Service during disruption at Patchway

[Torfaen]

Of the Bristol suburban stations, Patchway has possibly the worst service of any of them, and during times of disruption it is rare for any of the other 3 trains an hour that pass through to make an additional stop there. During Severn Tunnel engineering works, Patchway gets no train service at all.

Which got me thinking - there are a good many services through the day that start and finish at Filton Abbey Wood, and run to Filton North to turn back. When the Severn Tunnel is closed, could those not turn back at Patchway instead?

Trains would need to continue west of Patchway station to the other side of the up direction signal before running back into the same platform. I believe the up line is signalled reversibly all the way from Patchway to Severn Tunnel Junction, and that the down line can be used for reversal by IETs entering and leaving the depot. Can anyone confirm that scheduled passenger services would be permitted to do this? I have seen a XC voyager do a reversal on the up line once - it may have been a points failure at Bristol Parkway that necessitated this.
Reversal at Patchway instead of Filton North would add maybe 3 or 4 minutes to schedules, I guess.

 

[The exile]

Which got me thinking - there are a good many services through the day that start and finish at Filton Abbey Wood, and run to Filton North to turn back. When the Severn Tunnel is closed, could those not turn back at Patchway instead?

Whether operationally possible or not, it wouldn’t be an option for much longer- once Brabazon opens they’ll be terminating there instead.

 

[Torfaen]

Indeed, although in times of disruption there are other services that could be turned back at Patchway. For instance, there are the Taunton - Cardiff services that would otherwise be terminated at Temple Meads. It would be at the cost of an extra diagram, but they'd still be saving one compared with running to Cardiff and back.