South Marston

Overview

South Marston is a junction connection to 'Swindon Distribution Centre' (South Marston Euroterminal).

It was planned to be commissioned on 7 and 14 February 2000, as described in GWS.15, but, due to 'construction difficulties' the work did not take place then.

As the point fittings had been installed (but not commissioned) in the 2000 work, controlled signals were needed to protect them. So UM.75 had been converted to controlled signal SN.81 and DM.73 had been converted to a controlled signal temporarily numbered SN.998, advertised by WON entry, shortly after the aborted 2000 work.

This is the first suggestion of there being an interlocking at South Marston.

A second plan to commission the junction was planned for February 2002. As part of this 2002 scheme the points were brought into use.

The 2002 plan was broadly the same as the 2000 plan (apart from the signals and points described above).

A new signal was programmed for to the Goods Reception Line, SN.897, in rear of (and in addition to) the previously advertised SN.899. SN.897 is sited at the end of the Goods Reception, by the gates into the Euroterminal. It is back-to-back with a stop board for movements into the terminal. (The stop board is 44 SLUs (310 yards) from SN.899.) The stop board is fitted with a white light operated by the PiC in the terminal that authorises trains to proceed. The line rises towards the Euroterminal on a 1:250 gradient.

The new layout was planned to be brought into use on 11 and 18 January 2002.

and

but wasn't....