What signalling changes are happening in Southampton in early 2021?

[robintw]

I've just seen this on the Network Rail website, about some closures in the Southampton area in Jan/Feb 2021, as part of their work to support longer freight trains in the area. Does anyone know more details on the signalling side of these works? They say they need to close the railway in the area for various bits of new signalling to be commissioned: is this just because there are new sidings/points etc and they need to test them all, or are they changing the signalling in a more significant way? For example - are they changing signal locations and lengthening sections to be able to fit the long trains in?

Actually, is there any publicly available information on the locations of signals and the lengths of signal sections? Apparently they are extending to allow trains of 775m in length: could some of the sections be shorter than this currently?

Any information would be great to have - I often take my young son to watch the trains at Redbridge station, and we're starting to talk about the signalling quite a bit.

Thanks!

 

[swt_passenger]

I think this is the latest phase of the docks access changes. We had a discussion about it in October, I believe it’s the area near Millbrook on the down side.

Please check out this thread:

Southampton-Redbridge area Signal upgrades

A load of bagged up new signals and new gantries have been put up and left for at least two years. Obviously connected to the freight as a lot of the bagged signals are on the dock/freight yard branches.... Anyone know when work will resume or why it's been left like this?

www.railforums.co.uk

There’s a signalling drawing in post #7