Lowestoft Transport and Infrastructure Prospectus

[Trainfan344]

Plans have been made recently to upgrade the transport in Lowestoft, which includes lot's of different parts, and Includes lots of rail related improvements, It can be viewed in full here: http://www.waveney.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=825&categoryID=100002

It categorizes Improvements into 3 separate time periods, these are: Short term (1 to 5 years), Medium Term (5 to 10 Years), Long Term (10+ Years)

The Rail Improvements are.

Rail Improvements - short term
• Changes to Oulton Broad North Station to reduce traffic delays and to
maximise the opportunities afforded by the proposed resignalling of the
Norwich - Lowestoft line to improve the flexibility of operations between
Oulton Broad Junction and Lowestoft and maintain appropriate facilities for
passenger and potential future freight operations at Lowestoft
• Retention of the hourly service between Lowestoft and Ipswich
• Improved journey times between Lowestoft and Ipswich with the longer term
aim of achieving a 60 minute journey time
• High quality passenger rolling stock with more seating capacity
• Faster journeys between Lowestoft and Norwich
• Hourly Sunday frequency between Lowestoft and Norwich / Ipswich
• Direct rail service between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
• Removal or improvement of level crossings
• Implement rail track improvements
• Encourage commercial operators to consider options for providing Steam Train services on the Wherry and East Suffolk lines
• To support the provision of a wider Express Service from Lowestoft to the West
(Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted)

Medium Term
• Future electrification of the East Suffolk Line
• Improved line capacity betweenWoodbridge and Saxmundham
• Half hourly services to Ipswich and Norwich

Long Term
• Subject to option appraisals and improvements carried out in the short –
medium term, relocate Oulton Broad north station
• Subject to option appraisals carried out in the short term and delivery
undertaken in the medium term, reintroduce freight transport to Lowestoft

I can see this being a good thing for Lowestoft, I also like the idea of the Electrification of the East Suffolk Line and the improved journey times and frequencies, However, how much of this will be implemented remains to be seen.

 

[johnnychips]

Direct rail service between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth

Reversing at Reedham?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does Oulton Broad North station lie on the line of the A1117 and if so, what traffic problems are encountered in the area of the railway station ?

 

[Trainfan344]

Does Oulton Broad North station lie on the line of the A1117 and if so, what traffic problems are encountered in the area of the railway station ?

There is always heavy traffic through that area, with 1tph each way, the barriers have to be down when the train is in the station I believe, and when they are down, the traffic builds up quickly and usually stretches for at least half a mile or so either side of the barriers.

Here is a map of the location.

 

[Bald Rick]

are the council paying for all this?

 

[Spaceflower]

Where's the provision for flying pigs?

 

[Bald Rick]

It is mildly ironic that their first priority for rail is to reduce road traffic delays.

 

[Trainfan344]

are the council paying for all this?

Funding is explained on page 30 of the PDF I linked to.

 

[Bald Rick]

Funding is explained on page 30 of the PDF I linked to.

Which along with page 31 is 2 pages of "err, dunno"

 

[jopsuk]

Where do they want to move the station to? In the location it is, purely from looking at the map a platform on the line south would like a sensible addition?

It would appear that there used to be a chord at Reedham

 

[Trainfan344]

Which along with page 31 is 2 pages of "err, dunno"

Summarised Nicely on Pages 37+38.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Looking at bus times between the two, The fastest bus between Lowestoft and Yarmouth takes 38 Minutes, on the train Lowestoft to Reedham takes 22 minutes at best, and Reedham to Yarmouth takes 17 Minutes at best, so I make it a total 0f 39 minutes on the train without the interchange time etc at Reedham.

 

[A0]

I can see this being a good thing for Lowestoft, I also like the idea of the Electrification of the East Suffolk Line and the improved journey times and frequencies, However, how much of this will be implemented remains to be seen.

Good luck with the electrification argument - I can't believe for a minute that the East Suffolk line will even come close to justifying that investment.

It has a regular service which is more than adequately covered by DMUs.

There is a long, long list of other areas far more deserving of electrification and the benefits that yields - we know that the MML and GWML are to be done. The next phase should really cover the suburban / commuter routes into the major cities - Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow. They'll have a much better case for being wired.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Looking at bus times between the two, The fastest bus between Lowestoft and Yarmouth takes 38 Minutes, on the train Lowestoft to Reedham takes 22 minutes at best, and Reedham to Yarmouth takes 17 Minutes at best, so I make it a total 0f 39 minutes on the train without the interchange time etc at Reedham.

The fast service will of course be the X1 service from Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth and carrying to Peterborough, but is there also a slower number 1 service that runs from Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth. How well is that slower service patronised ?

 

[TheEdge]

Basically they want brand new rolling stock, to relay, double and electrify the East Suffolk line, makes use of a railway that just doesn't exist to Yarmouth which I think would need a little bit of resignalling at Reedham and then some brand new services to places over the horizon, despite the fact a change at Norwich already provides this.

And they also want a half hourly service from Norwich to Ipswich. Last time I checked this already exists...

Hopefully near the pie in the sky bakery that they got this from there is also a money tree to fund it.

 

[Trainfan344]

The fast service will of course be the X1 service from Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth and carrying to Peterborough, but is there also a slower number 1 service that runs from Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth. How well is that slower service patronised ?

I believe both are quite well patronised due to the diffrent routes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And they also want a half hourly service from Norwich to Ipswich. Last time I checked this already exists...

No, they want a half hourly service from Norwich and Ipswich to Lowestoft

 

[TheEdge]

No, they want a half hourly service from Norwich and Ipswich to Lowestoft

But why? Except the peak time services I wouldn't say I have yet been on an East Suffolk or Norwich service where it was so busy a half hourly service would be needed. And their capacity argument, again bar the peak time services the 2 car 170s and 156s are not heaving and the 3 car 170s seem like overkill.

This just seems like some very unlikely dreams.

 

[Trainfan344]

But why? Except the peak time services I wouldn't say I have yet been on an East Suffolk or Norwich service where it was so busy a half hourly service would be needed. And their capacity argument, again bar the peak time services the 2 car 170s and 156s are not heaving and the 3 car 170s seem like overkill.

This just seems like some very unlikely dreams.

It is, some of it I like, such as an hourly service between Ipswich and Lowestoft on a sunday.

 

[43074]

But why? Except the peak time services I wouldn't say I have yet been on an East Suffolk or Norwich service where it was so busy a half hourly service would be needed. And their capacity argument, again bar the peak time services the 2 car 170s and 156s are not heaving and the 3 car 170s seem like overkill.

This just seems like some very unlikely dreams.

I agree with all of this. If there is any line in Norfolk where a 1/2 hourly service is needed then I would suggest the Norwich to Yarmouth line, at least between May and September.

And as for the electrification of the East Suffolk Line... :roll:

 

[jopsuk]

I guess the hope with an electrified line would be that it would open up the possibility of direct London services once more, with portion-working. There is a possibility that a future GEML "intercity" fleet might be five car units. If ten car services were split at Ipswich, you could have a unit to Norwich and a unit to Lowestoft- potentially increasing patronage.

 

[Robert Taggart]

Reversing at Reedham?

Laying track over a never laid chord / curve at Reedham ?

 

[Robert Taggart]

It would appear that there used to be a chord at Reedham

Indeed, but, methinks it was never laid !

 

[CockneySparrow]

Reversing at Reedham?

Just like they have done at Ely more years than I care to remember lol

 

[CockneySparrow]

I guess the hope with an electrified line would be that it would open up the possibility of direct London services once more, with portion-working. There is a possibility that a future GEML "intercity" fleet might be five car units. If ten car services were split at Ipswich, you could have a unit to Norwich and a unit to Lowestoft- potentially increasing patronage.

Personally can't see it, ECML will get new stock at some point and the current ECML will appear in Norwich, with planned electrification between Ipswich and Nuneaton and the portion between Chippenham Junction to Cambridge will leave a few class 170s free to make the switch to the Ipswich to Lowestoft line, I was about to say the Felixstowe line as well but can't see them leavingthe portion between Trimley and FLX