Westbury track layout, and extra set of points?

[heart-of-wessex]

Hello all,

I can't help thinking that an extra set of points at Westbury station that could maybe ease up some delays. Maybe I'm wrong or maybe it's not worth it?

I know it's not the busiest place and paths work out when everythings smack on time. The problem is, not everything is smack on time then everything turns up at once!

I don't always get the 18:09 Cardiff Central service from Westbury, but when I do, it gets held just past Dilton Marsh. I could never understand why until I noticed how the routes are set.

Platform 3 is the one for the 1809 to Cardiff. Platform 2 takes either the delayed Portsmouth or in the case of Friday, the delayed Warminster. The Warminster service came in and the route was set for Warminster. The only thing is it was 'wrong line' running so to speak to the crossover that is closer to Dilton Marsh, then finally the route is clear for the 1809 to Cardiff, which then has to trundle all the way from that signal to the station....well in theory because once the until has cleared the crossover, the route is already set for the delayed Plymouth, which probably has a higher priority because of distance/connections down the line, I get that, but I can't help but think if there was an extra crossover past Platform 2 that got it on the down Salisbury straight away, the Cardiff could come straight in then the route is clear for the Plymouth HST and then everything's fine.
I've also seen an earlier Cardiff been delayed outside Dilton Marsh once, I looked on the live map on the platform to see my train was nearly here, but the service opposite on platform 2 was due to divide, 150 onwards and 153 detached, but the signal from Platform 2 was already set and the train had not split yet, so had to wait for that to split, then depart before the the Cardiff could access Platform 3.
I may be wrong but I thought the idea with any train splitting that the signal would stay red until the detach was successful, and then TRTS when it's ready to go. Unless there is no TRTS of course?

Would this be looked at as a waste of money and not worth worrying about just for some 15 minute delays?

I wonder how many other locations could do with just one extra set of points to solve delay problems?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

At the back of platform 1 is a disused platform (possibly the old platform 1), I wonder if Network rail would reopen this as platform 0 which would then help with the last minute platform alterations that seem to occur regularly at Westbury. When I was there last (at around 1530 on a Saturday sometime in August), the Great Malvern / Worcester service was held in platform 2 so that the delayed Cardiff Central service could then go into platform 3, this then screwed up the entire timetable with everything behind running around 10 or so minutes late.

 

[Kite159]

At the back of platform 1 is a disused platform (possibly the old platform 1), I wonder if Network rail would reopen this as platform 0 which would then help with the last minute platform alterations that seem to occur regularly at Westbury. When I was there last (at around 1530 on a Saturday sometime in August), the Great Malvern / Worcester service was held in platform 2 so that the delayed Cardiff Central service could then go into platform 3, this then screwed up the entire timetable with everything behind running around 10 or so minutes late.

IIRC there is quite a gap between the disused platform face & the freight reception line, the line will need to be relaid to be closer to the platform

 

[Right Away]

The Westbury station area layout was rationalised in 1984. The station lost its original platform one, although bi-directional signalling was introduced on the 3 remaining platform lines. Even still, the revised layout is quite restrictive at busy times.

The best platform for Cardiff to Portsmouth services is platform 1. Platform 2 requires the use of a slower speed 25 mph crossover at Westbury South, also preventing anything from arriving from the Warminster direction until the train has used the crossover. Platform 3 requires a 25 mph crossover into the platform (and the signal into the platform is approach released because of it) and a 25 mph crossover leaving the platform in addition to the one at Westbury South.

The best platform for Portsmouth to Cardiff services is also platform 1. A train can be signalled straight into the platform even when Westbury North junction is obstructed by another movement. Platform 2 can be used but a train can only be signalled straight in if Westbury North junction is not in use or signalled for use by another train. In this circumstance the train will be brought almost to a stand before the signal will clear to a single yellow as a Warner Route because of the reduced overlap beyond the platform starting signal. Trains into platform 3 from the Warminster line will also be slowed down as the signal is approach released because of the 25 mph crossover.

It is not always possible to use the optimum platforms, especially when there are HST services about. There has to be a conflict between services at Westbury North or Westbury South so services are scheduled to use platforms which will keep the overall conflict to a minimum.

The 18:09 train from Westbury to Cardiff that was mentioned above actually has an arrival time of 18:10 and a departure time of 18:11 in the working timetable to allow for the 18:07 Westbury to Portsmouth service to depart from platform 2 (because of the Exeter service in platform 1). TRTS is available on all platforms although trains will usually be signalled out in their booked order. If the train subsequently encounters a delay then the TOC will take the delay minutes.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Some things I didn't know about thanks for that

Just left on same service, same rigmarole of waiting for the portsmouth unit to split in P2, then the 1810 Cardiff got replatformed into P2. Problem was the delayed 1753 to Warminster, due into P1 at 1820, was routed in already and blocked the route out of P2, so we had to wait for that to come in! Had it been routed into P3 in the first place thered be no issues

 

[HowardGWR]

IIRC there is quite a gap between the disused platform face & the freight reception line, the line will need to be relaid to be closer to the platform

Looking down from the eastern bridge, it looks as though the southern freight reception line could stay where it is and switches built into it to feed a new platform line. There's enough room it seems.