Iwould assume it’s a variety of raw materials from a variety of places, and the batteries will be going to various places. And they probably prefer a truck load at a time at both ends.
I think this thread is the first time anyone has suggested Oxford being sensitive to wiring on aesthetic grounds.
Don’t think either Oxford or Bristol were ever actually cancelled - just deferred sine die.
I think that was the initial reason for deferring the Bristol/Oxford electrification. But it looks like the pandemic has made it even more delayed. I can see bridges on both stretches that were modified to give enough clearance for wires, but never came. I can also see a few foundations just north of Didcot and west of Chippenham, although the wires stop just east of it. I even see some 'Danger, live wires below' signs on the bridges. In other words, some preliminary/preparation work has been done to the now-deferred sections.
Chippenham-Bristol Temple Meads and Didcot-Oxford were in delivery and then given an emergency stop, to all intents and purposes. The Bristol stuff is restarting (slowly) now that East junction has been relaid.
I think they were de-scoped quite quickly. I haven't seen anything suggesting the Thames Valley Branches have any firm plans for stock replacement, although they're excellent candidates for it.
In what way is the Bristol stuff restarting?
The Combined Authority and NR are looking to wire the Filton Bank, there's a thread on here with the minutes of a meeting in January.
www.railforums.co.uk
The last time I came up that line I was amazed by the number of mast foundations that had been planted - they seemed to go on for miles. It was more than just a few!
Hmmm. So the local combined authority is doing a study to decide whether to spend £100m that the last govt allocated to the region for local transport projects, and may well not still be available, to see whether electrification could be possible using heroic assumptions in terms of reducing costs.The Combined Authority and NR are looking to wire the Filton Bank, there's a thread on here with the minutes of a meeting in January.
Edit: found it
Study launched into Bristol Temple Meads electrification plan
New plans to electrify railway lines in the West Country, starting with tracks from Bristol Temple Meads station, have been announced by the region's metro mayor. Under Dan Norris's scheme the lines from Temple Meads from the north via Bristol Parkway and Filton Bank will be electrified during...
West of Chippenham, lots of masts without wires too,
This is indeed a big problem, especially as some authorities have recently been found liable for air quality.
I suspect Box tunnel isn't sufficiently long to cause a problem. Certainly on my 165 between Bristol and Cardiff the hopper windows were left open through the Severn Tunnel.
Whey would you run Cardiff to Oxford via Bath? I could imagine a Swindon-Parkway via Bath, or a Cardiff-Bath (if suitable terminating options can be found) but Cardiff-Oxford would be via Parkway and Swindon direct surely
That is how I also understand it to be.
A stopping service would logically go via Temple Meads and Bath. It wouldn’t be intended for through passengers from Cardiff to Oxford (though it would of course be the only option that involve changing). No point in running a stopper on the Badminton route as the fasts stops everywhere anyway and there’s little likelihood of any stations being added (as opposed to Saltford, Corsgam, Royal WB et al)
The route makes sense as a combination of local journeys.
I don’t think we’d ever see this Cardiff to Oxford service as described. There is no point in running all the way to Oxford with a stopper, as mentioned taking existing services would be far faster and it would take up valuable space at Oxford, even post rebuild. The soon to be trialed Bristol to Oxford is far more important.
I can believe the Oxford North objectors raising the issue of gantries alongside Port Meadow, but that would have to be up towards Wolvercote, and the wires might still not get that far. But they tried every nimby trick in the book to stop Chiltern Evergreen improvements, and would almost certainly object to wiring of EWR, just because they can…
Currently this one:
www.railforums.co.uk
Thanks!Currently this one:
Oxford Corridor Phase 2 & Platform 5 updates
Local media in Oxford is reporting it is planned to close Oxford station for 3 months next summer, so the bridge over Botley road can be replaced. Does anyone know any more details on this? I would presume this means the whole line will be closed for that time, but that seems awefully long...
On the 80x fleet the GPS co-ordinates of tunnels are included in the train service database, so the air intakes close automatically on approach to a tunnel and open again on exiting. The driver can also do it manually via the TMS.
That’s really good to know. I always stop external air entering my car when in heavy stop/start traffic. (The air con is kept on but re-circulating the internal air until back into cleaner air).
What - no balises?
Given the fact that between Bath and Didcot the stopping patterns of a “stopper” and the soon-to-be-launched service would be the same, Im not quite sure what the massive disadvantage of the stopper would be to anywhere except Bristol. I suspect the main market for the new trial service is between Oxford and Swindon, with a (tourism-based) subsidiary flow between Bath and Oxford. There are, however at least three settlements whose case for a station is stymied at least in part by the lack of a suitable service to stop at them (Corsham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Wantage). I imagine a lot of the demand at the last of these would be towards Oxford.
