Future Electrification Schemes

[WatcherZero]

Someone asked a while back cant remember when if they were building a new interconnector for the NW electrification. Their not, their relying on the recently built one for WCML power upgrade and strengthening another existing one I forget where (Liverpool possibly?). If they electrified more lines in the northwest then they would need another interconnector built though.

Also the stretch beyond Victoria that everyone suggested as vital for turning services is being worked up and planned but isnt part of the approved plans. It does however have a very high chance of being approved as an extra.

 

[Boppawombat]

I just find it hard to comprehend that it has taken them over 25 years to finally approve the construction of the Ordsall (nee Castlefield) Curve that allows direct running between Picc and Vic. BUT! Then they have to consider the fact that the stretch between Deansgate and Picc is already at saturation point without extra train movements clogging up this notorious bottleneck..... I'm sure that the quadrupling of the line along here isn't going to happen any time soon and is merely a longer term option along with the rest of the so-called Manchester Hub improvements.

 

[cle]

Someone asked a while back cant remember when if they were building a new interconnector for the NW electrification. Their not, their relying on the recently built one for WCML power upgrade and strengthening another existing one I forget where (Liverpool possibly?). If they electrified more lines in the northwest then they would need another interconnector built though.

Also the stretch beyond Victoria that everyone suggested as vital for turning services is being worked up and planned but isnt part of the approved plans. It does however have a very high chance of being approved as an extra.

Do you mean up to Stalybridge? Definitely a good idea - although I think some remodelling would also be worthwhile, especially some bays for the Victoria line.

 

[Waverley125]

Manchester-Liverpool via Warrington
Guide Bridge-Whitehall Junc. (Leeds)
Nevile Hill (Leeds)-Colton Junc. (York) & Hull
Doncaster-Selby
Doncaster-Gilberdyke
Leeds-York via Harrogate
York-Scarborough
Northallerton-Middlesbrough
Leeds-Huddersfield via Halifax
Wakefield Wgate-Sheffield
Leeds-Meadowhall via Barnsley
Methley Junct.-Goole via Castleford
Wakefield KGate-Pontefract
Sheffield-Doncaster
Sheffield-Retford
Bedford-Sheffield via Derby, Nottingham & Erewash valley
Kettering-Leicester via Corby
Ely-Birmingham via Peterborough & Nuneaton
Edinburgh-Aberdeen
Glasgow-Dundee
Crewe-Holyhead
Warrington BQ-Chester
Carnforth-Barrow
Carlisle-Kilmarnock
Manchester Vic-Halifax
Preston-Colne
Todmorden-Blackburn
Blackburn-Manchester Vic.
Doncaster-Cleethorpes
Lincoln-Barnetby
Nottingham-Grantham
Nottingham-Newark
Peterborough-Doncaster via Lincoln
Ely-Norwich
Reading-Exeter
Derby-Water Orton
Birmingham-Bristol Parkway
Bristol Temple Meads-Taunton
Basingstoke-Exeter
Exmouth-Exeter

 

[Batman]

My priorities for electrification would be as follows:

1) Midlands mainline (Bedford - Shefield, including the branches the Nottingham, Corby and the Erewash Valley line)

2) Shefield - Wakefield Westgate and Leeds to York (to be treated as a single project). Will allow bi-modal Cross Country trains to run under electric power form Glasgow to Derby.

3) Great Western Mainline (Paddington to Bristol and Swansea including the lines to Oxford and Newbury). Will require bi-modal communter trains for Bambury and Bedwyn extensions.

4) North West electrification (Deansgate to Preston and Blackpool North + Staylebridge to Liverpool via Manchester Victoria including the Ordsall curve)

5) Birmingham New Street - Suffolk ports including the Sutton Park line. Primeraly for freight trains but will allow Birmingham to Leicester and Stanstead Airport Cross City trains to be operated by 350's with some platform extensions.

6) Valley Lines (allows for electric placement of pacers and cascading of 150's to replace pacers in other areas)

7) North Wales Coast Line (Crewe - Hollyhead)

8) Derby - Water Orton + Barnt Green - Bristol Parkway + Coventry - Reading (filling in non electrified gaps in the cross country network.

9) Bristol to Exeter and Newbury to Taunton (extends electrification deeper into the South West)

10) The Fife Circle Line and Newcraighall to Gorebridge.

11) Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley (would require station redevelopment to allow 350's to opporate north of Walsall).

12) Ashburys to New Mills, including the Rose Hill Marple Branch and Romiley to Guide Bridge.

 

[Zoe]

9) Bristol to Exeter and Newbury to Taunton (extends electrification deeper into the South West)

Not this again. There is very little benefit of electrifying to Exeter if you are not going to continue to Plymouth as very few trains terminate at Exeter. If you are going to electrify west of Bristol but don't want to continue to Plymouth then Taunton would be a more logical place to end the wires as that's where the local service from Bristol ends and this could then go over to EMU electrification. Newbury to Taunton would also have a little benefit as in the future higher line speeds from Paddington to Bristol and Bristol to Bridgwater will likely negate any time savings on the Berks and Hants route so this would not need to be electrified.

 

[cle]

Not this again. There is very little benefit of electrifying to Exeter if you are not going to continue to Plymouth as very few trains terminate at Exeter. If you are going to electrify west of Bristol but don't want to continue to Plymouth then Taunton would be a more logical place to end the wires as that's where the local service from Bristol ends and this could then go over to EMU electrification. Newbury to Taunton would also have a little benefit as in the future higher line speeds from Paddington to Bristol and Bristol to Bridgwater will likely negate any time savings on the Berks and Hants route so this would not need to be electrified.

Actually those semi-fast Westbury/Exeter trains are coming back with electrification supposedly, and they stop a lot between Newbury and Westbury. Wires might help a fair bit to mitigate the loss of stops on the faster trains.

 

[exile]

My local line (Hunts Cross-Warrington-Manchester) could do with adding to the list - but I'm not sure if the electrification of the Earlestown route will affect the case for this.
Are the local passenger numbers big enough though? A lot of the passengers are heading for points East of Manchester and could go on either route.

 

[Batman]

Through a disscussion on a another thread, I've come to the conclusion electrification of the Chase Line chould be higher up the list.

The procurement process for the replacement for the 323's should start in about 2015 with trains aving between about 2019 and 2022. The DfT should place an order for 44 3 car and eight 4 car 380's for use on the Cross City Line, Aldrdige - Woverhampton, the Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International shuttle and the Chase Line. The rolling stock dsplaced from the Chase Line would be used on the proposed Hereford-Worcester-Birmingham-Tamworth/Nuneaton cross city service.

 

[IanXC]

Hmm 323s to add to the cascade mix eh. I think I can put up with southern cast off stock for Northern if it means we *just have to* keep electrifying more lines to use it all on...

 

[Buttsy]

I would say that the best electrification schemes after the 'biggies' on the cards are 'fill-ins'. I would suggest the following (in geographical order, not importance):

Reading - Basingstoke
Reading - Bedwyn
Thames Valley Branches
Oxford - Coventry
Coventry - Nuneaton - Birmingham
Walsall - Rugeley
Sandbach - Northwich - Hartford
Hazel Grove - Buxton
Carnforth - Barrow
Morecambe branch (Heysham can remain being served by the Leeds units)
Windermere branch
Newcastle - Metro Centre
Queen Street - Anniesland
Mossend - Cumbernauld (this may be a bit of the Glasgow - Edinburgh plan)
Central - Whifflet

Anyone else have any more fill-ins that would remove isolated DMU use?

 

[Class172]

Snow Hill Lines (obviously )

 

[Buttsy]

Snow Hill Lines (obviously )

That's an odd one in my book. It's difficult to know where to finish. Worcester? Kidderminster? Stourbridge? Stratford? Shirley? Dorridge? Leamington?

I can certainly see the benefit of Leamington - Birmingham allied to Oxford - Coventry, but unless Chiltern Lines are done as well, I can't see the financial case for a few peak hour trains.

Or are you joking? I'm not sure...

One I did forget Barnt Green - Bromsgrove.

 

[Class172]

That's an odd one in my book. It's difficult to know where to finish. Worcester? Kidderminster? Stourbridge? Stratford? Shirley? Dorridge? Leamington?

I can certainly see the benefit of Leamington - Birmingham allied to Oxford - Coventry, but unless Chiltern Lines are done as well, I can't see the financial case for a few peak hour trains.

Or are you joking? I'm not sure...

I'm not joking. What I'd do is electrify Worcester-Birmingham-Stratford/Leamington Spa. Then you can release 20-odd 172s. The I'd also fill the gap between Bromsgrove-Droitwich (after snow hill of course).

One I did forget Barnt Green - Bromsgrove.

Already being done!

 

[Buttsy]

I'm not joking. What I'd do is electrify Worcester-Birmingham-Stratford/Leamington Spa. Then you can release 20-odd 172s. The I'd also fill the gap between Bromsgrove-Droitwich (after snow hill of course).

Would you also do Stratford - Leamington or wait for Chiltern Line wires?

 

[Class172]

Would you also do Stratford - Leamington or wait for Chiltern Line wires?

Probably wait for Chiltern as it's fairly detached from the rest

 

[YorkshireBear]

I think the leeds network should be done as a priority as you could make it fairly self enclosed, all routes to manchester TPE harrogate lines the lines to sheffield. You could almost remove DMUS from neville hill with an effective electrification of leeds area

 

[anthony263]

I would say that the best electrification schemes after the 'biggies' on the cards are 'fill-ins'. I would suggest the following (in geographical order, not importance):

Reading - Basingstoke
Reading - Bedwyn
Thames Valley Branches
Oxford - Coventry
Coventry - Nuneaton - Birmingham
Walsall - Rugeley
Sandbach - Northwich - Hartford
Hazel Grove - Buxton
Carnforth - Barrow
Morecambe branch (Heysham can remain being served by the Leeds units)
Windermere branch
Newcastle - Metro Centre
Queen Street - Anniesland
Mossend - Cumbernauld (this may be a bit of the Glasgow - Edinburgh plan)
Central - Whifflet

Anyone else have any more fill-ins that would remove isolated DMU use?

I would wire the following:

1.) North Downs Line
2.) Thames valley branches
3.) Reading - bAssingstoke
4.) Reading - Newbury - Westbury - Taunton
5.) Bristol TM -Weston-Taunton-Exeter St Davids- eventual extension to Plymouth & Possibly Penzance.

6.) Bristol Parkway - Cheltenham -Brimingham
7.) Cardiff - Bridgend -Swansea/Maesteg
8.) Severn Tunnel Jct/Swindon - Gloucester
9.) Parson St - Portishead/Portbury
10.) Bristol TM -Avonmouth/Severn Beach/Henbury (run a 30 minutly metro style services between Severn Beach/Avonmouth/Henbury & Portishead)
11.) Cardiff Valley Lines including Ebbw Vale - Newport
12.) Oxford - Birmingham/Coventry
13.) Oxford - Bletchley - Milton Keynes/Bedford/Cambridge
14.) Gospel Oak - Barking ( free's up 8 class 172's to either go to Chiltern, London Midland or perhaps ATW & Northern)
15.) Eastleigh/Southampton Central - Romsey - Salisbury ( Allows SWT to free up class 158's/159's to go to FGW/Northern/East Midlands Trains)