There is a difference between electric trains to/through Maidenhead and the works at Maidenhead being completed because crossrail work involves lots of platform and siding work too (a hang over from being the original most western terminus).
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Great Western Electrification Progress
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There is a difference between electric trains to/through Maidenhead and the works at Maidenhead being completed because crossrail work involves lots of platform and siding work too (a hang over from being the original most western terminus).
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LexyBoy
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There were supposed to be GWR electric services Hayes-Paddington around now weren't there? What's going on with those?
D1009
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Waiting for class 387s to be released by GTR.
smiffy9373
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387 running between Paddington and Hayes now scheduled for July as long as GTR can get there 700s into service.
swt_passenger
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Before Crossrail was extended to Reading, the milestone for through trains to Maidenhead was also the only one in Crossrail's published info for the west side, other than the 4 tph Connect running into the high level station.
I have seen no indications that Crossrail intended to introduce any sort of partial service to some intermediate station on the GW, so I'd expect their Reading through service milestone just replaced their original Maidenhead one.
Their 5 main phases are currently:
1. Shenfield to Liverpool St high level with new 345s in May 2017
2. Heathrow (replaces Connect at 4 tph) to Paddington high level May 2018
3. Abbey Woood to Paddington low level (reversing at Westbourne Park) Dec 2018
4. Shenfield to Paddington low level (reversing as above) May 2019
5. Heathrow and Reading through central core Dec 2019
leomartin125
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May I just ask, has that got any relation to this 12 coach 387 saga that is currently occuring or has recently ocurred?
smiffy9373
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I believe it is issues with the 700s ( technical and training ) making them late into service.
swt_passenger
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The "12 car saga" is about 387/2s and Gatwick Express. However the 387/1s that will come to GWR are already running in 12 car sets routinely on Thameslink.
I think they are separate issues and the former is nothing to do with cascade of trains to GW, that is caused by slight delays with 700s.
reddragon
Established Member
I noticed that last night wires went up on the relief lines through Pangbourne Station.
I will get out & check the wiring limits when I get a chance, but this indicates that all 4 tracks are now complete from Purley on Thames to Lower Basildon.
The secondary fixings all seem to be ready on the fast tracks through Tilehurst too, so maybe some wiring action here soon too, in addition to the return cables
I will get out & check the wiring limits when I get a chance, but this indicates that all 4 tracks are now complete from Purley on Thames to Lower Basildon.
The secondary fixings all seem to be ready on the fast tracks through Tilehurst too, so maybe some wiring action here soon too, in addition to the return cables
It's only the Reading-bound relief line that is fully wired through Pangbourne station at present. The other relief still isn't complete.
Other observations from a trip to Reading today. Most portals at Didcot are now in place, but there's still a gap below the National Grid lines. And still one missing at Goring.
Wiring-wise, apart from Pangbourne, a start has been made on heading north from Lower Basildon to fill the gap towards Goring, including across the Thames at Gatehampton bridge. Some tensioning arms are now fitted at Moulsford bridge and quite a lot of return cabling is also in place further north towards Moreton cutting.
Am I right in thinking the new Paddington-Hayes service is due to run in the path of the Paddington-Greenford service (which is due to be cut back to operate West Ealing-Greenford)?
If that's the case, isn't the new Paddington-Hayes service also contingent on the new bay platform at West Ealing being completed? Last time I went past West Ealing (~2 weeks ago) it looked like that was still some way off...
MarlowDonkey
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Is it still planned to banish the Marlow branch trains at Maidenhead to a new build platform 6?
Indeed it isn't just the stock cascade running late! My view is that it is far better to wait a few months till the infrastructure is properly finished rather than have closures every (rather then just quite few) weekends to get it finished.
On the 700 thread 377/5 has confirmed the current plan is that the Paddington - Hayes service will start with the new built GWR 387 which puts it few months away as the first unit is still in the factory.
reddragon
Established Member
More wires went up in Pangbourne on 2nd relief line this weekend.
RobShipway
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I don't think that you will see any of the new 387/1 fleet much before August/September, ready to be in service by December 2016 at the earliest.
Observations from today.
As noted by reddragon, all wires up through Pangbourne station now.
Overhead metalwork in the Didcot area is now complete, with a portal under the National Grid lines in place, and I think the last portal in Goring was up as well - wasn't paying proper attention as we went past. At any rate, I think all the steelwork needed for the test section is there at last.
Both the fast lines are now wired from just north of Cholsey to just south of South Moreton and both fast lines also wired between the north end of Goring and the north end of South Stoke. Relief lines also wired along both these sections of the line.
As noted by reddragon, all wires up through Pangbourne station now.
Overhead metalwork in the Didcot area is now complete, with a portal under the National Grid lines in place, and I think the last portal in Goring was up as well - wasn't paying proper attention as we went past. At any rate, I think all the steelwork needed for the test section is there at last.
Both the fast lines are now wired from just north of Cholsey to just south of South Moreton and both fast lines also wired between the north end of Goring and the north end of South Stoke. Relief lines also wired along both these sections of the line.
WatcherZero
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Rail has an interview with NR, saying they are on schedule for wires to be live to Bristol in September and Cardiff a year later. Its also coming in within the £2.2-£2.6bn revised budget.
This September? That'd be hugely impressive if that were the case.
smiffy9373
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Was surprised to see about 8 posts gone up west of Midgham, between Reading and Newbury.
Presumably that's "just" Bristol Parkway though? Did they mention anything about Temple Meads?
September of the wrong year for Parkway! Just the beginnings of an operational electrified railway this year...
See http://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2016/05/11/great-western-wires-in-use-by-september
That seems a bit more likely.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The interview just repeats the Hendy dates (Dec 2018 to Bristol Parkway/Cardiff/Newbury, later to Bristol TM/Oxford).
But these are "infrastructure complete" dates, not "first electric train".
The "September" date relates to the Reading-Didcot test section later this year.
They are also aiming for Paddington-Maidenhead by the May 2017 timetable change, but that is ahead of the Hendy date (end-June).
It's like a lot of Rail interviews, it reads very positively but doesn't really add much to official statements.
Apparently the HOPS system is doing better at 12-14 piles a night.
There are also remarks that ETCS will be installed to Heathrow/Reading by end-CP5, but it looks like the rest of it has been deferred into CP6.
Resignalling is also critical, with Filton being done this August and the Badminton route next February, then Box, Bristol TM and Oxford.
Philip Phlopp
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It's averaging somewhere around that. There are good nights and bad nights though.
leomartin125
Member
Visited Pangbourne yesterday, been a while since my last visit and it does seem to be pretty much complete... Pictures below:
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2a5
https://flic.kr/p/H2zywA
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2tw
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2xQ
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2a5
https://flic.kr/p/H2zywA
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2tw
https://flic.kr/p/GKH2xQ
Bar the Auto Transformer stuff, indeed it does.
Philip Phlopp
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The ATF stuff is unimportant, the catenary is the important bit so it can be surveyed after sitting for a few days. It's currently expanding and contracting under tension, that will generally find any problems with droppers and the like, as well as confirming the auto tensioners are actually working correctly.
QueensCurve
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Are the autotensioners based on springs rather than the traditional weights? If so, why is this seen as an advantage?
They are tensioned with tensorex units (so yes, spiral springs). The main advantages are their compact size and the fact that they can be installed above the lines rather than off to the side - which was one of the requirements of the series 1 OHLE.
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