Great Western Electrification Progress

[swt_passenger]

Ok, how about the one platform that can be used by through trains to Marlow isn't long enough. Whatever, the subject has been done to death a number of times before, and it is the reason the branch is not being electrified.

 

[jimm]

Several pictures from Denchworth taken yesterday by Martin Loader showing that most of the catenary steelwork is now erected in this area, with autotransformer hangers in place and some of the return wire installed.

http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

 

[76020]

Major Electrification work happening this weekend in South Wales
Please see this Link
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...-of-south-wales-mainline-upgrade-this-weekend
This must be the last bridges to be demolished east of Cardiff, as you can see it is all going on over the next two days.
As Churchill said "This is not the beginning of the end, it is the end of the beginning"

 

[317 forever]

Travelled from Reading to Paddington yesterday. Electrification masts have started going up in the Sonning cutting near Reading.

This is encouraging progress. I hope the line is electrified as far as Slough or even Maidenhead by next summer, if not even Reading.

Maybe the new Prime Minister will see electrification as far as Maidenhead with more urgency now?

 

[leomartin125]

This is encouraging progress. I hope the line is electrified as far as Slough or even Maidenhead by next summer, if not even Reading.

Maybe the new Prime Minister will see electrification as far as Maidenhead with more urgency now?

If GWR really want to start IEP services in Summer 2017, my guess is, they plan to use a LOT of diesel mode out of them. The electric mode won't get you very far by Summer 2017... I wonder what routes they think will benefit an IEP in diesel mode most of the way?

 

[Clarence Yard]

If GWR really want to start IEP services in Summer 2017, my guess is, they plan to use a LOT of diesel mode out of them. The electric mode won't get you very far by Summer 2017... I wonder what routes they think will benefit an IEP in diesel mode most of the way?

There will be a lot of diesel running (!) but as the North and South Cotswolds won't be 10 car enabled by then, it will be the Bristol and South Wales runs in 10 car formations.

The first HST diagrams are currently planned to cut over to IEP in October 2017. The NR delays to providing test infrastructure has, at present, put the Agility contract acceptance dates back.

 

[swt_passenger]

This is encouraging progress. I hope the line is electrified as far as Slough or even Maidenhead by next summer, if not even Reading.

The Maidenhead 2 tph EMU service is quite firmly planned for May 2017, the 387s even have it shown commencing then on their internal route maps, and GWR have recently published it on their website with the details of the recent Hayes & Harlington shuttles..

Follow up information. I subsequently found a track access application that explains this differently. The EMUs to Maidenhead will replace various peak extras, they will be additional to the Hayes shuttle. See this post in the Class 387 thread:http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2723447&postcount=3976

 

[Andrewlong]

The Maidenhead 2 tph EMU service is quite firmly planned for May 2017, the 387s even have it shown commencing then on their internal route maps, and GWR have recently published it on their website with the details of the recent Hayes & Harlington shuttles..

To be honest and with no disrespect to Maidenhead, I would have preferred to see EMU services running through to Reading which is not in the middle of nowhere unlike Maidenhead.

 

[swt_passenger]

To be honest and with no disrespect to Maidenhead, I would have preferred to see EMU services running through to Reading which is not in the middle of nowhere unlike Maidenhead.

Isn't it obvious that "Paddington to Maidenhead" is only a transitional stage of the electrification to Reading? GWR have already confirmed that these services are only running until such time as they are replaced by Crossrail services anyway.

 

[jimm]

To be honest and with no disrespect to Maidenhead, I would have preferred to see EMU services running through to Reading which is not in the middle of nowhere unlike Maidenhead.

Ah yes, Maidenhead, a place so in the middle of nowhere that almost 70,000 people live in the town, and plenty more nearby, the station sees more than 4 million journeys per year and it was going to be the western end point for Crossrail - until GW electrification took care of the route on to Reading

As soon as the wires are in place to and through Reading on to Didcot, then GWR will be extending its electric services there, with December 2017 being the target date given in the Enhancements Delivery Plan earlier this year - but with the next batch of 387s starting to arrive by the end of this year, GWR will want to put them to work wherever it can as soon as possible.

 

[317 forever]

The Maidenhead 2 tph EMU service is quite firmly planned for May 2017, the 387s even have it shown commencing then on their internal route maps, and GWR have recently published it on their website with the details of the recent Hayes & Harlington shuttles..

Thank you for your clarity. I had planned to ride some buses in west London sometime between October 2016 & October 2017. I plan to ride a GW 387 at the same time and am encouraged this should now work out!

Ah yes, Maidenhead, a place so in the middle of nowhere that almost 70,000 people live in the town, and plenty more nearby, the station sees more than 4 million journeys per year and it was going to be the western end point for Crossrail - until GW electrification took care of the route on to Reading

As soon as the wires are in place to and through Reading on to Didcot, then GWR will be extending its electric services there, with December 2017 being the target date given in the Enhancements Delivery Plan earlier this year - but with the next batch of 387s starting to arrive by the end of this year, GWR will want to put them to work wherever it can as soon as possible.

While Reading is a logical terminal point, Maidenhead is clearly just an interim terminal. Maidenhead of course became quite a bit more famous in July, and I don't mean for trains!

 

[leomartin125]

Thank you for your clarity. I had planned to ride some buses in west London sometime between October 2016 & October 2017. I plan to ride a GW 387 at the same time and am encouraged this should now work out!



While Reading is a logical terminal point, Maidenhead is clearly just an interim terminal. Maidenhead of course became quite a bit more famous in July, and I don't mean for trains!

Well, talking of Maidenhead, being my home town, I have always been one to want to see a 387 stopping there. And I'm happy to see the amount of progress that has been made East of Maidenhead, parts of the section are even wired. This weekend, Network Rail have been piling West of Maidenhead, to ensure the Maidenhead to Reading section is completed on time. And whilst many masts are in place, there are still a fair few piles to complete. The Crossrail sidings don't even have any masts yet, but I guess this will change soon, as they may be used to reverse 387's if Maidenhead is a terminus from May next year, until wires reach Reading.

 

[Tio Terry]

Well, talking of Maidenhead, being my home town, I have always been one to want to see a 387 stopping there. And I'm happy to see the amount of progress that has been made East of Maidenhead, parts of the section are even wired. This weekend, Network Rail have been piling West of Maidenhead, to ensure the Maidenhead to Reading section is completed on time. And whilst many masts are in place, there are still a fair few piles to complete. The Crossrail sidings don't even have any masts yet, but I guess this will change soon, as they may be used to reverse 387's if Maidenhead is a terminus from May next year, until wires reach Reading.

The sidings at Maidenhead are being paid for by Crossrail. They have made it quite clear that they are for their trains only. They are not available to GWR. I guess its a money thing, you pay, you can have access.

 

[steverailer]

Apparently they flicked the switch on the reliefs between Tilehurst and Didcot last night, I understand all went well

 

[Mikey C]

I assume the electrification to Maidenhead is a completely separate exercise to the wiring to Reading anyway, seeing that Maidenhead is being done for Crossrail and thus would have happened even if the GWR electrification had never happened...

 

[FGW_DID]

Apparently they flicked the switch on the reliefs between Tilehurst and Didcot last night, I understand all went well

Apart from the OLE that was reported on fire at Cholsey this morning!!

Not in work so can't elaborate any further I'm afraid

 

[reddragon]

I can confirm on checking today that the reliefs are now complete from Tilehurst to Scour Lane AND the western access track into Reading depot is also wired up, but with the contact wire tied to one side. There is a short gap between Scours Lane and its western extent plus the depot wires do not yet link to the western access section (that is the track north of the up relief). Maybe not too much work now to connect!

On the western tracks into platforms 1,2,3,& 7 a lot more steel work has gone up.

Between Reading platforms 11 & 12 there is some new piling, plus masts, piled very neatly right through the track drainage adjacent to the catchpit covers! (so no excuses for such a **** up)

 

[FGW_DID]

I can confirm on checking today that the reliefs are now complete from Tilehurst to Scour Lane AND the western access track into Reading depot is also wired up, but with the contact wire tied to one side. There is a short gap between Scours Lane and its western extent plus the depot wires do not yet link to the western access section (that is the track north of the up relief). Maybe not too much work now to connect!

On the western tracks into platforms 1,2,3,& 7 a lot more steel work has gone up.

Between Reading platforms 11 & 12 there is some new piling, plus masts, piled very neatly right through the track drainage adjacent to the catchpit covers! (so no excuses for such a **** up)

That's the Up Passenger Loop between the Up Relief and Depot lines.

 

[steverailer]

Apart from the OLE that was reported on fire at Cholsey this morning!!

Not in work so can't elaborate any further I'm afraid

Correct, was a HV cable taking the ATF through a bridge apparently

 

[leomartin125]

Correct, was a HV cable taking the ATF through a bridge apparently

Just passed through Cholsey and the Down/Up relief line cables just after the electrification depot under the bridge are ruined and exposed, clearly been burnt out. Will need to be replaced, glad the depot is next door quite literally!

 

[nlogax]

Just passed through Cholsey and the Down/Up relief line cables just after the electrification depot under the bridge are ruined and exposed, clearly been burnt out. Will need to be replaced, glad the depot is next door quite literally!

Ouch. What would cause that to happen on new kit?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Ouch. What would cause that to happen on new kit?

A dead short?

 

[edwin_m]

A dead short?

A partial short (low resistance path) might be more likely, as I think a hard short would trip out the breakers before it could do much damage.

 

[QueensCurve]

A dead short?

Network Rail would never allow such a silly mistake.

 

[reddragon]

That's the Up Passenger Loop between the Up Relief and Depot lines.

Sorry, didn't have line diagrams on me at home!

 

[jimm]

Further to reddragon's observations, the first tension arms have now started to appear on both of the south to east curves at Reading off the Berks & Hants, ie the original connection from the fast lines, plus the new one linking to the reliefs under the flyover. All the arms I saw in place today are to south of the flyover.

At Didcot, all the pointwork east of the station and at Moreton cutting, plus the station area, looks to be fully wired.

There is still some autotransformer cable missing at Pangbourne station and from just east of Pangbourne through to Purley-on-Thames.

 

[Henbury Loop]

I'm shocked there is no update/mention of any works around the Patchway/Severn tunnels given the closure?

 

[snowball]

Press release with video of the replacement of Bridge Street bridge, Newport:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...estone-in-south-wales-electrification-project

A vital milestone in the work to upgrade Bridge Street bridge in Newport city centre, in preparation for a new fleet of electric trains, was completed at the weekend.

Timelapse footage captured the assembly of a 600 tonne crawler crane which was used to lift and install the new bridge deck in the early hours of Saturday morning (17 September).

...

Over the weekend Maesglas Road Bridge was demolished along with Hawse Lane and Green Lane bridges located in the Marshfield area of Newport as work now commences to reconstruct these bridges.

In Cardiff the main span of Beresford Road Bridge in Splott was demolished and work was also completed in the Cardiff Central area, part of the Cardiff Area Signalling Renewal project to modernise the Cardiff and Valleys railway, to improve reliability of train services.

 

[ANP1990]

Two things:
1. Masts have started going up around Theale station (good to see more progress on the Berks and Hants).

2. NR are on their way to completing a new bridge to replace the Upton Nervet level crossing.

 

[Envoy]

BBC Points West (Bristol) will have a feature on the Severn Tunnel works tonight 6.30pm 22 September, 2016. Satellite viewers can see it UK wide.