Indeed. The re-wire of Temple Meads station needs to be complete before OLE can go in, but WECA and NR have definitely started looking at wiring the Filton Bank. As you mention, battery looks more likely for the Severn Beach line, presumably partly due to the 2 tunnels (Montpelier and Clifton Down) close to the platform ends.
is this a problem? I can think of loads of stations with tunnels at the platform ends, including "underground"/metro services which have OLE!
Not necessarily - however the proximity of tunnel to platform can cause issues if you need/want to lower the track through the tunnel for OLE clearance. Plenty of solutions available of course, although comparison to lines designed for OLE, or using completely different systems, isn't really relevant.
Yes, I hope that by the time the canopy work over TM is done then WECA and NR have found funding routes for the FB, last time I read there was a shortfall of funding. Given the current financial situation I'm not expecting anything to be announced soon though haha. Now the east junction is reconfigured as well there's not much infrastructure wise to stop wires, still unsure if the intention to insert a new platform 0 is possible though? Yeah BEMU seems sensible for SB line given the cost and the emergence of battery technology and fast charge tech.
Hadn't heard about a platform 0 - where was that going to go?
Indeed, especially as some of the industrial land in the Avonmouth area (and further north, towards Severn Beach) would be ripe for housing to relieve Bristol's severe housing crisis.
I know you like to reject every railway improvement plan ever, but Bristol's railways are the only mode that could penetrate the city centre or close at a reasonable price, AND provide a lot of potential options for expansion.
Thanks for that - too bad that new entrance design hasn't happened yet as it's pretty bad at the moment.Ask Bristol
Ask Bristol is the consultation and engagement hub for Bristol City Council. Tell us what you think and contribute to the future of the city.www.ask.bristol.gov.uk
2 tph is terrible for an urban commuter line. And Temple Meads is a destination is it’s right for people going to other places other than Bristol City.
Haven’t alighted at either Clifton Down or Montpelier for a while but if the platform height there is anything like it is at Stapleton Road, then track lowering to get wires through the tunnels would make life a lot easier for passengers as well!
No it's not, and especially not in Bristol where the buses offer a meaningful competition just on stop-stop journey times to a range of actual destinations across the city.
If you're heading for Bristol City you'll need the bus to Ashton Gate
. More seriously, if you mean 'Temple Meads is an interchange for further destinations' you're correct, but Temple Meads as a destination is primarily offices at the moment. The Harbour, Broadmead Shopping, King Street/Old Town and St Nick's Market are all a 15 minute walk away up some fairly busy roads.True, although the practicalities of lowering the track through the platform would need looking at, especially if you were to have a gradient along the length of the platform so the step was higher at one end than the other! You're absolutely right, the steps at the 5 stations up to and including Clifton Down are very big (not quite as bad as Temple Meads itself though!), I've not got the train further along the branch yet, and reducing it would be a benefit.
2tph is not terrible for a urban heavy rail commuter line. Most of South London has this level of service?
Agree integrated ticketing should be the next step - ideally zonal pricing as well.
The issue with the buses in Bristol is unreliablity largely caused by traffic and roadworks. For many it means buses just aren't something that can be relied upon.
If you head out the back of the station then you can avoid a lot of the busy roads if walking into town.If you're heading for Bristol City you'll need the bus to Ashton Gate
Allowing the freedom travelpass tickets for br bought via an app or similar would be a great first step to that given the ticket already exists.
Agreed.
If you're talking about the Temple Quay entrance you still have to cross Temple or Bristol Bridge.
I didn't say Temple Meads is out on a limb (indeed have argued the opposite several times). But let's not pretend it's ideally sited for the city centre.
Agreed
It really is if we want to make this Line attractive to commuters. We could easily run a train every 15 minutes using a Lint 41 or Desiro inspired train.
The line is already attractive to commuters. 4tph is very much on the nice to have lost, not an essential (I'd put level boarding far, far higher priority than 4tph for starters). An extra car (i.e. all 4-car) would also be much better than double the frequency
Really? I agree that level boarding should be a priority everywhere, but I would have said frequency beats capacity every time
Depends. At some point it does become better to increase capacity over frequency. But the Severn Beach Line is far away from this level.
Alright so you basically want additional capacity but not more trains on the line? 2tph is not a good turn up and go frequency. You still need to rely on the timetable. 4tph is the minimum for a turn up and go frequency.
Lack of level boarding increases the length of stops as people grab handrails to steady themselves or lift heavy bags/bikes/pushchairs as well as providing a massive barrier to access to disabled passengers. All of this massively slows down dwells.
This line doesn't justify a turn up and go frequency. Bristol isn't London and the traffic is highly concentrated around key journey times. You also have competition from the buses, unreliable as they are (the trains not much better in that regard, in my experience). Clifton Down has a bus every 5 minutes or so into town. Portray Park And Ride serves Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Sea Mills with turn up and go buses that serve more of the city centre.
The issues of punctuality can be solved with double tracking and empty trains would be fine as long as they are running during the daytime. Your suggesting 4 car trains every 30 minutes over a 2 car Lint type stock every 15 minutes. If If we really want people to shift from cars to sustainable forms of travel then we must provide better public transport options. If a service every 30 minutes with a 4 car train at peak times is justifiable then I'm very sure a train every 15 minutes with 2 cars during peak time should do fine.
It would reduce, but not eliminate, the problem of overlength dwells.
Empty trains are bad, especially when there is so much crowding on other parts of the network.
Do you have any observations or data beyond just 'you're sure?'. I use this line regulalry on and off peak. The majority of people using this line are aiming to arrive at their destination by a certain time in the morning and cannot leave until certain times in the afternoon, because they are going to work or school. Frequency is less important to them than their 1 specific train having a seat and arriving on time.
Ok yeah I agree on that. My idea is just for Bristol to gets its own mini S train network with frequent commuter trains to help it grow which is not impossible.
That's what the local authorities are aiming for as well! (have a look at the MetroWest project from WECA).
London provides a good example of how to effectively use our rail corridors.
This is highly debatable. A single freight train presenting at the wrong time can destroy the overground service and everything has to be stepped up to match. We should have completely independent freight tracks or even a london ring railway around the M25 to keep metro traffic on it's own set of tracks. Notably the German S-Bahns are largely on dedicated pairs of tracks.
It is pretty poor. Not good enough for south London either. Every 15 mins is the minimum we should look for in busy urban areas.
