Cross-City Electrification from Barnt Green to Bromsgrove

[Old Hill Bank]

I went to the new station today, and although it was generally "functional" I was displeased that it appears to have been planned with little or no consideration for pedestrians. Maybe this is the new way of things?

I had a meeting at the nice Stroke Association centre in Bromsgrove Town Centre and since walking is my main exercise these days I decided to take advantage of time and a sunny day to get my exercise by walking there.

Firstly, I was unable to get out of the station without crossing roads multiple times. Someone seems to have decided that a pavement only needs to be provided on one side of the road, and that swapping from side to side is acceptable. Fortunately there was little traffic.

Secondly, someone has gone to the bother of putting a big "no right turn" sign at the end of the exit road, but there are no signs at all directing you to Bromsgrove Town Centre. Given that it's Bromsgrove station, I'd have thought this would have been sensible.

After a false start, because of course my printed OS map showed the OLD station, I went the right way and got to my meeting.

When I came back, there is no sign back to the station from the "main" road, and the station isn't visible from the road either, so it was only because I remembered my track from a few hours earlier that I knew to turn left to the station.

On the station, the platforms and the information were fine.

Next time, if I have to go, of course I won't have the same problems, but it seems to me a lack of thought or consideration of what someone wanting to walk from the station might need has been missed. It's not as if the station only opened today either, is it?

Lets be fair to those involved in developing and delivering the station project. There was a lot of public engagement thoughout. The station was completed months ago.

 

[125Forever]

Any work done on the Catch Points, or are they still working well?

 

[jfollows]

Lets be fair to those involved in developing and delivering the station project. There was a lot of public engagement thoughout. The station was completed months ago.

Of course I criticise these people because they were unable to cater for my needs. I accept that their majority constituency was clearly that of local people who drive to the station to travel from the station to other places such as Birmingham. A case of "necessary" but not "sufficient" I feel.

 

[snowball]

Energisation due next September according to the press release (two versions):

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...as-network-rail-reopens-railway-at-bromsgrove

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/railway-reopens-Bromsgrove-signal-track-upgrade-completed/

 

[QueensCurve]

London Midland tweeted:-

@Tristanantrobus It's going to be later than that. Unfortunately it's stuck behind an Edinburgh train that's struggling up Lickey Bank.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b080z5lp/the-fall-series-3-episode-6

Perhaps we are going to need electric bankers!

 

[Techniquest]

Does energisation at Bromsgrove in September, which is only 10 months away, means the rest of the line from Barnt Green will be energised too? December 2017 timetable change I'm assuming is the plan for Starships to Bromsgrove, as long as the Government doesn't give up on it in the meantime...

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Does energisation at Bromsgrove in September, which is only 10 months away, means the rest of the line from Barnt Green will be energised too? December 2017 timetable change I'm assuming is the plan for Starships to Bromsgrove, as long as the Government doesn't give up on it in the meantime...

As I understand the primary traction feed remains at Winson Green for X City South so yes.

 

[Techniquest]

As I understand the primary traction feed remains at Winson Green for X City South so yes.

Thanks, 13 months to go then. In theory at least!

 

[59CosG95]

Did a wee trip to Bromsgrove today; no piles in the actual station itself, but lots in around the top of the Lickey, and down towards Vigo. There were a couple on the Down side near Bromsgrove, but that was it for piles. Some larger foundations, presumably for larger masts (e.g. TTCs) were around too, particularly at Blackwell. About 5 or 6 Orange Army men were on Bromsgrove today too, getting under P1 (presumably undertaking preparatory works for mast placement).

 

[Techniquest]

Worth noting p4 sees use now too, did it on Monday aboard the 1549 Birmingham New Street to Hereford. P1 cannot be far off now surely.

 

[59CosG95]

Worth noting p4 sees use now too, did it on Monday aboard the 1549 Birmingham New Street to Hereford. P1 cannot be far off now surely.

Yes, P4 seemed to be the only Down one in use by service trains when I went. P2 was where all the Up trains stopped. The Cotswolds RHTT set paused at P3, and when it went forward, it was still showing Red on the signal at the end of the platform; it must've been given special authorisation to proceed.
Only train I saw use P1 was yesterday's 1Z78 test train; it had the Plain Line Pattern Recognition Coach (5981) in the consist, along with Electrification Measurement Coach 977983, so I can only assume that some last checks were being done before P1's entry into service.

 

[Class172]

Yes, P4 seemed to be the only Down one in use by service trains when I went. P2 was where all the Up trains stopped. The Cotswolds RHTT set paused at P3, and when it went forward, it was still showing Red on the signal at the end of the platform; it must've been given special authorisation to proceed.

The reason you saw very little use platform 3 is because that is intended for the Cross-city trains next year:
Platform 1 - I don't think will be generally in use for passenger trains
Platform 2 - Up Main
Platform 3 - Cross-City Terminators
Platform 4 - Down Main

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Platform 1 - I don't think will be generally in use for passenger trains

Wouldn't you expect P1 to be used to loop DMU stoppers (if need be) so that fasts can overtake and avoid a check before the Lickey?

 

[Class172]

I don't think it would make any difference unless there is disruption, as the only services that stop at Bromsgrove are the hourly Hereford services, which then run fast to University. In effect there is nothing that needs overtaking - the longer run-up to the incline will allow the accelerating trains to reach a higher speed anyway.

 

[XDM]

The design team,& the boss who approved it,deserve a pat on the back for the Bromsgrove scheme. Sensible centre road turnaround is combined with a longer run up to that famous gradient. I only hope the down fast speeds are not limited because of the new layout. It might have been nice to have the line from Droitwich connected to the up slow platform so Hereford trains could stop at Bromsgrove without delaying a cross country train towards Birmingham. But that is an extra piece of track & a dream too far.

 

[The Planner]

Some of the original ideas left a lot to be desired though.

 

[Class172]

Some of the original ideas left a lot to be desired though.

Are you able to divulge such ideas with us?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It might have been nice to have the line from Droitwich connected to the up slow platform so Hereford trains could stop at Bromsgrove without delaying a cross country train towards Birmingham. But that is an extra piece of track & a dream too far.

That's not something I'd ever thought of, but that seems a very sensible idea. According to google earth, the trackbed of the so called 'up slow' appears intact from Stoke Works Jct. with the overbridges having room for it.

 

[The Planner]

Two platforms with a turnback siding on the down was one. Not sure an extra line on the up side gives you much to be honest, lot of money for something you would timetable out.

 

[WesternS]

Did a wee trip to Bromsgrove today; no piles in the actual station itself, but lots in around the top of the Lickey, and down towards Vigo. There were a couple on the Down side near Bromsgrove, but that was it for piles. Some larger foundations, presumably for larger masts (e.g. TTCs) were around too, particularly at Blackwell. About 5 or 6 Orange Army men were on Bromsgrove today too, getting under P1 (presumably undertaking preparatory works for mast placement).

Went down to Cardiff on Saturday and armed with the knowledge from above (thank you) looked out for both piles and mast foundations. Without wishing to be quoted on this, it looked like there was something (either pile or mast-base) on one side or the other almost entirely all the way down from Barnt Green to Bromsgrove (except in either of these two stations). One or two piles yet to be inserted, but only a very few.

Another poster had previously commented about the 'wire-hanging devices' being cantilevers. Given that it seemed that the side the piles/mast-bases were on changed depending on clearance to the line fence/boundary (i.e. where there didn't appear to be space on one side, then there was a pile/mast-base on the other side of the track), then this seems to be a reasonable suggestion. Intrigued by the fact there weren't any fixings to the pillars holding up the M42 over-bridge - perhaps something to do with the maintenance/attachment rights to Highways England structures and simpler just to put masts before and after this over-bridge ?

No sign of any actual masts on this section though, unlike the section of the GWR near Llanwern where as noted there are masts on bases and plenty more lying next to bases prior to erection.

 

[snowball]

. Intrigued by the fact there weren't any fixings to the pillars holding up the M42 over-bridge - perhaps something to do with the maintenance/attachment rights to Highways England structures and simpler just to put masts before and after this over-bridge ?

More likely to be because, being a modern bridge, it will probably have good clearance, and in such cases they try to avoid attaching the wires to the structure regardless of any issues of who owns it.

 

[YorkshireBear]

The reason you saw very little use platform 3 is because that is intended for the Cross-city trains next year:
Platform 1 - I don't think will be generally in use for passenger trains
Platform 2 - Up Main
Platform 3 - Cross-City Terminators
Platform 4 - Down Main

Is there any speed penalty for effectively using the loop on the Down rather than the Main? Seems a clever move to put the cross city terminators into P3. Almost like an LU style turnback to avoid conflicts.

 

[The Planner]

Yes a massive one as its approached controlled and a lower line speed.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Yes a massive one as its approached controlled and a lower line speed.

Surely that is just completely illogical then!

 

[The Planner]

Why? Platform 3 is the loop not 4 which is the main.

 

[XDM]

Yes a massive one as its approached controlled and a lower line speed.

I hope Planner is talking about the turn back platform & not the new main down running line. If the new outer platform down line has approach control & a severe speed limit then that is yet another argument for getting rid of Network Rail. In the past I had decided they were an organisation devoted to reducing rail demand by making rail unattractive but as I understood it the new Bromsgrove layout with an unspeed restricted outer down platform was a breath of fresh air. Someone tell me I am right & Planner is wrong.

 

[The Planner]

Yes as my last post says, 3 is the loop and 4 is the main......

 

[YorkshireBear]

Yes as my last post says, 3 is the loop and 4 is the main......

Think wires have been crossed. So there is no speed penalty for P4 which is the main?

 

[The Planner]

None at all but your original post asked if there was a time penalty for the loop (P3).

 

[WesternS]

None at all but your original post asked if there was a time penalty for the loop (P3).

Yes, that was my interpretation of both the original question and your response. Thank you for clearing it up so gracefully.

Another question (unfortunately) - I appreciate that P3 will be where the electric trains from Birmingham terminate, but will it also be the platform from which the electric trains to Birmingham start (i.e. P3 for both getting off and getting on) ? I've not had a chance to look closely at where the cross-over from P3 back to the Birmingham-bound/up-Lickey is actually located at Bromsgrove, so has it been decided whether it will be P2 (for the Herefords to Birmingham) and P3 (for the electrics to Birmingham) or P2 for both ? As a user, it would be very useful and helpful to know when rushing across the car park.....

Overall though, it is a very neat solution that makes the most of the opportunity given by the greater area of land some 250m further south of the old station to provide (a) what seems in effect to be a four-platform station as opposed to the old two-platform station, (b) avoid the need (as at Longbridge) for 'returning' trains to cross the fast lines, (c) retain the freight waiting loop, and (d) build a new station with a larger car park to hopefully increase custom from what is a pretty poorly served area by (e) providing 3 more services per hour - including to the QE/University.

Need to do something to improve the University station entry/exit now though.....

 

[YorkshireBear]

None at all but your original post asked if there was a time penalty for the loop (P3).

I thought P4 was the loop. Natural assumption that mains went through centre with loops on outside. My mistake, thanks!