Turnback at Rainham Kent

[cav1975]

The pointwork is in and the platform construction is well under way. I'm not sure about signalling.

I haven't seen any plans for using this expensive facility. Are the Charing Cross trains to be extended from Gillingham or is there some other plan?

 

[user15681]

It's a little more progressed than that (apologies if you know that, just for the benefit of others). The pointwork was installed a month or two ago, followed by the installation of track and the third rail a few weeks ago (not live). Platform surfaces have been asphalted over the past week or two and just last week the buffers were put in, along with fencing at the London end and lampposts ready for installation.

I was going to get some pictures this weekend actually to provide an update, but works put me off. It's too dark in the morning/evening when I'm on my way in/home at this time of year, so I'll see if I can find another time soon to take photos.

I'm not aware of the plan for its long term use at the moment, I've probably missed it somewhere. I do know, though, that it is planned to be bought into use from Easter 2015, although it is running ahead of schedule and I seem to remember being told it'd be all but finished by early February 2015. Also, the last I knew the first planned passenger use it should see, barring any emergency use prior to that, is second weekend of April 2015 during engineering works whilst down trains terminate there.

 

[carriageline]

It will probably be bought into use when Rainham box is resignalled into the ROC next year


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[moggie]

It will probably be bought into use when Rainham box is resignalled into the ROC next year

Easter next year allegedly. Onto East Kent SC new Sittingbourne desk.

 

[cav1975]

Thanks for the interesting responses. It does seem an awfully expensive facility to keep just for engineering works and emergencies.

I hope we get an improved service from Rainham as a result of the work sometime.

 

[30907]

I hope we get an improved service from Rainham as a result of the work sometime.

That's the point, surely, though I don't know the details? Rainham has grown out of all recognition since electrification in 1959 and Gillingham as a terminus no longer makes commercial sense - and operationally it has been pretty congested since before then (the signal stop on Luton viaduct features in my summer holiday memories).

 

[Garyhb]

As I used to live in Rainham I find this very interesting. Is the turn back platform on the opposite face of the up or down platform?

 

[user15681]

As I used to live in Rainham I find this very interesting. Is the turn back platform on the opposite face of the up or down platform?

Opposite face of the up platform. Starts just after the station building and is 12 cars long so extends a little past the current up platform. There are facing points just after the station so that it can be accessed from the down. Also a signal installed on the up platform at the country end for terminating trains.

 

[Garyhb]

Opposite face of the up platform. Starts just after the station building and is 12 cars long so extends a little past the current up platform. There are facing points just after the station so that it can be accessed from the down. Also a signal installed on the up platform at the country end for trains departing in the down direction.

Thank you. Also reading above, I thought Rinham box closed years ago and was operated from Gillingham.

 

[carriageline]

Thank you. Also reading above, I thought Rinham box closed years ago and was operated from Gillingham.

Nope! Closing next Easter along with Gillingham (mechanical box) and Rochester. Medway Valley has been put back a little bit though


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[user15681]

Sorry for the bump.

I never did manage to get photos of this, although it is pretty much finished apart from being commissioned. This link shows some good photos throughout the construction... http://www.ekr2.co.uk/rainham-complete

However, it seems that the planned phase 2 work over the coming Easter weekend, including commissioning, has been pulled at the last minute. Seems some risk assessments judged it couldn't be completed in time.

Not sure what impact it'll have on the turnback and everything else EKR2 for that matter.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The whole signalling possession / commissioning this Easter is cancelled - but the block will continue to do other works right through the Medway ....

 

[Class 170101]

Have all the resources been sent to Reading?

 

[Yabbadabba]

The whole signalling possession / commissioning this Easter is cancelled - but the block will continue to do other works right through the Medway ....

No surprises there, that another re-signalling / re-control project is running late at the time of commissioning.

 

[thebigcheese]

That website is pretty good. Shame to see the signal box at East Farleigh is being demolished though. That is my mum's local station so pass through there twice a year. Does anyone know when it's going?

 

[ScotGG]

How's the new Rochester station coming along just down the road? Surprised to see it should be open by December but googling brings up very few images.

 

[user15681]

How's the new Rochester station coming along just down the road? Surprised to see it should be open by December but googling brings up very few images.

I took a slow-mo video of it on my phone this week, but when I upload it the quality drops and the slow-mo is lost. Still, here it is (taken on the up line, so a view of the down lines)... https://www.flickr.com/photos/129267870@N05/16637574647/in/photostream/

In description though, so far in roughly chronological order...
In April 2014 the new underpass was slotted in and part of the down loop on the London side of the signal box was removed. From then, an embankment was created on the down side with help from steel piling. This has enabled the down island platform (for down main and down loop) to be constructed on top of this. The bridge over Blueboar lane has also been put in over December 2014. The main structure of the down island platform is largely complete and just a few weeks ago the tactile platform edge coping stones (the slabs with yellow lines on) were put down on the side facing the loop. The lift shaft on the down platforms was also finished last week. Construction hasn't started on the up platform structure yet, but the steel piling for the enlarged embankment was completed a little while ago. The new station building began construction a week or two ago.

I hope that all makes sense, don't think I missed anything.

 

[ScotGG]

Cheers brilliant reply, that's just what I was looking for!

So no commissioning means no services using platform 0 then at Rainham from May? Realtimetrains backs this up with nothing shown. What services were due to stop there - semi-fasts from Gillingham extended one stop down?

 

[user15681]

Cheers brilliant reply, that's just what I was looking for!

So no commissioning means no services using platform 0 then at Rainham from May? Realtimetrains backs this up with nothing shown. What services were due to stop there - semi-fasts from Gillingham extended one stop down?

No problem! I'm not entirely sure to be honest, think it was the Gillingham terminators to be extended at times, but alas will not be happening just yet anyway.

 

[StockControl]

Does any one know the latest timescale of this scheme.

 

[carriageline]

Christmas/Easter is what we are hearing. The contractor is working on another scheme due in March 2016, so that could complicate things.

 

[ComUtoR]

Thanks for the interesting responses. It does seem an awfully expensive facility to keep just for engineering works and emergencies.

I hope we get an improved service from Rainham as a result of the work sometime.

Additional turn-backs are good during all disruption and not just engineering works. If it keeps services running during engineering works instead of the plethora of cancellations that happens over a typical bank holiday then I'm all for it.

Long term benefit for the passenger imho

 

[Antman]

Isn't there a long term aim to extend Medway Valley line trains to Gillingham? That's what a guard said.

 

[carriageline]

Wonder how they would do that!

 

[eastwestdivide]

Wonder how they would do that!

What were you wondering about? Platform capacity at Strood being tied up by the reversals? Too many trains through Rochester Bridge Junction?

 

[Busaholic]

Isn't there a long term aim to extend Medway Valley line trains to Gillingham? That's what a guard said.

A direct rail link between the county town of Kent (Maidstone) and the Medway Towns would surely be a desirable thing - it bugged me when I worked in Kent, based in Maidstone but having to travel throughout the county, that though my office was near Maidstone West it was almost always quicker to get to Chatham or Gillingham by getting the 101 bus, 'connections' at Strood on the train being into London-bound services. On the other hand, there were always many who wanted a direct service from the Medway Valley stations to Dartford and London and you can't please everyone!

 

[carriageline]

What were you wondering about? Platform capacity at Strood being tied up by the reversals? Too many trains through Rochester Bridge Junction?

How they would do it, and where they would reverse mainly.

The fact there is no crossover or pointwork from platform 3 (Maidstone platform) to reverse down to Rochester. You could stick it in 2, but the reversal, then crossing over to the down line would then clog up 2 platforms while that happens.

And from my memory of strood the lack of space to put the crossover, and the fact they have just put the new bridge in where the points could of been perhaps States there is no plan to put points on. Unless you have a flying junction from the Maidstone side of the station up towards Rochester Bridge junc, but you would still cross the Up line towards Victoria, and that would be an expensive option for no real benefit.

Or perhaps, have the Maidstone lines flyover toward Rochester, and completely cut out strood altogether, but that's dreaming a bit too much perhaps?

 

[eastwestdivide]

How they would do it, and where they would reverse mainly.

The fact there is no crossover or pointwork from platform 3 (Maidstone platform) to reverse down to Rochester. You could stick it in 2, but the reversal, then crossing over to the down line would then clog up 2 platforms while that happens.

And from my memory of strood the lack of space to put the crossover, and the fact they have just put the new bridge in where the points could of been perhaps States there is no plan to put points on. Unless you have a flying junction from the Maidstone side of the station up towards Rochester Bridge junc, but you would still cross the Up line towards Victoria, and that would be an expensive option for no real benefit.

Or perhaps, have the Maidstone lines flyover toward Rochester, and completely cut out strood altogether, but that's dreaming a bit too much perhaps?

There are already trailing crossovers on both the Rochester and Maidstone sides of Strood station, so reversal in Pl.2 is fine. In fact it used to be a regular timetabled service for a while.
The Maidstone line crossover is used all the time by departing trains from Strood towards Maidstone. The Rochester line crossover is used at least by the 2331 empty coaching stock from platform 2 at Strood see http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W21817/2015/06/23/advanced .

Whichever direction (Gillingham-Maidstone or vice versa), you still have to cross from an up to a down line at some point. Reversing in platform 2 only ties up one (up) platform while the train is in the platform, and then on departure you cross to the down line.

If this caused too much occupation of Pl.2, you could install a facing crossover on the Maidstone side of Strood, you could run Maidstone TO Gillingham services into Pl.1 (cross to down line before arrival), and Gillingham TO Maidstone services into Pl.2 (cross to down line after departure). This would also reduce confusion for passengers (always Pl.1 for Gillingham, Pl.2/3 island for Maidstone).

Flyover - maybe with unlimited funds, but realistically, no way, no need.

 

[Antman]

A direct rail link between the county town of Kent (Maidstone) and the Medway Towns would surely be a desirable thing - it bugged me when I worked in Kent, based in Maidstone but having to travel throughout the county, that though my office was near Maidstone West it was almost always quicker to get to Chatham or Gillingham by getting the 101 bus, 'connections' at Strood on the train being into London-bound services. On the other hand, there were always many who wanted a direct service from the Medway Valley stations to Dartford and London and you can't please everyone!

The 101 bus was half hourly years ago but is now every 12minutes, I suspect its success is largely down to the lack of a direct rail link and road improvements which have speeded up journey times

 

[SF-02]

Southeastern are/were consulting on the timetable from August 2016. No mention of Gillingham services extended to Rainham. It did mention more Gillingham trains going to Abbey Wood due to Crossrail, but this was quickly removed when people commented that Crossrail was still 2 years beyond that.

However more Medway semi-fasts do look like diverting via Abbey Wood as a warm up for Crossrail, and I'd expect Rainham to be finished by August 2016, so the semi-fasts terminating there, and diverted from the Sidcup and Bexleyheath lines?