Stourbridge - Round Oak Line re-signalling?

[clarkkent]

Hi folks

I drove over the Round Oak freight line in Brierley Hill earlier and I could have sworn I saw a new signal showing a red aspect on the Stourbridge-direction line just under the Moor Street road bridge and another one a little further along (however i'm not 100% on that one).

Does anyone know anything about this line being re-signalled or have I just imagined the whole thing!!!

All the best

Jay

 

[The Planner]

Stourbridge to Droitwich resignalling was due to be commissioned this weekend.

 

[clarkkent]

Thank you, I knew there was going to be some re-signalling done on the Snow Hill Lines, however as the Round Oak stretch does not fall under the passenger mainlines and isn't on the Stourbridge-Droitwich route, are they re-signalling that stretch anyway? If they are, I wonder how far down the route they will go or will they just stop at Round Oak!!

 

[james60059]

I believe a small section of the northern part of the Round Oak line around Bescot has been/in the process of being resignalled (and indeed cleared) to a point just past the M6 so FLHH coal trains can run round going to and from Rugeley Power Station instead of using Bescot.

 

[50010 Monarch]

The resignalling happening this weekend includes the abolition of Kingswinford Junction box as well as those at Stourbridge Junction, Blakedown, Kidderminster Junction & Hartlebury.

The closure of Kingswinford Junction box will probably have resulted in some signalling alterations on the Round Oak freight line although I'm not certain exactly what.

For the record Kingswinford Junction was more of a ground frame as the box proper was the victim of an arson attack by the local low life a few years ago.

 

[WL113]

Sadly the rather splendid Kingswinford Junction South Signal Box was indeed burned to the ground in 2001. Considering how rough the area is it is surprising it lasted as long as it did. The new box was a steel container with an external lever frame, working to Stourbridge Junction. There was no provision for recconnection of the Pensnett branch.

At Pleck Junction a short section of the up and down Dudley lines are being reactivated to provide a run round facility.

 

[Rail.co]

From Rail.co

Investment signals new era for Stourbridge route

One of the last pockets of semaphore signals and traditional absolute block working have been abolished in the West Midlands.

Five signal boxes at Hartlebury, Kidderminster, Blakedown, Stourbridge and Kingswinford were swept away over the Bank Holiday weekend, in an investment worth over £13 million, and control transferred to the West Midlands Signalling Centre at Saltley.

The WMSC will eventually control the whole of the region.

Some of the signal boxes dated back to the 1880s and parts of the Kidderminster signal box will live on as some spares are expected to be claimed by the adjacent Severn Valley Railway to help maintain their numerous Great Western Railway manual signal boxes.

The project also sees the SVR, via a series of slotting levers, connected to the WMSC, in its own Kidderminster signal box, control its first colour light signals allowing trains to arrive and depart from the mainline. At the same time as the re-signalling a facing crossover was also installed at Kidderminster allowing for easier access onto the heritage railway.

A bit more detail regarding work on the Stourbridge route over the bank holiday. Seems parts of the Kidderminster signal box will come in use for the Severn Valley Railway.

 

[clarkkent]

I've just been up to Stourbridge Junction for a little gander to see what (if anything) is different and lo and behold there's a new crossover installed on the Kidderminster-Worcester side approaching the station and theres a new signal which has appeared on the back end of platform 2 by the Parry People Mover shed which is facing towards Kidderminster and appears to always be at red.

I'm wondering why the crossover and new signal have been installed, can anyone shed any light??

Best Wishes

Jay

 

[The Planner]

Flexibility. It enables the termination of the Stourbridge services in either platform now. The new signal is a fixed red as it isn't bi-di from there and the train has nowhere else to go.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Bloody hell! Bi Di at Stourbridge platform 2? What next...crossovers at Cradley Heath. Have any units used the new crossover yet with passengers?

 

[The Planner]

You might get some at Rowley Regis, there is talk of turnbacks from there.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Bloody hell! Bi Di at Stourbridge platform 2? What next...crossovers at Cradley Heath. Have any units used the new crossover yet with passengers?

I'd certainly hope so. The minutes lost at Stourbridge Junction by through services because they are waiting for a terminating train to move out of the way are probably worth the cost of the works alone.