the track at the double junction at Wokingham taking it from the current manually controlled system, to the modern electronically controlled equivalent". (I do wonder why they said "double junction" for this audience.)

This level crossing and Star Lane [sic] will both be renewed, and the station crossing upgraded "to CCTV" - though I understand it will have object detection sensors and installing those will involve more work. There has been a yellow sign at the crossing for some time for a road closure of the crossing 26-29 January, which you'd guess was preparing for the big one. But from the letter, I find they are now going to close the road right through from then to 19th February - over three weeks. What's going to take that long?

Of course almost all of the work away from these locations has been done already, spread over many possessions (overnight, weekend, and midweek). Miles of new conduit, dozens of little patios with yellow railings, even more concrete bases and plinths, and quite few underpasses for electrons and photons: two UTXs and two URXs just at Wokingham. So you'd hope that all of that stuff has been tested and it will work as soon as the signal masts are pulled upright.

NR's web page has had the new closure schedules added.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Unless I have missed it, the NR web page does not appear to mention that the line is also closed for the first weekend of March. As far as I can tell from RTT, there are no trains through Wokingham at weekends 27th January until 3rd March inclusive. At the moment GWR are shown to run both trains and RRBs on the 3rd/4th February weekend but both won't operate and I suspect that the trains have yet to be deleted?

 

[MarkyT]

This morning I got two "dear railway neighbour" letters in the post - the same text but one has an extra map of Wokingham Junction, the other has the schedule. These confirm TSG's last post, saying "we will be renewing the track at the double junction at Wokingham taking it from the current manually controlled system, to the modern electronically controlled equivalent". (I do wonder why they said "double junction" for this audience.)

'Junction' would have been just fine I agree. Qualifying it 'double' just invites pointless questions (pun genuinely not intended!). I expect the text has been edited down from a more comprehensive description.

This level crossing and Star Lane [sic] will both be renewed, and the station crossing upgraded "to CCTV" - though I understand it will have object detection sensors and installing those will involve more work. There has been a yellow sign at the crossing for some time for a road closure of the crossing 26-29 January, which you'd guess was preparing for the big one. But from the letter, I find they are now going to close the road right through from then to 19th February - over three weeks. What's going to take that long?

Level crossing highway civils and signage are the one area of work where much work can't usually be done in advance.

Of course almost all of the work away from these locations has been done already, spread over many possessions (overnight, weekend, and midweek). Miles of new conduit, dozens of little patios with yellow railings, even more concrete bases and plinths, and quite few underpasses for electrons and photons: two UTXs and two URXs just at Wokingham. So you'd hope that all of that stuff has been tested and it will work as soon as the signal masts are pulled upright.

For a new system using axle counters in place of previous track circuits for train detection, almost everything can be connected, tested and left powered up in operation in 'shadow mode' being monitored for as long as desired before commissioning. Often it's only the point machines that can't be connected up until the changeover but I believe testers have point simulators available to plug into the new system for this. This has the potential to find any faulty equipment early before it's brought into live use; starting the 'bathtub curve' before commissioning.

Bathtub curve - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The bathtub curve is a particular shape of a failure rate graph. This graph is used in reliability engineering and deterioration modeling. The 'bathtub' refers to the shape of a line that curves up at both ends, similar in shape to a bathtub. The bathtub curve has 3 regions:
1. The first region has a decreasing failure rate due to early failures.
2. The middle region is a constant failure rate due to random failures.
3. The last region is an increasing failure rate due to wear-out failures.

 

[stuving]

Unless I have missed it, the NR web page does not appear to mention that the line is also closed for the first weekend of March. As far as I can tell from RTT, there are no trains through Wokingham at weekends 27th January until 3rd March inclusive. At the moment GWR are shown to run both trains and RRBs on the 3rd/4th February weekend but both won't operate and I suspect that the trains have yet to be deleted?

In the EAS, all the weekends 27/28 January to 24/25 February, plus the main closure 10-19, are for "resignalling". Then 3/4 and 18 March are shown as "follow-on work" with road closure at Wokingham LC. A tamper is making a return visit on 3/4th, but it's not clear if any signalling work is planned. Maybe it's an allowance for whatever is found to be needed.

The council's closure notice for Barkham Road at the LC was dated 14th December, and refers to "multiple occasions between 14th December 2023 and 18th March 2024".

 

[Backroom_boy]

I've now got in my head point rods stretching across the fields between Wokingham and Basingstoke, with a lever frame set up in Basingstoke ROC.

Yes is Wokingham the last mechanical box on the mainline in the old southern region?

 

[MarkyT]

Yes is Wokingham the last mechanical box on the mainline in the old southern region?

No, there are still odd ones dotted around, many solely controlling colour lights today like Wokingham so they might be harder to spot. Dorking, Hastings area spring to mind. Bognor, Littlehampton. Some still in East Kent. They are dwindling rapidly now though.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Yes is Wokingham the last mechanical box on the mainline in the old southern region?

It certainly may have been the last box with mechanically operated points but signals have been colour lights for decades. I would suggest Littlehampton is probably the oldest functioning mechanical box now albeit motored points also semaphores at Bognor but much newer box.

 

[MarkyT]

It certainly may have been the last box with mechanically operated points but signals have been colour lights for decades. I would suggest Littlehampton is probably the oldest functioning mechanical box now albeit motored points also semaphores at Bognor but much newer box.

I read recently there's a project underway to replace the remaining semaphores at Bognor Regis, a late 1930s streamline moderne box in red brick with a beautiful Westinghouse style 'A' lever frame inside. Some ground shunting disc signals will no doubt remain associated with the sidings, as the points concerned are still mechanical, unlike the rest of the throat which was converted to electrical machines a few years ago. Littlehampton dates from the 1890s and is heritage listed: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1413574?section=official-list-entry
Note Bognor is not listed.

Hastings still has a fine array of semaphores in the station area. The station was simplified dramatically many years ago which made a large number of the lever positions spare. These were reallocated to functions at Ore station to allow the SB there to close. All colour lights at Ore of course and full track circuiting as the area is completely out of the sightlines from the box. Some points in the immediate station area at Hastings are still mechanically actuated.

 

[Goldfish62]

As of this morning the Wokingham area has reopened with the transfer of signalling to Basingstoke ROC.

That marks the completion of the Feltham and Wokingham scheme.

Was it actually on time and on budget?

 

[Snow1964]

Network Rail press release, even refers to extra capacity (not that SWR has been enhancing train service in last few years), and video included

Network Rail and South Western Railway have officially switched on new signalling equipment to bring more reliable journeys to customers travelling between Reading, London and Guildford.

From Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February, Network Rail completed the final phase of the resignalling work in the Wokingham area as part of the five-year £375m programme of work to bring the 1970s signalling equipment up to modern standards.

During the most recent nine-day closure, engineers worked around the clock to install 43 new signals (traffic lights for the railway), as well as upgrade two level crossings at Wokingham station and Easthampstead Road (Star Lane) and renew a double railway junction at Wokingham.

Now complete, customers will benefit from a modern digitalised signalling system that will help improve train performance, increase future capacity, result in fewer delays, and enhance the safety of level crossings.

As part of the five-year programme, Network Rail moved control of the signalling equipment between Feltham and Wokingham and transferred it to Basingstoke, into the Rail Operating Centre (ROC), as well as upgraded 16 level crossings and installed 500 pieces of signalling equipment, which covers 80 miles of railway across Feltham, Hounslow, Shepperton, Twickenham, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Wokingham.

Moving control to the ROC allows signallers to communicate more effectively with each other as they are in the same room rather than remote signal boxes and is more cost efficient to operate.

Network Rail completes final phase of £375m investment to install state of the art signalling system which will improve the reliability of the line between Feltham and Wokingham

Network Rail and South Western Railway have officially switched on new signalling equipment to bring more reliable journeys to customers travelling between Reading, London and Guildford.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

 

[stuving]

As of this morning the Wokingham area has reopened with the transfer of signalling to Basingstoke ROC.

That marks the completion of the Feltham and Wokingham scheme.

Was it actually on time and on budget?

From what I can see from my window, yes it's all working for traffic at the crossing. All this morning's trains ran as well, from RTT. I can't see the actual cost of it from here!

 

[swt_passenger]

Drifting off the subject slightly, does anyone know what will be the next major area to transfer into Basingstoke ROC?

 

[Freightmaster]

Drifting off the subject slightly, does anyone know what will be the next major area to transfer into Basingstoke ROC?

Farncombe, Haslemere and Petersfield sometime this Autumn.

I'm told that will be it for Basingstoke for the foreseeable as there is no capacity to add further workstations
due to issues with the structure of the building.




MARK

 

[Goldfish62]

Network Rail press release, even refers to extra capacity (not that SWR has been enhancing train service in last few years), and video included

Services have been cut significantly in the resignalled area post-Covid, but there's no doubt a lot of extra capacity has been created should it ever be needed in the future.

 

[Snow1964]

Seems there is a fault with level crossing near Wokingham.
Wonder if it is one of the ones just upgraded

Incident: Bracknell | National Rail

Lines reopened: Disruption through Wokingham . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[swt_passenger]

Seems there is a fault with level crossing near Wokingham.
Wonder if it is one of the ones just upgraded

Incident: Bracknell | National Rail

Lines reopened: Disruption through Wokingham . Find details of all current incidents on National Rail Enquiries.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

Wokingham level crossing and the adjacent junction were the most significant parts of last weeks closure. Earlier disruption info posted in another forum said it was definitely “at Wokingham”. Fixed now though, they’ll be sorting out the knock on effects to the timetable for a few hours...

 

[Bigfoot]

Farncombe, Haslemere and Petersfield sometime this Autumn.

I'm told that will be it for Basingstoke for the foreseeable as there is no capacity to add further workstations
due to issues with the structure of the building.

The rumour that the structure of the building couldn't cope with the weight of the workstations has been going around since the ROC at Basingstoke opened. The rumour started that it couldn't even take the first workstation for Strawberry Hill when that was resignalled from Feltham. Given the equipment a workstation comprises of is a desk, multiple monitors and associated servers, most offices are structurally unsafe. Plus if it had any truth strengthening works would have been undertaken.

 

[TSG]

The rumour that the structure of the building couldn't cope with the weight of the workstations has been going around since the ROC at Basingstoke opened. The rumour started that it couldn't even take the first workstation for Strawberry Hill when that was resignalled from Feltham. Given the equipment a workstation comprises of is a desk, multiple monitors and associated servers, most offices are structurally unsafe. Plus if it had any truth strengthening works would have been undertaken.

I was told by someone who should know that the very end of the operating floor, which is intended as a breakout area, is an ordinary floor. The much much larger and practically empty area intended for the workstations has additional reinforcement and ducts. Perhaps that's where the rumour has come about. I think it is open to question whether all the workstations and diagnostic terminals, interlocking, RBC and telecoms cubicles for the whole of Wessex route could be physically fitted in the areas intended for them. There's plenty more room for now though.

 

[davews]

It seems there were issues with the level crossing yesterday morning as well.

 

[stuving]

The level crossing is closed again all this weekend. Not to do with the resignalling - some other slight obstruction!

 

[TSG]

New footbridge going in just past the junction. Spans being lifted in this weekend

 

[stuving]

It seems there were issues with the level crossing yesterday morning as well.

That may be why a new barrier machine turned up this morning, in splendid isolation on the back of as artic. Then one of the "old" ones was lifted out, and ... lorry and both machines have vanished. Maybe the one sent was the wrong hand?

 

[Mark J]

The level crossing is closed again all this weekend. Not to do with the resignalling - some other slight obstruction!
View attachment 153068

It will be nice to finally get rail services back at the weekend.

We've had a good couple of years of rail replacement buses most weekends - even this weekend just gone.

Whilst I understand work needs to be done, it has been a major inconvenience.