Pilning footbridge & station

[Henbury Loop]

Looking East towards Patchway



They were kind enough to allocate two car parking spaces, going by the 8 people who used the station last year that should be enough for 3 months!



The footbridge in question....



It is in an AWFUL state





I took this photo standing on the bridge, I could literally feel the bridge sway.



So I wonder what the plans are post electrification?

 

[freetoview33]

You mean further west don't you?

I did! I just think it would be best to relocate the station as the current one obviously needs work!

 

[Henbury Loop]

Last one, the memorial plaque of the late Jonathan King a local Pilning resident who every week took the morning parliamentary train from Pilning en route to Bristol, Weston Super Mare, Salisbury or Weymouth. He would plan his journeys carefully so that he could return to Pilning on the afternoon train.

 

[HowardGWR]

I did! I just think it would be best to relocate the station as the current one obviously needs work!

Your suggestion seemed a good one, especially as, IIRC, there is a four track width available there. In fact I wondered if a site nearer to the A 403 road could be preferable.

 

[freetoview33]

Your suggestion seemed a good one, especially as, IIRC, there is a four track width available there. In fact I wondered if a site nearer to the A 403 road could be preferable.

Bit tricky because the A403 will get rerouted once the M49 junction is built. And the main traffic on the A403 is lorries, so much more commuter traffic will come from the B road!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Pilning will be served by replacement bus service from next week too, due to electrification works.

I would have this as a minimum Pilning service have the 8:00 Cardiff - Taunton service Request stop at Pilning Monday - Saturday

and the 16:07 Taunton - Cardiff service request stop at Pilning Monday - Saturday

Then maybe a evening service to Taunton and a Morning service to Cardiff at a later date.

And very true moving it slightly further West would be better as it would be on the 4 track stretch, which would better enable trains to stop there. As a current gWr (FGW) excuse was lack of capacity at Pilning for trains to stop.

In future I can see as I said a new 2 hourly stopping service as follows (it could even be worked by a spare EMU (If that would be cheaper!)

Swindon
Royal Wootton Bassett
Hullavington
Badminton
Chipping Sodbury
Coalpit Heath (Possible)
Winterbourne
Bristol Parkway
Patchway
Aztec West (Possible)
Pilning
Severn Tunnel Junction
Magor
Llanwern
Newport
Newport West
Rumney
Cardiff Central

Yes never would be a busy service but would provide a good link to smaller communities along that stretch of the mainline.

 

[The Planner]

And very true moving it slightly further West would be better as it would be on the 4 track stretch, which would better enable trains to stop there. As a current gWr (FGW) excuse was lack of capacity at Pilning for trains to stop.

You would end up slowing down whichever service down massively if you do that as if you are looping something then by the very nature of doing it you are expecting something else to pass it.

In future I can see as I said a new 2 hourly stopping service as follows (it could even be worked by a spare EMU (If that would be cheaper!)

Swindon
Royal Wootton Bassett
Hullavington
Badminton
Chipping Sodbury
Coalpit Heath (Possible)
Winterbourne
Bristol Parkway
Patchway
Aztec West (Possible)
Pilning
Severn Tunnel Junction
Magor
Llanwern
Newport
Newport West
Rumney
Cardiff Central

Yes never would be a busy service but would provide a good link to smaller communities along that stretch of the mainline.

Good luck with re-opening at least half of those on that list....

 

[TheNewNo2]

Even bearing in mind how pie in the sky that list is, Aztec West would never happen. The point at which the SWML goes past Aztec West is in tunnels, and if you waited for an open bit it would be too close to Patchway and too far from Aztec West.

 

[HowardGWR]

Just had a look at Patchway between 0800 and 0900 and counted about 4 trains each way. If that is a peak loading, then it doesn't indicate to me that there is much of a capacity issue at Pilning.

 

[The Planner]

It isnt going to be Pilning that the problem is, arriving at Bristol East and Maindee 2 or so minutes later is more than likely where the issues are.

 

[freetoview33]

Just had a look at Patchway between 0800 and 0900 and counted about 4 trains each way. If that is a peak loading, then it doesn't indicate to me that there is much of a capacity issue at Pilning.

There are 8tph passing through Patchway currently.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You would end up slowing down whichever service down massively if you do that as if you are looping something then by the very nature of doing it you are expecting something else to pass it.



Good luck with re-opening at least half of those on that list....

There are plans to reopen about half of these stations anyway!

 

[HowardGWR]

8 tph is 4 each way isn't it (or were you agreeing, if so belay the question).

I just wonder where saying Pilning is one stop too many (saw Planner's reply) leaves the Dawlish line (the 4 track 'shove aside' at Dawlish Warren, often for 7 mins currently), the Weston line south of Liberty Colliery, the Bath to Bristol proposals and any other two track main line where local 'metro' services share with HST services, for that matter.

This issue must be a national one; I just know my own area a bit (or areal if you are local to Bristol).

 

[The Planner]

There are plans to reopen about half of these stations anyway!

Plans being the operative word there!

 

[freetoview33]

Currently the timetable Monday to Friday is exactly the same as the Saturday timetable the only difference being the Saturday service stops additionally at Pilning it doesn't seem to add any time! (If this is the same in practice I don't know)

Yes the 8 trains are

2 to London Paddington
3 to Cardiff
1 to Swansea
1 to Taunton
1 to Portsmouth

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

The bridge is perfectly safe

 

[Henbury Loop]

The bridge is perfectly safe

I would disagree with that.
The timber in most places is dangerously rotten, the metal construction is heavily corroded with alarming cracks appearing.

A bridge should not be felt to sway when a sprinter passes underneath.

In any case the bridge will have to be removed for the electrification works.

Whether they will replace it and install another I would be very interested to know.

I sincerely hope that the station is not closed and indeed the station is not left with one accessible platform or some other narrow minded solution.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

I would disagree with that.
The timber in most places is dangerously rotten, the metal construction is heavily corroded with alarming cracks appearing.

A bridge should not be felt to sway when a sprinter passes underneath.

In any case the bridge will have to be removed for the electrification works.

Whether they will replace it and install another I would be very interested to know.

I sincerely hope that the station is not closed and indeed the station is not left with one accessible platform or some other narrow minded solution.

It has been condemned, it should have been removed a year ago (from memory - my previous posts on this thread are more accurate) and there should be a replacement sitting in the yard of a fabrication contractor somewhere (unless it has been diverted elsewhere - always possible).

 

[freetoview33]

I would disagree with that.
The timber in most places is dangerously rotten, the metal construction is heavily corroded with alarming cracks appearing.

A bridge should not be felt to sway when a sprinter passes underneath.

In any case the bridge will have to be removed for the electrification works.

Whether they will replace it and install another I would be very interested to know.

I sincerely hope that the station is not closed and indeed the station is not left with one accessible platform or some other narrow minded solution.

It would be a bit stupid as trains only stop at the platform on the other side of the bridge! Although I can see a replacement bus service running for the foreseeable future

 

[Radedamer]

Quite interesting. I'll have to go up there and have a look – haven't been up there for a while. Don't think I've ever been across the footbridge. I do, however, have a friend whose colleague once got the parliamentary train in to work – he said train staff were amazed!

It's been said for a while that Pilning is set to expand hugely, but at the moment it's certainly a small place – smaller than Severn Beach, which is almost a small town – and the station is not near anything much other than a pub (where the Wurzels have played :roll. It's hard to see it generating much traffic even if it had a proper service; but Severn Beach, which probably would be reasonably busy if it had a better service (seems to be mostly bustitution currently ), suffers from being out on a limb. So, yeah, maybe the ideal would be to close the current Pilning and SVB and replace them both with one new Pilning (call it Severn Beach if that goes down better) nearer the centres of population of both and with decent mainline service.

Curiousity about Pilining: it has an Indian Orthodox church – one of only three or four in the whole UK (the others are in London, Hemel Hempstead and I think Manchester).

 

[Henbury Loop]

it would be a bit stupid as trains only stop at the platform on the other side of the bridge! Although i can see a replacement bus service running for the foreseeable future

 

[Llanigraham]

The bridge is perfectly safe

And you are a Structural Engineer who has made a full and complete survey of this bridge?

 

[Henbury Loop]

Quite interesting. I'll have to go up there and have a look – haven't been up there for a while. Don't think I've ever been across the footbridge. I do, however, have a friend whose colleague once got the parliamentary train in to work – he said train staff were amazed!

It's been said for a while that Pilning is set to expand hugely, but at the moment it's certainly a small place – smaller than Severn Beach, which is almost a small town – and the station is not near anything much other than a pub (where the Wurzels have played :roll. It's hard to see it generating much traffic even if it had a proper service; but Severn Beach, which probably would be reasonably busy if it had a better service (seems to be mostly bustitution currently ), suffers from being out on a limb. So, yeah, maybe the ideal would be to close the current Pilning and SVB and replace them both with one new Pilning (call it Severn Beach if that goes down better) nearer the centres of population of both and with decent mainline service.

Curiousity about Pilining: it has an Indian Orthodox church – one of only three or four in the whole UK (the others are in London, Hemel Hempstead and I think Manchester).

I'm not sure you have read up on up to date figures for Severn Beach or indeed the line.

Since Bristol City Council subsidised an improved service on the line, £400k annually back in 2008 the line has become a true success story that we should be proud of.

I think there is only one bus replacement service to St Andrews Road on a Saturday mornings. Nothing compared to how it was previously run.

After the second year of subsidies FGW were making profit so the improved service continued and the subsidies were no longer paid.

Since that time the line has seen a 350% increase in passenger numbers on the line and off the top of my head I think the specific growth at SVB station itself is around 15% year on year.


So they would be mad to close/move SVB!

 

[freetoview33]

I'm not sure you have read up on up to date figures for Severn Beach or indeed the line.

Since Bristol City Council subsidised an improved service on the line, £400k annually back in 2008 the line has become a true success story that we should be proud of.

I think there is only one bus replacement service to St Andrews Road on a Saturday mornings. Nothing compared to how it was previously run.

After the second year of subsidies FGW were making profit so the improved service continued and the subsidies were no longer paid.

Since that time the line has seen a 350% increase in passenger numbers on the line and off the top of my head I think the specific growth at SVB station itself is around 15% year on year.


So they would be mad to close/move SVB!

Hence why I think a relocated Pilning would provide a useful link to South Wales/Swindon without having to travel via Temple Meads.

 

[D1009]

Hence why I think a relocated Pilning would provide a useful link to South Wales/Swindon without having to travel via Temple Meads.

Have you any evidence of anyone wanting to go from there to Swindon or South Wales?

 

[freetoview33]

Have you any evidence of anyone wanting to go from there to Swindon or South Wales?

Not from Pilning specifically

 

[Radedamer]

Checked and it seems no bustitution now, but it's still only every third train – ie about one every two hours – extended beyond Avonmouth. This, compared to the pretty decent every 40 minute service from BRI to Avonmouth, is what I was thinking of. Whether this will change when the Henbury Spur or Loop is finally running, I have no idea.

 

[freetoview33]

Checked and it seems no bustitution now, but it's still only every third train – ie about one every two hours – extended beyond Avonmouth. This, compared to the pretty decent every 40 minute service from BRI to Avonmouth, is what I was thinking of. Whether this will change when the Henbury Spur or Loop is finally running, I have no idea.

I did see a bus on rail work at St Andrews Road saturday morning just gone

 

[TheNewNo2]

Checked and it seems no bustitution now, but it's still only every third train – ie about one every two hours – extended beyond Avonmouth. This, compared to the pretty decent every 40 minute service from BRI to Avonmouth, is what I was thinking of. Whether this will change when the Henbury Spur or Loop is finally running, I have no idea.

It is meant to change - MetroWest Phase 1 should see frequencies along the Severn Beach Line increased from 3tp2h to 2tph, of which 1tph will extend to Severn Beach. The Henbury Line is currently meant to be a spur from Parkway, so should have zero impact.

 

[HowardGWR]

It is meant to change - MetroWest Phase 1 should see frequencies along the Severn Beach Line increased from 3tp2h to 2tph, of which 1tph will extend to Severn Beach. The Henbury Line is currently meant to be a spur from Parkway, so should have zero impact.

I think you may mean a spur from Abbey Wood possibly? Whilst Henbury is reachable direct from Parkway on the centre line of the 'kite' junction, I don't think a Henbury service is supposed to run other than as an extension of a service between Abbey Wood and TM. Would be interested to know if wrong.

 

[Radedamer]

Dunno, I heard Henbury – Filton North (names may change, surely) – Parkway – possible Lockleaze or Ashley Down – Stapleton Rd – Lawrence Hill – Temple Meads. But quite likely that was someone's wishful thinking!

 

[HowardGWR]

Dunno, I heard Henbury – Filton North (names may change, surely) – Parkway – possible Lockleaze or Ashley Down – Stapleton Rd – Lawrence Hill – Temple Meads. But quite likely that was someone's wishful thinking!

I suppose they could decide to reverse the service from Henbury at Parkway, before running down the SW facing part of the 'kite' to Abbey Wood. I hadn't thought of that, I admit.

Doesn't sound very appetising for Henbury and North Filton pax and involves flat crossing of the main lines (once quadrupled) that would otherwise not be necessary. On the other hand, it would give long distance connections at Parkway, I suppose.