Great Western Electrification Progress

[spark001uk]

The sidings are energised. The ones I sent in there were driven in after detaching the loco that dragged them from reading. They have been stored pan down.

Ah right ok. How come they were stored pan down? To save energy?

 

[Class 170101]

Let's just hope the wires, when in regular service, remain strong and stable...

Any good headlines or photos of Theresa "in a siding" or "hitting the buffers"?

Thersea May's career strong and stabled :P

 

[Nippy]

Ah right ok. How come they were stored pan down? To save energy?

Don't think it's that, something to do with isolations not being granted if the pans are up.

 

[alxndr]

Hi are their any drivers for GWR here as I would love an insight into the role?

You'd be best off starting a new thread in the Jobs and Careers section (http://www.railforums.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=122), or do a search of the site.

 

[leomartin125]

Don't think it's that, something to do with isolations not being granted if the pans are up.

Well today looks like all go at Maidenhead Carriage Sidings. As I left on a Reading train, there was a 387 in the turnback siding, as well as an 8 car set in the Carriage Sidings, and I also saw an 8 car set leaving the Carriage Sidings to work a service to London. This maybe because the July additional 387's have started though. The 387's in the Carriage Sidings had the pantograph up.

 

[swt_passenger]

Well today looks like all go at Maidenhead Carriage Sidings. As I left on a Reading train, there was a 387 in the turnback siding, as well as an 8 car set in the Carriage Sidings, and I also saw an 8 car set leaving the Carriage Sidings to work a service to London. This maybe because the July additional 387's have started though. The 387's in the Carriage Sidings had the pantograph up.

Glad to see it's all happening. I guess the chap who posted the gen a few months ago that GWR would never be able to use the turnback because it belongs to Crossrail must have been mistaken... :roll:

 

[jimm]

Looks like the Reading area overhead wires will go live for testing on the weekend of September 16 and 17.

Very limited GWR service through Reading on the Saturday until 14.00 - then diversions for South Wales, South West and Bristol services via Oxford, Bicester Village and the Chiltern line and buses in Thames Valley apply for the rest of the weekend.

Trying to decipher the GWR web page and what is on realtimetrains, looks like HST calls at Oxford station on the diversions may only be for crew change purposes, not to pick up and set down passengers, with Oxford-London traffic directed on to Chiltern.

Details of alterations here
https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Looks like the Reading area overhead wires will go live for testing on the weekend of September 16 and 17.

Very limited GWR service through Reading on the Saturday until 14.00 - then diversions for South Wales, South West and Bristol services via Oxford, Bicester Village and the Chiltern line and buses in Thames Valley apply for the rest of the weekend.

Trying to decipher the GWR web page and what is on realtimetrains, looks like HST calls at Oxford station on the diversions may only be for crew change purposes, not to pick up and set down passengers, with Oxford-London traffic directed on to Chiltern.

Details of alterations here
https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017

If the testing goes well, will there be any chance of the Reading-Maidenhead section being ready for use for when the 800s enter service?

 

[jimm]

If the testing goes well, will there be any chance of the Reading-Maidenhead section being ready for use for when the 800s enter service?

Someone inside the electrification project or at Hitachi or GWR would need to answer that.

I'm just going off what is said about the blockade on a stakeholder email circulated by GWR today, which just says the closure will be for testing.

There's nothing about an approval for service date. If all goes well, then the 800s could potentially use 25kv to didcot from day one, but that presumably won't be confirmed until they are happy with test results.

 

[leomartin125]

If the testing goes well, will there be any chance of the Reading-Maidenhead section being ready for use for when the 800s enter service?

I think the aim was to get the wires into operation ASAP. I would say getting the section live and ready for use by October is a push, even for Network Rail. But you never know what might happen, I think the official date is January 2018.

 

[MatthewRead]

Looks like the Reading area overhead wires will go live for testing on the weekend of September 16 and 17.

Very limited GWR service through Reading on the Saturday until 14.00 - then diversions for South Wales, South West and Bristol services via Oxford, Bicester Village and the Chiltern line and buses in Thames Valley apply for the rest of the weekend.

Trying to decipher the GWR web page and what is on realtimetrains, looks like HST calls at Oxford station on the diversions may only be for crew change purposes, not to pick up and set down passengers, with Oxford-London traffic directed on to Chiltern.

Details of alterations here
https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering/reading2017

Does this mean GWR HST's on the New North Mainline once again?

 

[Nippy]

Well today looks like all go at Maidenhead Carriage Sidings. As I left on a Reading train, there was a 387 in the turnback siding, as well as an 8 car set in the Carriage Sidings, and I also saw an 8 car set leaving the Carriage Sidings to work a service to London. This maybe because the July additional 387's have started though. The 387's in the Carriage Sidings had the pantograph up.

Yes thanks for that. We have instructions to make sure the pans are down before isolations are granted. If trains are running, it stands to reason that the pans need to be up. Whilst they were stored they were left pan down and we were told they'd stay that way so we didn't gave to get someone to confirm every night.

As you say, the extra trains are running now, so will need to use the ones in the sidings.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I went along the Berks & Hants today and I would say that the vast majority of the masts are now up between Reading and Newbury.

 

[3973EXL]

Two MPV workings from Swindon last night.

One was working West of Maidenhead and wired the UR gap.

The other was at Twyford putting up the relief side return wire through the station.

The registration arms over the reliefs, have also gone up on the new portal.

Some shots of Twyford today. The unit is 165111, back from Wolverton last week.

 

[3973EXL]

I went along the Berks & Hants today and I would say that the vast majority of the masts are now up between Reading and Newbury.

There are a number of MPV workings from Swindon this week.

There was one Saturday night, last night and tonight.

Wednesday & Thursday night there are two.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

I went along the Berks & Hants today and I would say that the vast majority of the masts are now up between Reading and Newbury.

That has been the case for a while. There's been little progress over the last few months, from my inexpert observations anyway.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That has been the case for a while. There's been little progress over the last few months, from my inexpert observations anyway.

There seemed to me to be quite a few more masts up yesterday than on my last trip to Newbury on the weekend of 3rd and 4th June for a school old pupils' re-union?

 

[deltic08]

Two MPV workings from Swindon last night.

One was working West of Maidenhead and wired the UR gap.

The other was at Twyford putting up the relief side return wire through the station.

The registration arms over the reliefs, have also gone up on the new portal.

Some shots of Twyford today. The unit is 165111, back from Wolverton last week.

Roof edge reduction not completed yet I see. I hope they follow Great Western tradition?

 

[Unclepete]

There seemed to me to be quite a few more masts up yesterday than on my last trip to Newbury on the weekend of 3rd and 4th June for a school old pupils' re-union?

Hi,
yes work is progressing, just slowly
There already some registration arms up between Thatcham and Newbury Racecourse, but it doesn't seem to follow any pattern as yet.

Does anyone know if the footbridge at the Racecourse station is being replaced? It looks very low, compared with the one at Thatcham.

 

[3973EXL]

Roof edge reduction not completed yet I see. I hope they follow Great Western tradition?

Reduction has been complete for sometime.

Just some boards to make it pretty required.

 

[3973EXL]

Two trains ex Swindon again last night.

Contact wire west end of Sonning cutting on the DR, now up.

DR through Twyford station wired.

That leaves:

DR west of Maidenhead 3/4 mile.
UR Twyford and east of. 1 mile (which is two wire runs).
Relief line crossover at Twyford East.

Also noted nearer Reading East:
DM looks complete.
UM looks around about 1/2 mile east of New Jn to wire.
Bits of Kennet Bridge Jn still to do.

 

[spark001uk]

Talking about the blockade, are the diverted HSTs cleared to go via the now opened oxford-bicester line, or will they still have to go up to Banbury and reverse?
I thought I saw somewhere there's a canal bridge on that line with a low weight limit?

 

[godfreycomplex]

Talking about the blockade, are the diverted HSTs cleared to go via the now opened oxford-bicester line, or will they still have to go up to Banbury and reverse?
I thought I saw somewhere there's a canal bridge on that line with a low weight limit?

Cleared via Islip - they went that way last time I think.

 

[jyte]

Cleared via Islip - they went that way last time I think.

That should save some time!

There's a sign up in Paddington warning of alternations to arrangements at Paddington to allow for electrification of platform 1&2 from this Sunday.

 

[jimm]

Talking about the blockade, are the diverted HSTs cleared to go via the now opened oxford-bicester line, or will they still have to go up to Banbury and reverse?
I thought I saw somewhere there's a canal bridge on that line with a low weight limit?

How about reading a few previous posts before posting?

I said the GWR diversions were going via Bicester Village when I posted that Reading would be shut for testing of the overhead, on the previous page in post 5229.

 

[MatthewRead]

Talking about the blockade, are the diverted HSTs cleared to go via the now opened oxford-bicester line, or will they still have to go up to Banbury and reverse?
I thought I saw somewhere there's a canal bridge on that line with a low weight limit?

I posted a tread earlier I take it they will run to Paddington Via the new North Mainline but what about the West of England services?

 

[jimm]

I posted a tread earlier I take it they will run to Paddington Via the new North Mainline but what about the West of England services?

How hard is this?

All diverted GWR long-distance services (South Wales, Bristol and the West Country) that will run in and out of Paddington from about 14.00 on September 16 and all day on the 17th will be routed via Didcot, Oxford, Bicester Village and the Chiltern Line!

It's all in realtimetrains - just do a search for Bicester Village on those dates.

 

[MatthewRead]

How hard is this?

All diverted GWR long-distance services (South Wales, Bristol and the West Country) that will run in and out of Paddington from about 14.00 on September 16 and all day on the 17th will be routed via Didcot, Oxford, Bicester Village and the Chiltern Line!

It's all in realtimetrains - just do a search for Bicester Village on those dates.

But that doesn't fully answer my question they are running into Paddington via the New North Manline via Greenford and North Acton.

 

[swt_passenger]

But that doesn't fully answer my question they are running into Paddington via the New North Manline via Greenford and North Acton.

That isn't actually a question...

But RTT does show the exact route planned if you look at an individual service. Passing through Greenford West Jn and Greenford East Jn means use of the NNML by UP trains directly down to Old Oak Common. Most Down trains pass through Greenford South Jn and Greenford West Jn, meaning they run via West Ealing...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

But that doesn't fully answer my question they are running into Paddington via the New North Manline via Greenford and North Acton.

West of England services are running via Bristol and follow all the rest via Oxford to Paddington.
Where's this New North Main Line? Is it HS2?
The Chiltern line is not part of GW any more, it's managed by LNW (South).
Since 1963.