Is there a temporary speed restriction on the Marlow branch ?

[Jamiescott1]

Today the 0606 from marlow which is due to arrive in bourne end at 0613 went very slowly the entire journey arriving into bourne end at 0616 (although real train times says it arrived at 0613).
Now on the train bourne end to maidenhead which is going incredibly slow and likely to miss the connection to Paddington

 

[pdeaves]

There is a 20mph emergency restriction between Maidenhead and Bourne End.

 

[Reliablebeam]

I had some fun and games with this on Sunday - we were told there was heat speed restrictions, very (dead) slow around the Cookham - Bourne End segment. I missed my connection on the way there for unrelated reasons as the 387 I was travelling on to Maidenhead lost overhead current - we were told that another train had tripped the power supplies...

 

[Stephen1001]

Ah, perhaps this explains what I observed very early in the morning on Friday 12 August: NR test train 3Q77, formed of top-and-tailed class 37s and various coaches, made an untimetabled trip up the Marlow branch at around 0040, returning an hour later (the RTT schedule doesn't show this as it wasn't in the plan). Given that its length would prevent it from reaching Marlow itself, and that - to my knowledge - there hasn't be a loco-hauled train up the branch since my family moved to Maidenhead in 2004, checking the track as far as Bourne End in abnormal conditions would seem a likely reason for this highly unusual working.

(Edit to correct typo in date!)

 

[brad465]

Is there still a permanent 10mph speed restriction over a particular level crossing? I imagine that potential journey time is held back by that particular restriction, whereby if it was removed a significant journey time improvement could be made relative to the overall journey time.

 

[James H]

Isn't all the track on the branch due to be relayed in October?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Ah, perhaps this explains what I observed very early in the morning on Friday 11 August: NR test train 3Q77, formed of top-and-tailed class 37s and various coaches, made an untimetabled trip up the Marlow branch at around 0040, returning an hour later (the RTT schedule doesn't show this as it wasn't in the plan). Given that its length would prevent it from reaching Marlow itself, and that - to my knowledge - there hasn't be a loco-hauled train up the branch since my family moved to Maidenhead in 2004, checking the track as far as Bourne End in abnormal conditions would seem a likely reason for this highly unusual working.

That’s interesting, in the past I believe the branch has been measured using hand-propelled equipment as it wasn’t included in the main track recording unit diagrams. This method does have its limitation as it doesn’t identify dynamic geometry faults that only become apparently under the weight of a train.

I would imagine the output traces / data from this run might be the root of the current ESR?

 

[Jamiescott1]

Is there still a permanent 10mph speed restriction over a particular level crossing? I imagine that potential journey time is held back by that particular restriction, whereby if it was removed a significant journey time improvement could be made relative to the overall journey time.

Yes there is. Gate crossing at spade oak