SWR Blockade Buster around Salisbury ? (My Idea...)

[yorksrob]

Given the current situation with Great Western services to the South West, together with the blockade at Salisbury over the next few weekends, I was wondering what the possibility was of SWR running a blockade buster around Salisbury to aid the flow of passengers towards the South West.

Obviously SWR are used to running between Westbury and Yeovil via Castle Carey, however how would they be set to run between Westbury and Reading. Would they need a GW pilot ? Would this even be do-able with Covid ?

Alternatively, how about going South towards Weymouth, then reversing towards Yeovil Pen Mill then West ? I'm guessing there might be similar staffing issues and the proliferation of single track sections could rule it out.

Wishful thinking I expect, but I'm interested to know the views of the experts.

Cheers

 

[adc82140]

If they ran from Westbury to Reading via Salisbury and Basingstoke, no route conducting is needed. Whether there is the capacity on the Basingstoke to Reading line to accommodate this without cutting the XC services I don't know.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If they ran from Westbury to Reading via Salisbury and Basingstoke, no route conducting is needed. Whether there is the capacity on the Basingstoke to Reading line to accommodate this without cutting the XC services I don't know.

Southcote - Basingstoke was upgraded from 2 aspect to 3 aspect signalling a good while ago , so capacity should not be a problem. Not sure what a Reading - Westbury service would achieve as the latter is not a major center of population in itself.

 

[JonathanH]

It would be helpful if SWR ran some services on their own route that connected into GWR Portsmouth to Cardiff services at Salisbury instead of missing by five minutes with a 55 minute gap.

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks for the responses so far.

i think one of the issues is that Salisbury itself is out of bounds on this occasion, so it would be getting around there (don't know if the East - South curve is affected.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

It would be helpful if SWR ran some services on their own route that connected into GWR Portsmouth to Cardiff services at Salisbury instead of missing by five minutes with a 55 minute gap.

Generally a busy route anyway (normally) - so must be under some pressure. I would have thought attention to the Exeter via Yeovil route is a key priority (which is being addressed one gathers) , as well as Pomo- Cardiff. Trouble will be unit availability.

 

[pompeyfan]

Is there many Exeter drivers and guards that would sign Yeovil Junction - Reading via Westbury and Newbury as well as signing 158/159 stock? Theoretically there would be nothing to stop it being run as SWR crew as far as Yeovil or Westbury and then GWR sprinter crew taking it forward, the issue would be fuel for the units which be challenging getting them juiced and tanked at Exeter.