Future of the Island Line idea 1

Island line idea 1

The current double track

The line from Ryde Pier Head to Smallbrook Junction would be double track with the island line using both lines with up line would be on the west side and the down line in East side of the double track. Just to the south of Ryde pier head station would be a set of scissors cross over and the Ryde pier head station would have three platform with platform 1 & 2 being an island platform and platform 3 being a side platform. Platform 1 will closest to the road on the pier. The line speed at pier head will be 15 mph for train arriving at pier head and 25 mph or 40 kph on departure.

Ryde Esplanade station will be double track with a cross over from the up to down and going into platform 2 at esplanade and the platforms will be made into a gentle curve and the line speed will be raised from 20 mph to 35 mph from Ryde pier head to Ryde St John's Road. Ryde Tunnel will be rebuild to improve loading gauge. Ryde St John's Road track layout will not change. The line speed will raise up to 60mph on entering Ryde St John's Road heading towards Ventnor/Newport. The Station at Smallbrook Junction will stay but get rebuilt with an extra platform for Island Line services so that the Island Line can be fully double tracked between Ryde Pier Head and Sandown. The Station at Brading will stay the same. Sandown Station will stay the same. On leaving Sandown trains will cross a new junction which will let them run either to Ventnor or Newport. The Newport services will have to slow down to 25mph to cross the junction with Ventnor services being limited to 30mph. Once across the Junction Ventnor services will able to accelerate up to 60mph. Lake Station will have it's platforms lengthen, Shanklin station will become a loop again will a speed limit of 20mph through the loop. Wroxall station will have a passing loop with a speed limit of 20mph.

Rolling stock

The rolling stock with be some Stadler Metro stock. The Stadler Metro stock will be 3 coaches long, be powered by third rail and have a max speed of 60 mph or 100 kph. They will have a full accessible toilet on one of the driving vehicles with a standard toilet on the other driving vehicles. They will have end gangways to permit splitting at joining of trains during the busy times and also it would mean that for short platforms SDO could be used with passengers just having to walk between the two units.