Could GWR services operate to Yeovil Junction?

[Hellfire]

I often wonder, as I pass through Yeovil Junction station, why there is no connection with the Heart of Wessex line. There seems to have been one in the past as there is trackbed there. It seems an obvious connection to make. The experts on her may be able to enlighten me.

 

[Starmill]

There are trains on that section of line.

Weekdays from Yeovil Pen Mill at Yeovil Junction:
0550
0720
1303
1419
2035
2135

From Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Pen Mill:
1338
1451
1916
2017
2117
2145

Nearly all have either a connection or run through to London Waterloo via Sherborne. As you can see from the times they do enable some journeys from Penn Mill to London in the morning and from London to Penn Mill in the evening. Some run in a loop via Frome and Warminster.

 

[yorksrob]

More lucrative to run to Weymouth I expect.

I personally like the idea of reinstating the Clifton Maybank spur to allow North/South trains to reverse via Junction.

 

[Hellfire]

There are trains on that section of line.

Weekdays from Yeovil Pen Mill at Yeovil Junction:
0550
0720
1303
1419
2035
2135

From Yeovil Junction to Yeovil Pen Mill:
1338
1451
1916
2017
2117
2145

Nearly all have either a connection or run through to London Waterloo via Sherborne. Some run in a loop via Frome and Warminster.

Those are SWR services though aren't they? . I'm thinking more of the ability to connect to GWR services going south to Weymouth or North towards Bristol

 

[Gloster]

There never was a west to south connection at Yeovil Junction. The Clifton Maybank curve was only ever for goods and was closed in 1937: it was later effectively replaced by the wartime connection at South Junction that is part of the current connection.

My personal option is that the time taken to run to and from the Junction, which would involve two reversals, would not be justified. The traffic gained from those journeys that can’t be made via Westbury or Dorchester would probably be less than those put off by increased journey times.

 

[Starmill]

Those are SWR services though aren't they? . I'm thinking more of the ability to connect to GWR services going south to Weymouth or North towards Bristol

They already do that though, you can change trains at Yeovil Pen Mill for Weymouth or Westbury for Bristol.

 

[yorksrob]

There never was a west to south connection at Yeovil Junction. The Clifton Maybank curve was only ever for goods and was closed in 1937: it was later effectively replaced by the wartime connection at South Junction that is part of the current connection.

My personal option is that the time taken to run to and from the Junction, which would involve two reversals, would not be justified. The traffic gained from those journeys that can’t be made via Westbury or Dorchester would probably be less than those put off by increased journey times.

Just because it wasn't a connection in the past, doesn't mean it couldn't be one.

It would avoid two reversals.

 

[pompeyfan]

Unrelated by GWR are running ECS trains from Yeovil junction to Salisbury via Tisbury during the engineering block at Westbury according to RTT. I’m not sure on the logistics though, I assume some managers or DIs are learning the route or being piloted?

 

[Gloster]

Just because it wasn't a connection in the past, doesn't mean it couldn't be one.

It would avoid two reversals.

Unless you are going to have a massive loop you are still going to have a reversal in the station. You would also have to extensively rebuild Junction to accommodate the Weymouth line trains and get them from one side of the layout to the other. It is all possible, but very pricey. Even then, I would question how much net gain in traffic there would be.

[Wrote this yesterday but forgot to press ‘Post reply’.]

 

[yorksrob]

Unless you are going to have a massive loop you are still going to have a reversal in the station. You would also have to extensively rebuild Junction to accommodate the Weymouth line trains and get them from one side of the layout to the other. It is all possible, but very pricey. Even then, I would question how much net gain in traffic there would be.

[Wrote this yesterday but forgot to press ‘Post reply’.]

That's the good thing about this forum - it saves what you intended to post even when you forget to post it

A reversal really isn't an issue. This one would be a lot less of a detour than those at Castleford or Eastbourne for example.

Yes, the works would be expensive, but it would be good for connectivity.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Earthworks were constructed for a west to south curve (still visible on Google) but track was never laid.

You could have a 'low level' platform on the Weymouth line, but it would be a bit of a trek to reach the main platforms.

 

[yorksrob]

I envisage the former down island becoming the "North/South" platform.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Earthworks were constructed for a west to south curve (still visible on Google) but track was never laid

I seem to remember in one of John Heaton’ books (former Exeter area manager) that opening the unused curve was a proposal in the mid/late 80s that never got passed the idea stage.

 

[Western Sunset]

Yeovil Junction; the new Templecombe...

 

[Wychwood93]

I seem to remember in one of John Heaton’ books (former Exeter area manager) that opening the unused curve was a proposal in the mid/late 80s that never got passed the idea stage.

It was still being floated at the former (BR) Solent and Wessex area performance meetings in 1992.

 

[endecotp]

It seems an obvious connection to make

Which journeys do you have in mid that it would improve?

Dorchester to Exeter is the direction in which it saves most mileage. Unfortunately from points East of Dorchester i.e. Bournemouth & Poole you also have to walk across Dorchester (or go to Weymouth).

 

[Hellfire]

Which journeys do you have in mid that it would improve?

Dorchester to Exeter is the direction in which it saves most mileage. Unfortunately from points East of Dorchester i.e. Bournemouth & Poole you also have to walk across Dorchester (or go to Weymouth).

It was from the Dorchester direction to Exeter that was my main thought

 

[ac6000cw]

You could have a 'low level' platform on the Weymouth line, but it would be a bit of a trek to reach the main platforms.

If you've got money to spend, the one solution would be to move the Exeter line Yeovil Junction station platforms a few hundred meters eastwards (just east of the junction) and add the low-level platform on the Weymouth line (which would be adjacent to the east end of the high level platforms).

On the satellite view below, the distance marker line is where the high level platforms could move to (the Weymouth line runs roughly north-south at the east end):

 

[yorksrob]

Unfortunately from points East of Dorchester i.e. Bournemouth & Poole you also have to walk across Dorchester (or go to Weymouth).

That's of course what the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway's for, but we are where we are, sadly.