Rail closure plans unveiled for Christmas in Southampton (From Daily Echo)
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Rail closure plans unveiled for Christmas in Southampton
1:00pm Monday 19th October 2009 in
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- By Matt Smith » Politics and business reporter
PLANS to close off a vital rail route through Southampton this Christmas have been unveiled by rail bosses.
The Victorian tunnel at Southampton Central Station is being upgraded to allow the next generation of supersize containers from the port to the pass through.
Train commuters are being warned to expect delays of up to 45 minutes as they are bused around the station to rejoin train services at Netley, Woolston, Southampton Airport and Eastleigh.
Network Rail said port rail freight would be re-routed and should not end up roads.
The £25m project to lower the tracks through the tunnel at the "London" end of central station will take place from November 30 to January 10.
During this time the tunnel will be closed each Saturday and Sunday and weeknights with one line open through the tunnel on weekdays resulting in some timetable changes.
However the tunnel will be closed completely over the Christmas holidays from December 27 to January 3.There will also be work done to the station Canopy at St Denys and some work at Swaythling station.
The tunnel works are part of a £71m project, backed by local businesses and largely funded by the Department for Transport, to upgrade the rail network to take more port freight by train up to the Midlands. Network Rail claims it will remove up to 50,000 lorries a year off the region's roads.
Route director for Wessex Richard O'Brien, said: "Rail can provide a cheaper, greener and more practical way of transporting freight compared with road.
"This project aims to increase the amount of freight transported from Southampton by rail, which in turn will bring long term benefits to the city and the surrounding area."
Comments(12)
Zeo
says...
2:54pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Cenred
says...
5:14pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Zeo wrote:It's not an electrified route, and I don't expect there are lots of spare diesel trains that can be drummed up out of thin air to run this sort of service. It would also take longer.
Why can't they use a train shuttle between So'ton, Romsey, Andover and B'Stoke via the junction east of Salisbury, Salisbury Tunnel Junction I 'think' it is called.
Having said that, CrossCountry's Bournemouth-Manchest
er service uses diesel trains, so they will probably be diverted between Southampton and Basingstoke by this route, every 2 hours.
Andy Locks Heath
says...
5:26pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Condor Man wrote:I suspect quite a lot will. I think remedial work is also being done to the Salisbury route round the Laverstoke loop in anticipation of its use as a W10 diversion. I haven't seen the economic business case for routing all freight via Laverstoke and not via Southampton tunnel and Winchester, but there are container train stabling facilities at Eastleigh north yard that might be required for operational reasons, and no such equivalent exists on the Laverstoke route. I suspect the Winchester route is at least 30 minutes faster than Laverstoke. Perhaps a Freightliner or DBS driver could comment?
This work was scheduled for last year. Why can't freight go through Romsey anyway?
Andy Locks Heath
says...
7:03pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Donald2000
says...
7:11pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Cenred
says...
8:17pm Mon 19 Oct 09
So I would think the most that could be provided would be Southampton-Basingst
oke. Given that passengers would still have to change under this scenario, and considering how much longer the journey via Laverstock is, I'm not sure it would really be worth it. Especially as Central to Airport Parkway by bus is really just a quick blast along Thomas Lewis Way. I'm not always South West Trains' greatest fan, but I do think they've called it right on this occasion TBH.
Condor Man
says...
8:39pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Donald2000
says...
10:53pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Cenred wrote:That is what I said, I think.
I hear what you're saying Andy and Donald, but I must say I still don't agree. I don't see how a Southampton-Waterloo via Laverstock service would be a viable option, as I can't imagine a loco+coaches being able to keep to a 100mph EMU path on the crowded route into London? And obviously this option would also reduce the level of service at Winchester and Southampton Airport. So I would think the most that could be provided would be Southampton-Basingst oke. Given that passengers would still have to change under this scenario, and considering how much longer the journey via Laverstock is, I'm not sure it would really be worth it. Especially as Central to Airport Parkway by bus is really just a quick blast along Thomas Lewis Way. I'm not always South West Trains' greatest fan, but I do think they've called it right on this occasion TBH.
I did not say that in my view Salisbury would be a recommend route.
@Condor Man: Some of us have worked on the railways.
southy
says...
11:16pm Mon 19 Oct 09
Condor Man wrote:hushh condor leave the anoraka alone its interesting
I am shocked that people know so much about trains.
Donald2000
says...
10:54am Tue 20 Oct 09
southy wrote:We are not anoracks, anymore than you are, fish filleting person
Condor Man wrote: I am shocked that people know so much about trains.hushh condor leave the anoraka alone its interesting
southy
says...
1:06pm Tue 20 Oct 09
Donald2000 wrote:lol
southy wrote:We are not anoracks, anymore than you are, fish filleting person
Condor Man wrote: I am shocked that people know so much about trains.hushh condor leave the anoraka alone its interesting
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Condor Man says...
1:19pm Mon 19 Oct 09