Random Stuff!

[tpm]

I believe Filton Bank four-tracking is still going ahead.

I think we currently don't know if electrification of these sections is going to be axed completely (as you seem to imply) or if it simply gets pushed into the next Network Rail control period (CP6). We'll hopefully find out in a few months time. They're way behind the schedule with these works anyway, so from the looks of it and other outstanding work around Temple Meads there's not much chance of them finishing all that in CP5 anyway, and as I understand it resignaling has to be done before any electrification works.

I find it hard to believe that electrification of these sections is going to be axed completely, even more so after they've already done a lot of very expensive and intrusive work on track clearances on the Bath route (yes I know the saying about sunk costs). The economic rationale for electrification still exists even with bi-mode trains in the picture.

Hopefully the reason that no alternative dates have been given yet for completion of these sections is just that they're still dealing with the disaster that is the current CP and leaving details of the next one until later. Fingers crossed.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There have been promises of a major upgrade at Temple Meads for many years. It never seems to happen though. The main approach road is a mess, gridlocked at times with taxis, buses and private cars all attempting to find some road space.

Currently it must present the most dispiriting rail approach of any city in the country with the long disused and derelict Royal Mail Sorting Office building looming over the station (the latest idea seems to be to knock it down as part of preparation for a new Bristol University campus planned for the Temple area); the will it or won't it happen arena site; the empty land between the B & E Building (now that is a gem) and Temple Gate; the derelict filling station and the two derelict hotels that greet visitors as soon as they leave the approach road.

I suppose part of the problem in dragging Temple Meads into the 21st Century is the Grade 1 listed status of much of the site. It's one of the world's oldest and most historic stations.

The political noises coming from the government don't fill me with confidence that these sections (as well as Oxford-Didcot) will be electrified in the foreseeable future. There is no definite timescale (even accepting that any timescale would inevitably fall behind schedule), only vague comments that the work will be done at some point in the future. That could mean decades.

I'm glad to hear that the bank up to Filton is still on course to be returned to four tracks.

At least Bristol will be in sniffing distance of the electrified line. The remainder of the South West is not even pencilled in for electrification. It truly is the Cinderella region of England's railways.

Plymouth has no motorway, no airport and only Brunel's scenic line along the coast that is painfully slow and liable to temporary closures thanks to the elements as we all saw a year or two ago.

 

[superking]

and all that work done in the box tunnel by lowering the tracks and putting the overhead bits and bobs ready to install wiring etc. so if no electric trains to Bristol, look at all the money spent on box for nothing.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

So far as I can ascertain (I was away when the news was announced so didn't follow the full debate) it's the section between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa that won't be electrified so, if that is true, the Box Tunnel work won't have been in vain. However, the tracks through Keynsham station were also lowered leading to the Bristol-Bath section being closed for a week or more whilst the work was carried out, so that will have been unnecessary unless the section is eventually electrified.

 

[tpm]

I believe on the Swindon-Chippenham-Bath-Bristol section electrification will be done up to Thingley junction as part of the current/confirmed works, apparently that's because there's a feed from the electricity grid there. So that would exclude the Box tunnel section. Having said that, officially this is still "just" delayed with no new completion date given for the time being. I like to think that for now Hanlon's Razor applies - don't attribute to bad intentions what can be explained sufficiently by bureaucratic chaos or incompetence

 

[superking]

seasons greetings for Christmas and a happy new year to all on F4A. I hope every bodys wishes come true with the airport. it sounds like a lot of good things in the pipe line for 2017.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Seasons Greetings to you too, superking. I hope you are able to have a peaceful Christmas after your great loss earlier in the year. Every good wish to you.

 

[superking]

thank you jim for greetings. I have never said my first name as I should have done to make it not so formal. first name is Stephen shortened to steve like it is with every one with the same name. any way seasons greetings for Christmas and new year to you and yr family.

 

[Aviador]

Best wishes Stephen.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/we-kne...-for-a-visit/story-30025364-detail/story.html

The Rough Guide publishing company has named Bristol the fourth most desirable world city to visit this year. A few years ago the DK Insight Guide had Bristol in its top ten world cities to visit that year. Last year the Sunday Times had Bristol as the most desirable UK city in which to live.

Being something of a cynic about such matters, I'm aware that to a degree these lists are Buggins' Turn but with so many cities in the world the accolade can still be viewed as a positive one. It might even generate a bit of extra trade for BRS this year.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bristol - Jekyll and Hyde City?

Continuing my previous post about Rough Guide nominating Bristol as one of the ten world cities to visit this year, and the Sunday Times selecting it as the UK’s most liveable city a year or two ago, a computer travel site has now pushed its claims as the best something or other (I forget which - best short stay location in the country I think).

The city is also reputedly the second wealthiest UK city outside London (with previous PM Cameron echoing that line) - presumably measured by GDP/GVA per capita - and a recent post I did in the BRS General thread points up its European credentials in the high-tech industry (with only London and Cambridge being the UK cities above it in the top 50 European cities in that particular measure), and its world status as a global city where it’s ranked with the top 181 Alpha, Beta and Gamma cities, mainly based on its economic contribution.

Eight UK cities were included in the global cities list with London the top of the tree at Alpha-plus plus, Manchester at Beta, Edinburgh and Birmingham both at Beta-minus, Bristol at Gamma-plus and Leeds, Glasgow and Belfast all at Gamma.

Now that’s all extremely positive and well and good.

However, Bristol lacks a lot of facilities that other cities take for granted. This is partly down to the local government set-up where the city of Bristol has not expanded its boundaries for fifty years yet the urban sprawl has burgeoned incessantly in that time, particularly to the north and east into the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire. Bits of North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset unitary authorities also intrude into the urban sprawl to the south giving a physical 'city' of around 700,000 people, ruled by four separate local governments, with two of them predominant (Bristol and South Gloucestershire).

As these local authorities rarely seem to agree on anything that really matters it’s very difficult if not impossible to get anything of real importance done; for example, a few years ago the then Labour Government withdrew central funding for a tram line from the central area to the North Fringe because Bristol and South Gloucestershire councils could not agree the location of the northern terminus.

Today the city council has announced yet another delay to the long-promised 12,000-seat Bristol Arena. Already £20 million of public money has been spent on approach roads, an £11 million bridge and other enabling works at the site next to Temple Meads station, but the building costs have escalated and the council is now looking for another builder. Bristol is the largest UK city without an arena and a number of smaller cities have one too.

Bristol and South Gloucestershire Councils were given a huge amount of money from central government (one of the few examples of Bristol getting this sort of money as it's usually deemed too wealthy to need any) to build a £200 million metro-bus network linking north and south via the central area. Works have been ongoing for well over a year leading many parts of the city, including the centre, to resemble building sites and the misery will continue for the rest of this year. However, the councils have so far been unable to find any bus company to operate the metro bus routes.

Bristol with its ancient central streets has some of the worst traffic congestion in the country, just one suburban branch railway through the city, and its main bus company, First, admits it charges higher fares than in other cities because of the number of extra buses it needs to cope with the congestion.

The city will now be left out of the rail electrification (can’t blame that on the local councils for once) as central government tries to rein in costs.

A few years ago Bristol voted to have an elected mayor when the government promised that such creatures would have direct access to the highest echelons of central government. That didn’t seem to happen in Bristol’s case.

The West of England councils have now agreed to have an elected metro mayor (well, three of the four have with North Somerset Council - in whose area Bristol Airport sits - deciding to opt out). Central government will provide £1 billion to the region to enable investment in transport, housing, jobs and economic growth. Sounds a reasonable sum until it is noted the billion pounds will be spread over 30 years.

If the councils can’t agree on things now how will they in the future with an elected metro mayor? Bristol will have an elected mayor, an elected metro mayor and a ceremonial lord mayor. No wonder many people are confused.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

How Bristol became a city divided into a land of 'haves' and 'have nots'

Another report out today, this time by the Resolution Foundation, points up the economic success of Bristol and its city region but highlights the huge deprivation in some areas within it.

The newspaper article containing the report can be accessed at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/the-br...d-have-not-s/story-30082630-detail/story.html

Some brief extracts give a flavour and include:

• 
  The Bristol area weathered the financial crisis better than any other city region in Britain outside London.
  
  Economic output in most UK cities has not yet returned to pre-crisis levels, yet in the Bristol region output is at a record high and currently seven per cent above its pre-crisis peak.
  
  This strong growth has enabled it to extend its advantage over other cities, with output 26 per cent higher than the city region average.
  
  The region's strong performance has been underpinned by high levels of employment, which at 76.8 per cent is higher than any other city region in the UK bar Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
  
  BUT
  
  In areas such as Lawrence Hill and Hartcliffe, nearly half of residents do not have a job
  
  The region's strong economic recovery is being wiped out by rising rents and soaring house prices.
  
  House prices in the city are becoming impossible for many local people yet there is a consistent stream of new flats/apartments blocks being built (and increasingly) other buildings such as redundant hospitals, banks, offices being converted in the central areas. Many are high spec and out of the price range of a lot of citizens who are more and more looking to areas such as south-east Wales where house prices are still much lower but are now rising because of the demand. The reduced Severn Crossing tolls from next year will assist this movement by making commuting to Bristol by 'displaced' citizens less expensive.
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  

 

[superking]

crossing the severn will be cheaper but you will pay both ways which you don't at the moment.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

crossing the severn will be cheaper but you will pay both ways which you don't at the moment.

The single crossing toll for cars from next year will be £1.50 making £3 there and back. That compares with a current return toll for cars of £6.70. It's a significant reduction.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Rail

I've been reading in the BHX forum that HS2 will go ahead at a cost of over £55 billion - without even being cynical, when completed it will come in at far more than that. The first stage will be London to Birmingham.

That's great news for the Midlands and ultimately the North of England.

I can't help feeling just a touch envious (more than a touch actually) when I look at the sick joke that is rail in the South West. We haven't even got electrification, with our state of the art express trains being 1970s HSTs.

It's true that the Great Western electrification scheme (years behind schedule and massively over budget) is slowly seeing signs of enabling equipment sprouting lineside, with tunnels, bridges and station platforms gradually being readied in some areas. However, to save around £150 million (small change in the pockets of the HS2 builders) electrification will now only take place on the line between Paddington and Cardiff Central.

I pointed out in an earlier post that the line from Paddington via Bath to Bristol Temple Meads was peremptorily taken out of the electrification plans three months ago in order to save that £150 million. Electrification will cease east of Bath near Chippenham in Wiltshire and the line between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway was also taken out of the scheme.

The new electric trains are bi-modal meaning they can run on diesel power on non-electrified sections but they won't have the acceleration of electric trains and are reportedly slower when running on diesel power than the 40-year old HSTs currently operating.

There are vague plans to include Bristol in future electrification but none at all for the huge swathe of South West England south and west of Bristol.

HS2? We'd be delighted to have the electric trains that most of the rest of the country already have.

 

[tpm]

What annoys me more is that they're planning on spending £1.6 billion (which surely will end up costing more in the end) on putting the A303 near Stonehenge into a tunnel, to improve the setting of Stonehenge. Laudable of course, but is this really good value for money? For so much money?! That's more than they're gonna spend in the entire Bristol metro region on transport projects over 30 years!

 

[Jerry]

to improve the setting of Stonehenge.

From what i know about it they have wanted to dual carriageway that section for the last 30 years and the i believe they can't put it north or south of Stonehenge because of restrictions which to the south is residential areas and to the north is military land. So the only option is to tunnel which is very expensive.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Transport Secretary Grayling is now questioning whether Bristol should have rail electrification at all. He is worried about 'unsightly' overhead cables through 'historic' Bath. The fact that the line around Bath, through Box Tunnel and through Keynsham was closed for many weeks, at enormous public expense, to lower the trackbed pending electrification at those places seems to have been one of those things: 'it's only public money'.

There is a conspiracy theory around that says the government is anti-Bristol - despite it being one of the very few cities that contributes more to the exchequer from business taxes than it gets back (the surplus is re-distributed to so-called deserving areas) and which the minister acknowledged in a parliamentary debate on the subject before Christmas - because three of the four Labour MPs in the entire South West (everyone else is Conservative) represent Bristol constituencies and the city also has a Labour elected mayor.

If Grayling really is worried about Bath, and I don't believe that he is for a moment, it's easily remedied. Have a short non-electrified section between the approach to Sydney Gardens and Oldfield Park. This two-mile section could be operated under diesel traction by the bi-modal trains which would not be running fast on the approach to Bath Spa anyway.

The Bath Preservation Trust is not at all impressed with the minister's attempts to use Bath as a reason for cancelling the project. It will be interesting to see what excuse he comes up with for not electrifying the stretch beyond Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway.

Incidentally, the newspaper report on which this post is based (see link below) is interesting with this gem:
What he failed to mention was that electric rail to Bristol, as well as being cheaper and more environmentally-friendly to run, would shave seven-minutes off the journey time between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa, and 22 minutes off the Bristol to London journey.

As the HSTs currently take eleven minutes to do the journey between Temple Meads and Bath Spa it will be a huge disappointment not to see the electric trains cover the same distance in four minutes. Taking into account the slow start and finish they'd be travelling at about 200 miles an hour through Keynsham.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/bristo...rail-upgrade/story-30109455-detail/story.html

 

[Aviador]

Is a third line not an option instead of the overhead variety?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Is a third line not an option instead of the overhead variety?

No, a lot of stanchions etc for the overhead wires have already been put in place, especially at the London end. Furthermore, many, many millions of pounds and associated disruption with stretches of track closed for weeks on end have been expended on lowering the track bed in a number of places (notably through the Severn and Box tunnels and, ironically, through Bath) to permit clearance with overhead wires.

This is not about Bath's UNESCO World Heritage status but it's all about the government trying to save a few bob.

With the current government's and Labour opposition's intention to try to balance the North v South divide South West England, parts of which are very poor, get lumped into the South. The government region of the South West has a population of 5 million (larger than Wales and almost as large as Scotland). The snag is that it's by far the largest in area of all English government regions with northern Gloucestershire as close to the Scottish border as it is to the far end of its own region in south west Cornwall.