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Topic: Reversal at Chippenham? (Read 3270 times)
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Graham Ellis
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I was at Chippenham station today. The main line to Swindon was closed, and First were running an hourly train from Bristol to Chippenham, reversing it there, and running it back to Bath; It was arriving and leaving again from what is normally the London-bound platform.
Why is this of note?
Because one of the suggestions for the future service could be to reverse the TransWilts train at Chippenham, rather than doubling up the service with both "our" train and the Bristol to London train on the main line ... thus freeing "our" train to make extra trips (and extra revenue for First). With the half-hourly service from Chippenham to Swindon, would you prefer:
a) An Hourly train between Westbury and Chippenham, change at Chippenham for Swindon
OR
b) A through train every two hours between Westbury and Swindon.
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Graz
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I'm not really sure whether this would be viable. I assume Chippenham has only two platforms. Trains from Melksham terminating at Chippenham may therefore get in the way of delayed half hourly Paddington services which I think is why they stopped Wessex trains terminating at Bath Spa.
Swindon has more platforms which makes it more ideal as a terminus for these trains.
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Nick Field
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Graham do you mean an hourly train at Melksham in each direction or a train every hour 1st hour going up 2nd hour going down? As it takes about 30 minutes from Chippenham to Westbury to have an hourly service each way would leave hardly anytime for turnaound at each end, unless I have missed something? I assume a a service every two hours at Melksham each way between Swindon - Westbury would allow about a 15 minute turnaround at each end?
Anyway enough of my queries, personally I think a two hourly service (preferably clockface) would be sufficient at the moment. Swindon has better platform capacity than Chippenham, so our train once there would not interfere with the express trains, plus if there was a technical fault with our train it could be moved out of the way of the main line trains more easily. I find that people want to have to change a little as possible. As many northbound passengers would be travelling to Swindon (especially on the commuter trains) it is better that the train terminates here. Plus you may draw in some Swindon residents travelling southbound.
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Graham Ellis
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I think the two-hourly service, Swindon to Westbury, is the best choice operationally. I was just looking to see how frequent it could be if run "short", and also looking to save duplicated running on Chippenham to Swindon. Last Saturday, First were running an hourly service Bristol to Chippneham which was reversing there, with buses onward to Swindon. I wondered why Wessex weren't running their trains to Chippenham and reversing them there too if the engineering works were up at that end. I'm told (by Gareth Hall of Wessex Trains): Having now received an answer back from our timetable-planning department. I can advise that, unfortunately, there is not the capacity for us to operate a train service along this route as allocation has already been provided to First Great Western.
The service is operated along a 2-mile single line section between Thingley Junction and Chippenham station. As First Great Western occupies this track for almost 40 minutes in every hour there is not the space for us to also operate between Westbury and Chippenham.
So there you have it ... I'm told it takes an occupancy of 40 minutes to reverse a train at Chippneham, and the answer implies that it can only be done at one platform. |
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Nick Field
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Graham I had the same thought, why should the local train be sacrficed south of Chippenham if Engineering is only taking place on the main line?
Seing that it the local train only takes 10 minutes from Chippenham to Melksham they must be allowing for quite a bit of dwell time at Chippenham Station for the mainline trains if they need the Thingly to Chippenham station section of the track for a whole 40 minutes?
Also I am thinking why cant they run a train to/from Westbury and Melksham and run the buses from Melksham to Chippenham to link up with the trains there again? (I suppose operationally its easier just to run the bus along the whole route)
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Graham Ellis
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The mainline train has a 25 minute dwell according to the public timetable. BUT ... I think there's 6 minutes of recovery time so that it really arrives 6 minutes before the public timetable. Than makes 31 minues. Allow 3 minutes each way to and from Thingley which makes 37 minutes, which is the "nearly 40 minutes" they've claimed.
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Graham Ellis
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I think I was fed a "porkie" about First taking up all possible reversal slots at Chippenham.
It seems that BOTH platforms are able to reverse trains, although they've got to be on the correct line in from Thingley. I was up at Chippenham again yesterday evening; the First train while I was there reversed at the London bound platform, but this morning's 01:15 that came from London VIA MELKSHAM! and was scheduled to reverse at the Bath / Bristol bound platform.
I suspect it's cheaper for Wessex trains to run a bus all the way from Westbury to Swindon than for them to run a train to Chippneham and a bus beyond ...
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Sion Bretton
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Somestimes when the trains from Westbury to Swindon are running very later, the have arrived at Chippenham , then go back to Junction at Thingley and the come back when due to leave Chippenham.
I have seen the 17.12 ( weekdays) arrive at Chippenham at 17.40, wait until 17.59 and leave (without waiting for customers coming down from Swindon).
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