Gauge changes at Bentley affecting charter and South West Trains services

[infobleep]

Does anyone know if the following is a permanent change and would passengers at Alton or Bentley have to wait 30 minutes if they were on one of the trains terminated and started short at Farnham?

http://m.journeycheck.com/southwest...=&savedRoute=false&incidentsType=LINE_PROBLEM

Alton Line Amendments 01 and 02 October 2014*

Engineering work has taken place at Bentley Station, this has changed the track gauge on platform 2 at this station. This was previously the way "charter trains" (private trains that run on the railway network e.g. steam trains) passed through this station. *Previously the system in place allowed trains to pass through Platform 2 and wait to allow our trains to pass them on their journeys. We can no longer use this platform in this way, and must use Platform 1 instead. As a result, we have had to amend some trains on the line to allow the charter train through. *The change to the platform will only affect charter trains, our trains are still able to use Platform 2 as scheduled.


Wednesday 01 October 2014


1A41 (1423 Waterloo ? Alton) will terminate at Farnham

1A54 (1615 Alton ? Waterloo) will start from Farnham


Thursday 02 October 2014


1A13 (0723 Waterloo ? Alton) will terminate at Farnham

1A26 (0914 Alton ? Waterloo) will start from Farnham

1A57 (1825 Waterloo ? Alton) will terminate at Farnham *

1A70 (2015 Alton ? Waterloo) will start from Farnham

1A69 (2123 Waterloo ? Alton) will terminate at Farnham




Message Received :01/10/2014 15:31

 

[455driver]

So somebody effed up the alignment through platform 2 then! :roll:

 

[Deepgreen]

The track gauge has changed - from 4' 8.5" to ... what?! May make for an interesting trip on tomorrow's 'Mid. Hants' to 'Bluebell' tour headed by 'Braunton'. Maybe 'track clearance' would have been better.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Mmm, interesting.

Just about 10 days ago, nearly all of the draconian speed restrictions that applied to 456 units were raised or removed, including a 5 mph speed restriction at Aldershot tunnel.

There were also some speeds listed for Class 455/456 South of Farnham to Alton,from memory those actually allowed a 455/456 to go to Alton,the flipside of this was due to gauging it could go,but not come back!

I wonder if this now allows it to happen, with minimal speed restrictions.

 

[bolli]

So somebody effed up the alignment through platform 2 then! :roll:

And it seems that SWT want to make it sound like the charter operator at fault...

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I'll ask my contact within NR & see what I can find out.

 

[edwin_m]

Visions of the Ffestiniog visiting for a gala day?

The correct term would be "structure gauge".

 

[HarleyDavidson]

This is the answer I got from my NR contact:

Apparently when it was relaid during the Re Signalling, the <company name suitably redacted> didn't do it properly and it ended up only fit for certain usage. This seems to be coupled with some existing problem and so the restriction was put in place.

To solve it, the Coping stones are being removed to give an extra 60mm of clearance.

As you thought, it has to fit 455/456 gauge and so the restriction will stay to some degree so complicated that it will probably be simplified back to the current arrangement

There is a common theme emerging with gauge issues following <company name redacted> relaying. Buriton tunnel, Rowlands Castle platform, Aldershot Platform, Bentley loop.

So it seems that the range of 455/456's is to be extended!

 

[infobleep]

Thanks for the answer.

 

[infobleep]

So could the Alton line become a metro route? Between Woking and Alton, does it have gaps between stations similar to Guildford to Surbiton?

 

[455driver]

So could the Alton line become a metro route?

Why?
You think the ALUA (or whatever they are called) would give up their through trains?

 

[infobleep]

Why?
You think the ALUA (or whatever they are called) would give up their through trains?

I only say that because there was a reference to 455s and I thought they were metro trains.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Alton is an outer suburban station on a branch line, so by rights could be served with class 455/456's just as Basingstoke can be & sometimes is served by the occasional 455.

Haslemere could be served by them as well, I've taken a 455 to Haslemere in times of severe disruption and they don't half go down there!