Idea for a bi-directional line between Shipley & Bradford

[Halifaxlad]

This is just an idea so don't go into meltdown please!

Anyway I was thinking earlier about having a bi-directional line for Bradford to Skipton services between BFS and Shipley, that way it wouldn't matter about crossing the Bradford - Leeds/Ikley services on that part of the triangle.

Your thoughts are welcome, like I said this is just an idea and I'm just curious as to what other people think!

 

[MarkyT]

This is just an idea so don't go into meltdown please!

Anyway I was thinking earlier about having a bi-directional line for Bradford to Skipton services between BFS and Shipley, that way it wouldn't matter about crossing the Bradford - Leeds/Ikley services on that part of the triangle.

Your thoughts are welcome, like I said this is just an idea and I'm just curious as to what other people think!

The overbridges aren't all wide enough for an extra track all the way, and you'd have to do some major work at Frizzinghall to provide a new platform and maintain access to those existing. There might be merit in moving the Bradford - Skipton chord junction further south though to just N of Frizzinghall. Maybe that could be carried out in conjunction with the new depot construction planned in the vicinity.

 

[Halifaxlad]

The overbridges aren't all wide enough for an extra track all the way, and you'd have to do some major work at Frizzinghall to provide a new platform and maintain access to those existing. There might be merit in moving the Bradford - Skipton chord junction further south though to just N of Frizzinghall. Maybe that could be carried out in conjunction with the new depot construction planned in the vicinity.

Im suprised the overbridges arnt wide enough as I thought it used to be four track to Shipley from Bradford.

As for Frizinghall it did occur to me that you would probably have to create at Island platform on one side.

This idea came about as I was thinking about how to lengthen P5 which lead me on to thinking about a new straighter platform south of the existing and moving the turnout further South towards Bradford, hence what got me thinking: why not just extend it all the way to BFS.

 

[Neptune]

I get what you are proposing but it seems like a hell of a big spend to solve what is at best a minor issue.

Platform 5 will never need extending as Skipton - Bradford will not be seeing 6 car services. It does not need that sort of capacity. COVID altered commuting so much that 6 cars is now only going to be a marginal benefit to routes into Leeds at peak times so Bradford will be just fine with 4 cars.

There is a slight bottleneck at the Bradford end of Shipley (as at every single flat junction in the country) but due to the single line of p5 and max 2tph on each route it isn’t a problem that needs solving. Only late running caused conflicts which happens so infrequently and gets recovered quickly with generous turnarounds at BDQ that the cost would completely outweigh any benefit.

Also where I assume you’ll be building this extra line it may reduce access to the new Shipley TCC which is going to be using all of the Crossley’s site. That is costed and ready to go now and will not be altered as any plans such as this would take years to come to fruition.

Nice idea but just not necessary for the cost and disruption in construction it would cause for such a marginal benefit.

 

[yorksrob]

I'd have thought there'd be more benefit between Leeds and Shipley to ease the mix of fast, stopping and freight trains (although I realise they'd have to amend a lot of new stations and dig out Thackley old tunnel).

 

[37201xoIM]

Platform 5 will never need extending as Skipton - Bradford will not be seeing 6 car services. It does not need that sort of capacity. COVID altered commuting so much that 6 cars is now only going to be a marginal benefit to routes into Leeds at peak times so Bradford will be just fine with 4 cars.

While you're right about there not being a need in the foreseeable future for 6-car working on these services from the demand point of view, the assumption is however that some may nonetheless be 6 cars, simply in order to retaining the operating & diagramming efficiencies (which are indeed why until recently everything was 4 cars although you'd only need 3 for Bradford!). It's just more efficient sometimes to do that rather than having separate diagrams for the different services.

There is however no proposal at present to lengthen plat 5 at SHY, you're right - ASDO should be fine there given the likely loadings.

 

[Neptune]

While you're right about there not being a need in the foreseeable future for 6-car working on these services from the demand point of view, the assumption is however that some may nonetheless be 6 cars, simply in order to retaining the operating & diagramming efficiencies (which are indeed why until recently everything was 4 cars although you'd only need 3 for Bradford!). It's just more efficient sometimes to do that rather than having separate diagrams for the different services.

There is however no proposal at present to lengthen plat 5 at SHY, you're right - ASDO should be fine there given the likely loadings.

Looking at the provisional unit diagrams for 6 car working there are none planned around p5 at Shipley.

 

[37201xoIM]

Looking at the provisional unit diagrams for 6 car working there are none planned around p5 at Shipley.

Ah OK, you have the advantage of me, and I stand corrected! Thanks for clarifying.