Conductor Rail Heating - BML

[zdz]

Last year, many conductor rail heating line-side units were installed along the Brighton Main line.

This year, many of these have been removed and the wires just cut off.

These were grey cabinets, installed onto especially made concrete slabs with yellow railings installed. - All at probably considerable cost.

Some still remain, north of East Croydon, but south; mostly removed.

Does anyone know why? Will they be re-installed?

Just curious, winter is just round the corner. And Jack Frost does love those conductor rails...

-=zdz=-

 

[route:oxford]

Last year, many conductor rail heating line-side units were installed along the Brighton Main line.

This year, many of these have been removed and the wires just cut off.

These were grey cabinets, installed onto especially made concrete slabs with yellow railings installed. - All at probably considerable cost.

Some still remain, north of East Croydon, but south; mostly removed.

Does anyone know why? Will they be re-installed?

Just curious, winter is just round the corner. And Jack Frost does love those conductor rails...

-=zdz=-

Removed or stolen?

There's a gray cabinet on Garsington Road Oxford with a propane cylinder inside along with pipe leading up to the railway. I'm guessing it's a points heater.

 

[zdz]

I did think they may have been stolen myself, but the sporadic nature of the ones that have been removed doesn't make sense. Four removed north of HHE island platform, i.e. hard to reach, yet ones by the side of the railway remain. Odd.
But on the other hand, the way the cables have just been cut, would indicate that if NR removed them for modification/upgrade, they'll have a hard time re-cabling them back in.
If they are to be removed permanently, then someone wasted a lot of money installing them!

 

[zdz]

Ok, found the answer; from Network Rail, see PDF.


Following component failures which have caused localised damage within certain Conductor Rail Heating Control Panels in Kent, Sussex and Wessex additional protective measures have been undertaken for the 2012-13 Winter period. Certain installations will remain switched off until they can be modified and the control panels upgraded

-=zdz=-