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Heart of Wessex Line

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Heart of Wessex Line
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleWiltshire
Dorset
South West England
Service
TypeSuburban rail, Heavy rail
SystemNational Rail
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Heart of Wessex Line
Legend
Cross Country Route
 Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol–Exeter line
 St Anne's Park
Keynsham
Saltford
Somerset & Dorset Joint Rly
to Bath Green Park
 Twerton-on-Avon
Oldfield Park
Westmoreland Road
goods yard
 Bath Spa
Hampton Row Halt
Bathampton
Bathampton Junction
Great Western Main Line
Bristol & North Somerset Rly
(Camerton branch)
 Limpley Stoke
Freshford
Avoncliff
Bradford-on-Avon
Bradford Junction
to Chippenham
 Trowbridge
Reading–Taunton line
Westbury
Wessex Main Line
to Salisbury
Bristol and North
Somerset Railway
 Radstock West
1875
1959
 Mells Road
1887
1959
Frome
1851
 
 Whatley Quarry
Witham
1856
1966
East Somerset Railway
to Wells
 Strap Lane Halt
Bruton
1856
 
Somerset & Dorset Joint Rly
to Poole
 Castle Cary
1856
 
Reading–Taunton line
 Sparkford
1856
1966
 Marston Magna
1856
1966
Yeovil–Taunton line
 Yeovil Town│Yeovil Pen Mill
1943 link
West of England line
to Exeter
 Yeovil Junction
Clifton Maybank goods
West of England line
to Salisbury
 Thornford
1936
 
 Yetminster
1857
 
 Chetnole
Evershot Tunnel
 Evershot
Cattistock
Bridport branch
 Maiden Newton
1857
 
Grimstone Viaduct
 Grimstone and Frampton
1857
1966
Bradford Peverell &
Stratton Halt
1933
1966
Poundbury Tunnel
 Dorchester West
1857
 
Dorchester Junction
South West Main Line
 Monkton and Came Halt
1905
1957
Bincombe Tunnel
 Upwey Wishing Well Halt
1905
1957
 Upwey
(original station)
Abbotsbury branch
1885
1952
 Upwey
1886
 
 Radipole Halt
1905
1984
 Weymouth
Portland Branch Railway
Weymouth Harbour Tramway
1865
1999
 Weymouth Quay
1889
1987

The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth Line, is a railway line that runs from Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury to Weymouth in England. It shares the Wessex Main Line as far as Westbury and then follows the course of the Reading to Taunton Line as far as Castle Cary.

History

Main article: Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway

Places served

The cities, towns and villages served by this route are listed below:[1]

Operator

Passenger services are currently operated by Great Western Railway and South West Trains.

Most Great Western services originate from Bristol Temple Meads or from Westbury. Some originate from towns and cities beyond Bristol such as Gloucester, Cheltenham and Great Malvern.[1]

South West Trains operate a limited service between London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction via Castle Cary. In summer 2016 they also ran a "seaside special" service between Weymouth and Salisbury or Waterloo via Yeovil Junction.[2]

Rolling stock

Services are provided on Sprinter diesel multiple unit trains built during the late 1980s and 1990s, typically of 2 or 3 coach Class 150, with some Class 158 trains. South West Trains services are operated by Class 159s.

As part of the ongoing 21st-century modernisation of the Great Western Main Line, which will see Thames Valley commuter lines electrified, Class 150 trains in Wessex are scheduled to be displaced by Class 166 trains released from the Thames Valley.[3]

Past rolling stock has included locomotive-hauled trains, including British Railways Mark 2 coaches hauled by Class 67 used to strengthen high-demand summer Saturday services in 2008–2010 between Bristol and the seaside resort of Weymouth.[1]

Community rail

A Bristol to Weymouth Rail Partnership was created in 1998 so that local authoriites could support the line. In 2003 this was rebranded as the Heart of Wessex partnership and line.[4] It is designated a Community rail Line.[5]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 18 March 1849, A passenger train became divided approaching Keynsham. The rear portion then ran into the front portion when the latter stopped at the station. One person was injured.[6]
  • On 20 January 1853 a luggage train was derailed near Keynsham due to an axle failure on one of the carriages.[7]
  • On 7 June 1865, a passenger train ran into the rear of another near Keynsham. An empty stock train ran into the wreckage. At least three people were injured.[8]
  • On 4 August 1868, a passenger train collided with the buffer stops at Weymouth due to poor rail conditions and driver error. Six people were injured.[9]
  • On 28 October 1873, a mail train passed a signal at danger and collided with a luggage train at Westbury.[10]
  • On 11 June 1875,a passenger train was derailed at Bathampton Junction. One person was killed and six were injured, three seriously.[11][12]
  • On 2 July 1876, a freight train was derailed at Bathampton Junction.[13]
  • On 15 August 1876 a freight train was derailed at Hampton Row after a bale of cotton fell off a wagon and derailed the one behind it.[14]
  • On 24 October 1882, a passenger train was derailed near Cattistock when a bridge collapsed under it due to a storm. One person was severely injured, several others were also injured.[15]
  • On 8 August 1913, a passenger train ran into the rear of another at Yeovil Pen Mill due to passing a signal at danger. Two people were killed and ten were injured, two seriously.[16]
  • On 11 January 1966, an express passenger train ran into the rear of another at St Anne's Park due to a signalman's error. A locomotive was then in a sidelong collision with the wreckage. Nineteen passengers were injured. Diesel-hydraulic locomotive D 1071 Western Druid was severely damaged; D 864 Zambesi was slightly damaged.[17]
  • On 25 August 1974, a passenger train was derailed at Dorchester West after passing a signal at danger. Eighteen people were injured.[18]
  • On 24 March 1987, a passenger train and a freight train were in a head-on collision at Frome due to the freight train passing a signal at danger. Locomotives 33 032 and 47 202 were severely damaged. Fifteen people were injured, some seriously.[19][20]
  • On 10 November 2008, a freight train was derailed at East Somerset Junction due to a signalman's error.[21]
  • On 12 November 2008, a passenger train collided with a van on a level crossing at Freshford. There were no injuries.[22]
  • On 6 December 2011, a train was derailed at Westbury.[23]
  • On 24 January 2013, a passenger train caught fire at Upwey.[24]
  • On 20 March 2017, a freight train was derailed at East Somerset Junction.[25] The line was closed until 25 March.[26]

References

  1. ^ a b "Brighton, Portsmouth and Weymouth - Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester and Great Malvern" (PDF). National Rail Timetable. Network Rail. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  2. ^ "Proposals unveiled for direct trains between North & South Dorset". ITV News. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ "How the West will win with new trains". Rail magazine. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ "Route Prospectus, Bristol to Weymouth Line" (PDF). GOV.UK. Department for Transport. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  5. ^ "Community rail lines". GOV. UK. Department for Transport. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  6. ^ "Extraordinary Railway Accident". The Bradford Observer. No. 787. Bradford. 22 March 1849. p. 7.
  7. ^ "Accident on the Great Western Railway". The Times. No. 21332. London. 22 January 1853. col F, p. 3. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  8. ^ "Accident on the Great Western Railway". The Times. No. 25206. London. 8 June 1865. col C, p. 11. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  9. ^ "London and South Western Railway" (PDF). Board of Trade. 21 August 1868. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Collision on the North Western Railway". The Pall Mall Gazette. No. 2716. London. 29 October 1875.
  11. ^ "Railway Accident". The Times. No. 28340. London. 12 June 1875. p. 13. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  12. ^ "The Bathampton Railway Accident". The Times. No. 28341. London. 14 June 1875. col F, p. 13. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  13. ^ "Summary of this morning's news". The Pall Mall Gazette. No. 3548. London. 3 July 1876.
  14. ^ "Railway Accidents". The Times. No. 28709. London. 16 August 1876. col C-D, p. 11. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  15. ^ "The Storm". The Times. No. 30647. London. 25 October 1882. col F, p. 10. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  16. ^ "Great Western Railway" (PDF). Board of Trade. 27 August 1913. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  17. ^ Ministry of Transport (28 December 1967). "Report on the Collision that occurred on 11th January 1967 at St. Anne's Park, Bristol" (PDF). Her Majestey's Stationery Office. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Report on the Derailment that occurred on 25 August 1974 at Dorchester West" (PDF). Railway Inspectorate, Department of the Environment. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 20 November 1975. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  19. ^ Department of Transport (6 May 1988). "Report on the Collision that occurred on 24th March 1987 at Frome" (PDF). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  20. ^ Vaughan, Adrian (2003) [2000]. Tracks to Disaster. Hersham: Ian Allan. pp. 10–11. ISBN 0 7110 2985 7.
  21. ^ "Derailment of two locomotives at East Somerset Junction 10 November 2008" (PDF). Rail Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  22. ^ "Train hits van on level crossing". BBC News Online. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  23. ^ "Train derails at Westbury causing rail delays". BBC News Online. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  24. ^ "Weymouth rail services delayed by fire under train". BBC News Online. 24 January 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  25. ^ "Somerset freight train derailment causes '48 hour blockage'". BBC News Online. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Wiltshire-Somerset train services restored after derailment". BBC News Online. Retrieved 25 March 2017.

Bibliography

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