Reading Christmas Blockade

[embers25]

I saw on the fGW website that the Reading Christmas Blockade is going to be quite fun!! They state through trains will run to London via a diversionary route but don't state which route or which London terminal. Does anyone know? Particularly intriguing is the diversion route during the closure from Didcot to Twyford.

My thoughts were:

From Bristol:

Didcot-Oxford-Banbury-reverse-Paddington via Chiltern though capacity on Chiltern may be an issue.

When allowed Didcot-Reading West-Basingstoke-reverse-Waterloo

From Plymouth

Reading West-reverse-Basingstoke-reverse-Waterloo
Westbury-reverse-Salisbury-Basingstoke-Waterloo

Also XC I assume will route via Reading West like this Sunday except when Didcot-Twyford closes when I assume they'll terminate at Oxford with buses to Winchester down the A34????

 

[swt_passenger]

I saw on the fGW website that the Reading Christmas Blockade is going to be quite fun!! They state through trains will run to London via a diversionary route but don't state which route or which London terminal. Does anyone know? Particularly intriguing is the diversion route during the closure from Didcot to Twyford.

My thoughts were:

From Bristol:

Didcot-Oxford-Banbury-reverse-Paddington via Chiltern though capacity on Chiltern may be an issue.

When allowed Didcot-Reading West-Basingstoke-reverse-Waterloo

From Plymouth

Reading West-reverse-Basingstoke-reverse-Waterloo
Westbury-reverse-Salisbury-Basingstoke-Waterloo

Also XC I assume will route via Reading West like this Sunday except when Didcot-Twyford closes when I assume they'll terminate at Oxford with buses to Winchester down the A34????

Reading West is closed throughout from what I've read in the rules of the route for the Christmas/New year blockade. FGW will be running up the B&H only as far as Theale.

XC are bustituted from Didcot to Winchester for the south, and Basingstoke for that area.

If long distance diversions into Waterloo happen I think they'll have to run via Westbury and Salisbury as you suggest...

 

[embers25]

Interesting Reading West is closed as well! So does that lead to the prospect of (Gloucester)-Swindon-Chippenham-Westbury-Salisbury-Waterloo as well then? Or maybe Swindon-Didcot West Curve-Banbury-Padd giving Oxford a service too. Also I wonder if Chiltern will allow passengers to travel Oxford-Bicester Town-walk to North-Marylebone to help out and get passengers ready for Evergreen 3!

 

[Mojo]

I'm sure this is being discussed elsewhere? I think trains from Devon & Cornwall will run via Salisbury into Waterloo and the Bristol/South Wales services are going via Banbury into Paddington? 'The Planner' might be able to advise.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Found it. See this thread: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=29545.

 

[embers25]

Much appreciated.

 

[louis97]

Generally, what is happening is as followed...

Services which would run via B & H (Penzance - Plymouth - Taunton - Westbury - Padd) are reversing at Westbury down to Salisbury up the South Western as far as Weybridge, then Via the Addlestone Curve to Virginia Water and to Waterloo Via Richmond.

One day during the diversions services will run via the Hounslow Loop due to Rugby at Twickenham

Services from Swansea/Bristol TM direction are diverted just before Didcot Parkway Via Oxford and Banbury where they run the Chiltern Route as far as Ruislip, and are then diverted into Paddington Via Greenford (Park Royal coming the other way)

So, Plenty of rare track to get there! especially the Didcot West Curve which has no passenger service run over it, and also South Ruislip to Paddington via Greenford and Park Royal

 

[embers25]

Is the reason for the additional delay caused by routing via Virginia Water due to HST's only being cleared for the Windsor Platforms at Clapham as no one seemed to clear that up in the previous thread unless I missed it? You'd think the HST from Plymouth will be full of rugby fans and so instead of going via Hounslow it should actually stop to set down(in)/pick up(out) only at Twickenham to help with capacity.

 

[The Planner]

nothing has changed since the last time it was discussed, still the routes I set out in the other thread.

 

[crewmeal]

Perhaps they could bring back ''The Atlantic Coast Express'' as I'm sure the journey timings will be similar with all the different routes it might take.

Imagine on a Saturday morning 'Clanline' pulling a stock of green coaches starting at Waterloo and calling at Salisbury, Yeovil, Exeter Central, Exeter St Davids, reverse - Plymouth.

Railtour operators - take note.

I can dream on!!!

 

[Ferret]

XC are bustituted from Didcot to Winchester for the south, and Basingstoke for that area.

Oh cripes! I hope there aren't any cruiseships in Southampton during the period of the blockade! There'll be some very disgruntled coach drivers, not to mention the passengers!

 

[swt_passenger]

Is the reason for the additional delay caused by routing via Virginia Water due to HST's only being cleared for the Windsor Platforms at Clapham as no one seemed to clear that up in the previous thread unless I missed it? You'd think the HST from Plymouth will be full of rugby fans and so instead of going via Hounslow it should actually stop to set down(in)/pick up(out) only at Twickenham to help with capacity.

Not necessarily the main reason. If platforming capacity at Waterloo on the day means an HST operated service needs to get into one of the highest numbered platforms on the Windsor side, the normal solution would be to run via the Byfleet Curve onto the Reading/Windsor lines. It's easier to do the conflicting crossing move at Virginia Water than somewhere east of Clapham Jn.

What crossovers there are between the mains and Windsor side hardly ever get used in service AFAICT, presumably too many conflicts...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Oh cripes! I hope there aren't any cruiseships in Southampton during the period of the blockade! There'll be some very disgruntled coach drivers, not to mention the passengers!

This will answer that question:

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp


It shows some activity, but not much, for the relevant period - but it might not be fully detailed yet, and only shows up to the end of December at the moment.

 

[turbo mick]

hi everyone

Iam a driver at reading and its going to be fun
Everything will be terminating on the fringe of Reading panel or diverted.

London paddington-maidenhead no further
Nothing past didcot parkway to and from reading
Waterloo and gatwick&redhill will start or terminate at wokingham or earley.

TVSC is already open at didcot trains can run as far as Theale and go back on the B&H

Basingstoke lines closed, twyford-henley branch closed

All or the 165/166 will be relocated. units to be serviced at Selhurst on the southern.Old oak.units stabled at oxford,redhill somewhere at newbury

 

[imagination]

I'm confused as to why the Twyford-Henley branch is to be closed.

Couldn't they just put one train on it and have it run back and forth about once an hour, going into platform 5 at Twyford? That way they wouldn't have to run buses to Henley - they could connect instead with the replacement buses at Twyford going between Maidenhead and Reading.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

All I know is I've been told they're going via Banbury

 

[turbo mick]

I'm confused as to why the Twyford-Henley branch is to be closed.

Couldn't they just put one train on it and have it run back and forth about once an hour, going into platform 5 at Twyford? That way they wouldn't have to run buses to Henley - they could connect instead with the replacement buses at Twyford going between Maidenhead and Reading.

The twyford-henley branch is signalled by reading psb.

Reading psb is being closed and everything is being transfered to Thames valley signalling centre at Didcot thats why the total blockade.

If you have a look here this a interesting site in the picture is twyford station and you will see the henley branch at the top and pictures of the new TVSC at didcot http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo.php?pc=245&p=S7306040.JPG