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Severn Estuary Tidal Power - Could it Double Up as a New Rail Crossing?

Envoy

Envoy

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I see that large amounts of money are being used to look at the possibility of creating tidal lagoon power generation in the Severn estuary. Judging by the large amounts of mud in the estuary, I would have thought that such a lagoon(s) would quickly silt up and be useless? Anyway, some people seem to know better. I contend that if any tidal power scheme were to be constructed in the estuary, that it should also carry a rail line.

"CCR will commit up to £6.4m over the next three years, utilising City Deal funds, to support the first substantive phase of the project. This will include an extensive exploratory study which will include environmental considerations, engineering design, modelling and commercial assessments."
Click to expand...

www.wales247.co.uk

£6.4m plans approved to explore Severn Estuary tidal lagoon

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has approved exploratory development studies for a tidal lagoon within the Severn estuary, marking a step forward in creating of one of the UK’s most significant renewable energy opportunities. CCR will commit up to £6.4m over the next three years, utilising City...
www.wales247.co.uk www.wales247.co.uk
 
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RailUK Forums

Z

Zomboid

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A tidal lagoon won't cross the whole estuary, so won't be much use for a rail crossing.

As for the mud, I'm sure the engineers involved will know about that and will see whether or not it's a solvable problem.
 
ABB125

ABB125

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Supposedly, Scammonden Reservoir could only be justified because the M62 was being built across the valley and needed something to be built on. And the M62 could only be justified because the reservoir was being built. Ie: neither project was viable on its own, but both together (with shared costs and combined benefits) was workable.

Presumably something similar could be worked out for a Severn barrier and railway crossing. But that would require joined up thinking, different sectors talking to each other, and *shock horror* probably some compromises from both sides. So it'll never happen
 
P

PMN1

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Can't see a barrier getting past the conservationists for the same reason as previous and the location of a barrier close to the existing paths of the mainline is probably not good enough for the cost anymore.
 
S

SWML9102

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In a sensible world a railway would have been built as a lower deck on the Second Severn Crossing (Prince of Wales bridge) and the tunnel closed. Both ends of the bridge are close to the railway. Instead we still have the capacity restricting, high maintenance tunnel with corroding OHLE.
 
Envoy

Envoy

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Many thanks for the responses thus far.

I see that Gloucester docks have now silted up. Seems to me that this tidal lagoon stuff is a waste of money - just like the plans to build a high peed train testing circuit 1000ft up in the hills north of Swansea.

"During long periods of dry weather river levels are lower, and as water is pumped in from the river, so is more silt.

High tides can also cause more issues as it can push more silt upstream".
Click to expand...

www.bbc.co.uk

Is Bristol behind Gloucester Docks' silt crisis?

Drought conditions and a software issue led to high silt levels in Gloucester Docks, say experts.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
HSTEd

HSTEd

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I would have to check the precise scheme proposed in more detail, but normally tidal "lagoons" refer to structures either built entirely in the channel, unconnected to shore, or on one side of the channel. This is backed up by the miniscule output (600MW) proposed for a lagoon as far down the estuary as Aberthaw. A barrage would be producing several times that at that location.

A barrage could potentially be used as a rail connection, assuming it was in the right place, but a lagoon is likely to be much less useful.

Unfortunately a pharaonic scheme, with the potential for truly national impact, would occur far enough down the estuary to be not particularly useful as a railway or road connection.
Not that much demand for a road and railway between Barnstaple and Swansea!
 
Tomos y Tanc

Tomos y Tanc

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There's nothing new under the sun! This was a proposal in 1839.

severn-bridge.png
 
Z

Zomboid

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Nobody is proposing a barrier across the river, though if there were such a thing it could be designed to take all kinds of things as well - rail, road, electrical transmission, water...

But there won't be one, so it's academic.
 
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