GWR Electric Freight

[stj]

Will there be any Freight along the GWR lines using electric haulage?

 

[Oxfordblues]

There's certainly potential, but all flows would require "last mile" diesel-haulage at either end. For example: Bridgend-Dagenham automotive components could be electric from Cardiff, but Colas has no bi-mode locos; similarly London Gateway-Wentloog and Tilbury-Wentloog intermodals could be electric for most of their journeys, but neither do Freightliner have suitable traction. En-route loco changes are out of the question because of the cost and risk to performance.

 

[Freightmaster]

Will there be any Freight along the GWR lines using electric haulage?

Probably about as much as there currently is on the ECML!!

(in other words, as Oxfordblues says, just because a line is electrified doesn't mean that
existing, diesel-hauled freight services will change over to electric traction as the vast
majority of freight terminals/yards are not wired)




MARK

 

[Mollman]

DRS have talked about using 88s on the Daventry to Wentloog service once the wires reach South Wales.

 

[stj]

DRS have talked about using 88s on the Daventry to Wentloog service once the wires reach South Wales.

A re-route down to London could see it under the wires all the way.

 

[lewisf]

There isn’t a wired connection between the GWML and the rest of the network unless you count the route through North Pole depot

 

[221129]

A re-route down to London could see it under the wires all the way.

No it wouldn't...

 

[edwin_m]

A re-route down to London could see it under the wires all the way.

To be fair it's only a very short section in the tangle of lines around Acton-Willesden that isn't wired - sorry I don't have the junction names to hand. Perhaps within the capabilities of the diesel engine on the 88, though it is on a bit of a gradient.

 

[rebmcr]

There isn’t a wired connection between the GWML and the rest of the network unless you count the route through North Pole depot

Acton Wells isn't wired?

 

[hwl]

Acton Wells isn't wired?

The missing links are on the "to do" at some point GWEP list.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Acton Wells isn't wired?

You need several bits of new wiring in the Acton area to make much difference.
Acton Wells Jn down the hill to Acton Main Line is one missing link (GW's "Poplar Branch"), which would connect the GWML/NLL and further east.
Then Acton Wharf Jn to Acton Wells Jn, to connect the WCML.
You need to wire Acton Wells Jn to West London Jn to reach the WLL and Euston.
I think the plan was also to wire round to Cricklewood/Brent to connect the MML (Heathrow Express once wanted to go that way into St Pancras).
All these links are short but technically complex, linking as they do several discrete electrification (and signalling) systems.
All this did appear in the original CP5 HLOS electrification plan but was deleted early on.
The freight guys were not interested in funding any of it.
Gospel Oak-Barking was also part of the same cross-London debate, and got through because there were passenger (TfL) interests as well as freight.
That wasn't an easy scheme either.

 

[whhistle]

It's a wonder Stadler didn't look at batteries for the 88 locos.
Could be charged using OHLE, run off batteries for the depot but have a charging point at the end where the pan can be raised again to re-charge the batteries.
Perhaps there isn't sufficient tech that's been proven as yet though I guess.

 

[swt_passenger]

You need several bits of new wiring in the Acton area to make much difference.
Acton Wells Jn down the hill to Acton Main Line is one missing link (GW's "Poplar Branch"), which would connect the GWML/NLL and further east.
Then Acton Wharf Jn to Acton Wells Jn, to connect the WCML.
You need to wire Acton Wells Jn to West London Jn to reach the WLL and Euston.
I think the plan was also to wire round to Cricklewood/Brent to connect the MML (Heathrow Express once wanted to go that way into St Pancras).
All these links are short but technically complex, linking as they do several discrete electrification (and signalling) systems.
All this did appear in the original CP5 HLOS electrification plan but was deleted early on.
The freight guys were not interested in funding any of it.
Gospel Oak-Barking was also part of the same cross-London debate, and got through because there were passenger (TfL) interests as well as freight.
That wasn't an easy scheme either.

It wasn’t ever deleted, it was redefined as a separate standalone sub-project. But the Dec 2018 version of the EDP still includes all the details you mention above, and is still “assumed CP6”.

 

[rebmcr]

All these links are short but technically complex, linking as they do several discrete electrification (and signalling) systems.

That makes a lot of sense.