Ludgershall Branch

[HELLICOPTER44]

I live close to the Ludgershall-Andover branch line.

At about 1pm, a yellow test train, topped and tailed by Class 73s, passed along the line and returned approximately 30 minutes later

Anybody aware of any plans to reactivate the line?

I would be very happy if they did.

Alan

 

[Kite159]

I assume it was the 0546 Woking Down Yard to Woking Down Yard service (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U09632/2018/10/03/advanced)

Must be the first time a train has used that line for a fair while. Ludgershall camp is gone with the housing slowly popping up and the old rail yard seems disused.

Passenger use of the line pops up every few months and it isn't worth it in my eyes. There are 4 buses an hour between Ludgershall & Andover, and the costs of building a station in Ludgershall plus upgrading the track so it could handle passenger trains at a decent speed. Andover station has the disused platform face opposite P1 which shouldn't be too hard to re-open and it would keep the shuttle off the main-line.

 

[AlterEgo]

I live close to the Ludgershall-Andover branch line.

At about 1pm, a yellow test train, topped and tailed by Class 73s, passed along the line and returned approximately 30 minutes later

Anybody aware of any plans to reactivate the line?

I would be very happy if they did.

Alan

These trains have to run on the network to ensure compliance, opening or no opening.

 

[HELLICOPTER44]

Thank you both.

Alan

 

[Muzer]

Yes, the branch is still officially open, and as such it still gets track defect testing trains. I was under the impression it was still used *very occasionally* for MoD freight but posters above are saying it's closed, so maybe not.

I was on a railtour a couple of years ago that traversed the branch (The Andover Fist - the rerun, since the first one derailed on the Southampton Eastern Docks branch!).

A co-operative called Go-op once had plans to run a light rail service with a Parry People Mover over the branch (class 139), but it fell through, and they decided to concentrate their efforts on their (IMHO doomed to failure) mainline service. They now seem to be pretty dead, though they still post news updates on their website at a slow rate of about one per year.

 

[tiptoptaff]

I assume it was the 0546 Woking Down Yard to Woking Down Yard service (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U09632/2018/10/03/advanced)

Must be the first time a train has used that line for a fair while. Ludgershall camp is gone with the housing slowly popping up

The housing is Army family housing. The wider Tidworth Camp area is still much in use, home to several armoured units. I'd suggest the vehicle staging and loading area isn't disused, just not used very often

 

[Kite159]

The housing is Army family housing. The wider Tidworth Camp area is still much in use, home to several armoured units. I'd suggest the vehicle staging and loading area isn't disused, just not used very often

Getting ready for when more units arrive, but the railway within the camp is pretty much gone, the level crossing on the road remains with track one side but the camp side the connection has been cut and ripped up. Without exploring the building site I would suspect most of the old rails would have been removed when the old buildings were flattened.

The old vehicle loading area looks pretty much disused, whenever I drive past (and pause by the traffic lights over the bridge) the gates are locked closed & there is no sign of life (a bit like some of the old medical buildings, slowly rotting away last time I saw them)

Tidworth is very much alive and expanding, but judging at how many times I get caught in traffic jams heading to & from work, most vehicle movements are carried out by low loaders.

 

[godfreycomplex]

The Ludgershall branch is still very much open (although it sees no regular traffic; it's kept fully open; with associated track maintenance regime and associated test trains).
As the signalling system for the branch would need (presumably expensive) upgrading before regular passenger service commences (it's a fairly rudimentary form of One Train Working with Train Staff these days; for which a shunter needs to be present) again I would suspect it's fairly unlikely that passenger services are returning in the short term.

 

[Bedpan]

The Ludgershall branch is still very much open (although it sees no regular traffic; it's kept fully open; with associated track maintenance regime and associated test trains).
As the signalling system for the branch would need (presumably expensive) upgrading before regular passenger service commences (it's a fairly rudimentary form of One Train Working with Train Staff these days; for which a shunter needs to be present) again I would suspect it's fairly unlikely that passenger services are returning in the short term.

What's wrong with one train working with Train Staff? Isn't the St Albans Abbey branch worked in a similar manner?

 

[E759]

An interesting working recently:

TRACTABLE is being undertaken by the British Army to demonstrate its ability to rapidly project forces worldwide.

Soldiers based in Bulford have been gathering the various armoured vehicles for this exercise to prepare for their long journey through Europe to Estonia.

The move will see vehicles moving across Europe by road, rail and sea to complete the routine rotation of vehicles based in Estonia. See the full story at: http://ow.ly/Gt0K50wLMTQ

6X10 to Dollands Moor (then through the tunnel?): [Believe in 2018 the working returned from Calais 40 minutes later. Assume this time it continued as per the above?]
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R53454/2019/10/15/advanced

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

The wagons look like Warwells, which can't run beyond Dolland's Moor. Maybe transhipment to Internationally registered wagons at Dolland's?
When I used to go there most of the activity was due to training / refreshing the troops in loading and offloading (both at Ludgershall and elsewhere). It was an open secret that the Defence logistics mob, who replaced MoD Rail, were anti-rail.
Pat

 

[yorksrob]

Must be the first time a train has used that line for a fair while. Ludgershall camp is gone with the housing slowly popping up and the old rail yard seems disused.

It had a visit from the Thumper a few weeks ago.

They've posted an illustrated news article:

https://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/news/ludgershall-legionnaire

 

[brad465]

It had a visit from the Thumper a few weeks ago.

They've posted an illustrated news article:

https://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/news/ludgershall-legionnaire

Hopefully there will be some video footage on their YouTube channel for that soon, having enjoyed a number of their other railtour videos before.

Mod note: If anyone wishes to discuss the potential for reopening the line for passenger services, please use: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/could-the-ludgershall-branch-reopen-for-passengers.193859/

 

[Kite159]

Does Ludgershall support enough of a population to justify a proper service? Beyond the town the surrounding area is the sparsely populated Salisbury plain (hence the MoD presence of course), and any remote communities wanting railway access would be better off going to Pewsey on the Reading-Taunton line not far to the north, or just carrying on a bit further to Andover. That said it would make a good heritage railway if someone was interested in setting it up as one.

Normally pops up every couple years or so about restoring passenger services to the line.

Ludgershall has got upto 4 buses an hour to Andover, 2 for Salisbury with the other 2 turning round in Tidworth. A lot of the population when wanting to use the train will tend to use either Andover or Grateley, depending where they live.

Whereas trains from the branch could run into Andover station as there is an unused platform face for the branch which will probably need a bit of work, the station at Ludgershall will need rebuilding. It's single track so it will limit the number of trains an hour, and where there is direct access towards Basingstoke/London, the track layout at Andover means to access the branch from the Basingstoke/London direction would require a double reversal, unless someone gives Network rail some money to install a crossover at the London end of the station so trains could run into P1.

 

[yorksrob]

Hopefully there will be some video footage on their YouTube channel for that soon, having enjoyed a number of their other railtour videos before.

Most likely, although not of the branch as staff and passengers were asked not to film or take photos on it.

 

[brad465]

Most likely, although not of the branch as staff and passengers were asked not to film or take photos on it.

How much of the branch is secretive? I presume the yard at the end is, but having looked on Street view there is a bridge in town in which you can make out some of the branch from above, which presumably if it couldn't be photographed would be barred from Google. While we'll find out what they actually did I imagine you can also film all of the branch up to a certain limit near the end, as it's not completely surrounded by MoD land between Andover and Ludgershall.

 

[yorksrob]

How much of the branch is secretive? I presume the yard at the end is, but having looked on Street view there is a bridge in town in which you can make out some of the branch from above, which presumably if it couldn't be photographed would be barred from Google. While we'll find out what they actually did I imagine you can also film all of the branch up to a certain limit near the end, as it's not completely surrounded by MoD land between Andover and Ludgershall.

Alas, I couldn't make that tour, otherwise I would have been able to report when the announcement was made !

 

[E759]

The wagons look like Warwells, which can't run beyond Dolland's Moor. Maybe transhipment to Internationally registered wagons at Dolland's?
When I used to go there most of the activity was due to training / refreshing the troops in loading and offloading (both at Ludgershall and elsewhere). It was an open secret that the Defence logistics mob, who replaced MoD Rail, were anti-rail.
Pat

Given the huge interest in freight here, I’d be surprised if someone doesn’t know the answer.

 

[3973EXL]

0152 Dollands Moor - Kineton 18/10

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R02610/2019/10/18/advanced

 

[E759]

0152 Dollands Moor - Kineton 18/10

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/R02610/2019/10/18/advanced

Thank you however I don’t see the connection with 6X10?

 

[3973EXL]

Thank you however I don’t see the connection with 6X10?

Wagons for 6X10 were tripped from Kineton to Ludgershall for loading.
6Z44 Dollands Moor empties being returned.

 

[E759]

Wagons for 6X10 were tripped from Kineton to Ludgershall for loading.
6Z44 Dollands Moor empties being returned.

Many thanks for the quick response

 

[3973EXL]

Watching YouTube the formation of 6X10

1 x VGA
5 x KFA Warflats loaded with 9 x CVRT
14 x KWA Warwells loaded with 12 x 432 Bulldogs and 2 x CVRT Samaritans.

All rail vehicles registered GB only.

The Ludgershall branch is NR. Gates to The MoD yard by the A3026 overbridge. Views of the MoD site from the overbridge and from the A342 entrance.
Not sure of current operating rules, but the MoD loco used to be able to collect wagons from the loop on the NR side of the gates.

 

[E759]

That’s impressive viewing. Thank you. Dare I ask how the “road” vehicles de-trained Dollands’? No worries if that is confidential.

 

[3973EXL]

That’s impressive viewing. Thank you. Dare I ask how the “road” vehicles de-trained Dollands’? No worries if that is confidential.

Sorry, I'm not aware of the off load arrangements.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Watching YouTube the formation of 6X10

1 x VGA
5 x KFA Warflats loaded with 9 x CVRT
14 x KWA Warwells loaded with 12 x 432 Bulldogs and 2 x CVRT Samaritans.

All rail vehicles registered GB only.

The Ludgershall branch is NR. Gates to The MoD yard by the A3026 overbridge. Views of the MoD site from the overbridge and from the A342 entrance.
Not sure of current operating rules, but the MoD loco used to be able to collect wagons from the loop on the NR side of the gates.

The MoD were stopped from taking their engine out of the gate several years ago. Allegedly (gob-smackingly, really) it was because it was not possible to change the Conditions of Service of the MoD staff, who were Civil Servants, to allow post-incident drug and alcohol screening if they were involved in any bother while outside. After that we used to have to run right into the yard and the pilot engine would pull the train off us if it was for the loading docks, or we would set it back into the sidings beside the Loco. Shed.
Pat

 

[E759]

Sorry, I'm not aware of the off load arrangements.

No worries. New video now published with transfer onto Type 3514 D1 flats and interview with John Smith MD GBRF. Fascinating viewing!

Tractable is on to the next stage - crossing the channel to France!

We have been working hand in hand with our industry partners GB Rail Freight on Tractable, an epic movement of vehicles across Europe. By road, rail, sea and air we are completing the rotation of military equipment based in Estonia in support of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence.