Solving the Valley lines bottleneck at Cardiff Central?

[Solaris]

When you consider that CASR will prob only deliver 14/15tph through Queen St Vs a LR conversion which could deliver 24-28 tph, then converting as much of the network north of QS to LR is really a no brainer. Higher frequency services mitigate interchange penalties.....

 

[Starmill]

This month's Modern Railways piece on CASR suggests that in order to hit the new targets for punctuality and track capacity, platform 4 will have to be used regularly for Valleys-bound services.

 

[edwin_m]

This month's Modern Railways piece on CASR suggests that in order to hit the new targets for punctuality and track capacity, platform 4 will have to be used regularly for Valleys-bound services.

It explicitly states that 4 will be a Valleys platform, albeit with the ability for main line trains to use it as well. Today all trains arriving from the Newport direction have to use 3 or 4, but in future they will be able to cross over east of the station to use 0, 1 or 2 instead. I'm expecting this will be the default choice for terminators unless they have very long turnaround times.

 

[gareth950]

It explicitly states that 4 will be a Valleys platform, albeit with the ability for main line trains to use it as well. Today all trains arriving from the Newport direction have to use 3 or 4, but in future they will be able to cross over east of the station to use 0, 1 or 2 instead. I'm expecting this will be the default choice for terminators unless they have very long turnaround times.

Surely at some point in future, especially if the station re-build goes ahead in the next decade, platform 0 will need to be lengthened so it can be fully ultilised by all mainline trains heading west? Although it may involve moving or demolshing the clock tower and possibly other parts of the 1930s GWR facade which has listed status.

 

[John R]

There are several reasons why the additional platforms at Queen St work, particularly if there are similarly 2 platforms available at Central in each direction.

Firstly, it enables a second train to enter whilst the first is still in the station or just leaving. This in itself is a big improvement, particularly given dwell times at Queen St will not be short in the rush hour. It also enables a second to enter if the first is unable to depart north because of a junction conflict.

Secondly, it reduces knock on delays at the junction. As an example, if a train from Cathays is unable to cross the junction because of a northbound Heath train, but by the time it is able to, a southbound train from Heath is in arriving, the delay will be reduced to solely the time taken for one to clear the crossing and enter the station.

Thirdly, it distributes the passenger flow better, and reduces the crush on the platforms, which in itself can have implications for dwell time.

Fourthly, if a service has a problem whilst in the platform, the whole service doesn't get backed up.

The last piece of the jigsaw in improving capacity is reducing dwell times by having adequate length suitable stock so that boarding and alighting is fast. Sadly, the Welsh Government has yet to play its part in the improvement of services in that regard.

 

[edwin_m]

There are several reasons why the additional platforms at Queen St work, particularly if there are similarly 2 platforms available at Central in each direction.

Firstly, it enables a second train to enter whilst the first is still in the station or just leaving. This in itself is a big improvement, particularly given dwell times at Queen St will not be short in the rush hour. It also enables a second to enter if the first is unable to depart north because of a junction conflict.

Secondly, it reduces knock on delays at the junction. As an example, if a train from Cathays is unable to cross the junction because of a northbound Heath train, but by the time it is able to, a southbound train from Heath is in arriving, the delay will be reduced to solely the time taken for one to clear the crossing and enter the station.

Thirdly, it distributes the passenger flow better, and reduces the crush on the platforms, which in itself can have implications for dwell time.

Fourthly, if a service has a problem whilst in the platform, the whole service doesn't get backed up.

The last piece of the jigsaw in improving capacity is reducing dwell times by having adequate length suitable stock so that boarding and alighting is fast. Sadly, the Welsh Government has yet to play its part in the improvement of services in that regard.

I imagine the four Valleys platforms at Central will be worked in a similar way with similar benefits (as Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road are planned to after Northern Hub). It's a shame that both stations have side and centre platforms. If they had two islands instead, there would be one island each for all northbound and southbound services and last minute platform changes wouldn't involve a stampede through the subway.

 

[gareth950]

So it seems that all Penarth, Barry Island and Vale of Glamorgan trains will use platform 8 from 3rd January between 0600-2000 Monday - Saturday. Seems stupid not to with the improved facilities the pictures at the bottom of this article show.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...n-as-railway-upgrade-in-south-wales-continues

From Tuesday 3 January 2017, Penarth, Barry Island and Vale of Glamorgan line services will run from platform 8 between the hours of 0600 and 2000 Monday-Saturday.

These services will continue to run from platform 7 at all other times with the exception of:

MONDAY TO FRIDAYS

06.36 Cardiff Central – Penarth Platform 4

06.56 Cardiff Central – Barry Island Platform 4

12.55 Cardiff Central – Barry Island Platform 4

SATURDAYS

06.36 Cardiff Central – Penarth Platform 4

06.56 Cardiff Central – Barry Island Platform 3

 

[PHILIPE]

So it seems that all Penarth, Barry Island and Vale of Glamorgan trains will use platform 8 from 3rd January between 0600-2000 Monday - Saturday. Seems stupid not to with the improved facilities the pictures at the bottom of this article show.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...n-as-railway-upgrade-in-south-wales-continues

Not according to RTT. Penarths from Platform 8, Barry & City Line from Platform 7.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Does this mean at the moment trains from the East (Newport/London) can't go into platforms 0, 1 and 2?

Sorry for the question I never thought of that but it would seem to be true.

If that's the case will platform four basically be freed up for Valley Services leaving 0,1,2&3 for Main Line and 4,6,7&8 for local/Valley/'Metro'?

RTT states thats 2 trains a day from 3 January 2017 on Mondays to Fridays will terminate on Platform 2 from the East (Newport). These two are:

1V11 1410 from Nottingham arriving at 17:29 operated by CrossCountry.

1F28 1623 from Portsmouth Harbour arriving at 19:45 operated my Great Western Railway (GWR).

I think Platform 4 will be still be used for terminating trains from the east as there got long turn around times and need to shunt out to free up platforms for other services. But maybe sometime in the near future Platforms 4,6,7 and 8 will be used for Valley/Cardiff local services and Platforms 0,1,2 and 3 for mainline services.

 

[gareth950]

I think Platform 4 will be still be used for terminating trains from the east as there got long turn around times and need to shunt out to free up platforms for other services. But maybe sometime in the near future Platforms 4,6,7 and 8 will be used for Valley/Cardiff local services and Platforms 0,1,2 and 3 for mainline services.

Platform 4 won't come into use for up valleys services until end of March at the earliest as the track infrastructure linking up P4 to Queen St isn't being installed until 2 weeks before Easter over a weekend possesion.

Up Barry trains going into P4 when it's connected to Queen St will improve punctuality dramatically, as currently a train from Barry can arrive outside Central on time but can be delayed waiting for City line or Treherbert terminators to clear P7 and cross over before being allowed into P6. Going into P4 should mitigate that.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to platform allocations showing on RTT for Cardiff Central from January as it still hasn't updated with all Penarth, Barry and Bridgend via VOG trains coming from P8 as detailed in the PR from Network Rail above.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Would be intersting to see if all trains between 06:00 to 20:00 on Mondays to Saturdays to Penarth, Barry Island and Vale or Glamorgan services use Platform 8 and then Platform 7 to be used by City lines services and terminators from Treherbert. Or are ATW/NR poster at Cardiff Central is missing out some accurate info.

 

[gareth950]

This month's Modern Railways piece on CASR suggests that in order to hit the new targets for punctuality and track capacity, platform 4 will have to be used regularly for Valleys-bound services.

The work to link up P4 to Queen St takes place on 1st & 2nd April (a weekend possesion) and 9th April.
Any news yet whether P4 will be used regularly for timetabled departures towards Queen St or is it just likely to be used during disruption seeing as tph frequency isn't increasing yet? (and isn't likely to before the next franchise)

No info on RTT yet but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as RTT didn't have the P8 departures up until about a week before it came into use.