Transport For Wales Cheltenham Services

[Dylan Cowpland]

I'm creating a simulation on Railway Operations Simulator (ROS, some of you may know) and i was looking at how trains terminate at Cheltenham Spa.
I understand London - Cheltenham services turn back from Alstone Carriage Sidings, however most of the time, Cardiff - Cheltenham services go past Alstone Level Crossing, go into the goods loop and turn back from signal 422 (As mentioned on real time trains) What i cant understand is that upon reversing from the goods loop, there is no crossover to get from the Up line to the Down line north of Cheltenham.
Could someone please share some information on how this process works please, would be greatly appreciated!

 

[norbitonflyer]

There's a crossover jusrt noth of the Goods loop. Do they use that?

 

[Dylan Cowpland]

There's a crossover jusrt noth of the Goods loop. Do they use that?

I was thinking that, but it all depends on where signal 422 is. I cant find a single site that clarifies this, as most of them (traksy, open train times) actualy dont show signal 422. Its either facing down on the up goods loop or facing down on the up main. I was thinking that 422 would be on the goods loop though, because i have traveled into the station on the down main and passed a TFW service in the loop.
Maybe they send it into the loop, then it continues north until GA101 and turns around there meaning that 422 is on the up main? Im not sure at all tbh. Its realy bugging me.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Tuesday at 20:22 ==

There's a crossover jusrt noth of the Goods loop. Do they use that?

Infact theres a service coming up to cheltenham in about 10 minutes thats pathed to reverse at 422, so im going to watch it and see wether it turns around on the goods loop or if it waits there then turns around on the main.

 

[louis97]

but it all depends on where signal 422 is.

Signal 422 is on the Up Main protecting the crossover.

 

[Dylan Cowpland]

Signal 422 is on the Up Main protecting the crossover.

Thanks! Greatly Appreciated

 

[norbitonflyer]

5g77 currently on the northbound track (is that up?) just north of the trailing crossover

 

[zwk500]

5g77 currently on the northbound track (is that up?) just north of the trailing crossover

Yes, Derby-Birmingham-Bristol is old Midland railway, so Southbound (towards Bristol) is Down and Northbound (Towards Birmingham/Derby) is Up at that point.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Wednesday at 16:24 ==

What i cant understand is that upon reversing from the goods loop,

At Cheltenham Spa, neither goods loop has a signalled route for reversals (at least not on the info I can see).

Most trains appear to just run straight up to G.422 for the shunt but at least one holds in the loop first: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y63254/2026-08-26/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[800002]

At Cheltenham Spa, neither goods loop has a signalled route for reversals (at least not on the info I can see).

There is no ability to 'reverse' in either lansdown loop (Bristol, down side) or high street (Birmingham, up side) loops.

The platforms at Cheltenham are not bi-di capable, right the way through.

Believe a down train, from Birmingham towards Bristol is able to terminate, platform 1 and reverse back to Birmingham or into Alstone Carriage Sidings.

 

[zwk500]

There is no ability to 'reverse' in either lansdown loop (Bristol, down side) or high street (Birmingham, up side) loops.

Which is what I posted.

The platforms at Cheltenham are not bi-di capable, right the way through.

Agreed.

Believe a down train, from Birmingham towards Bristol is able to terminate, platform 1 and reverse back to Birmingham or into Alstone Carriage Sidings.

Platform 1 is the Down Main (Gloucester bound) platform, a passenger train cannot depart towards Birmingham from it. Does the shunt signal (G443) have 2 routes on it? The drawings I have suggest it only reads towards Alstone CS but there's not definitive confirmation on them.

Trains from Birmingham terminating at Cheltenham can be signalled into Platform 2 (Up, Birmingham bound), which has a fixed red at the Gloucester end for arrivals from Birmingham/Alstone CS. Passenger trains can (obviously) depart back towards Birmingham from the platform, or be signalled to the Goods Loop, or shunt to Alstone CS.