Great Western Electrification Progress

[Phil G]

Second catenary and contact wire in place to Langley Burrel crossing.

 

[haddock1000]

I caught this going through Bristol Parkway station car park yesterday. Completely stopped the job as it slowly manouvered round the sharp bend around the new multi storey car park! I don't think it was supposed to gmean that way. They're also putting up signs relating to the closure of the short stay car park during this autumn (can't remember the precise dates) ready for it to be turned into a rail replacement bus station.

 

[59CosG95]

View attachment 51400

I caught this going through Bristol Parkway station car park yesterday. Completely stopped the job as it slowly manouvered round the sharp bend around the new multi storey car park! I don't think it was supposed to gmean that way. They're also putting up signs relating to the closure of the short stay car park during this autumn (can't remember the precise dates) ready for it to be turned into a rail replacement bus station.

Thanks for that @haddock1000, looks like some more SPS is due to go up imminently.

 

[D1009]

I caught this going through Bristol Parkway station car park yesterday. Completely stopped the job as it slowly manouvered round the sharp bend around the new multi storey car park! I don't think it was supposed to gmean that way. They're also putting up signs relating to the closure of the short stay car park during this autumn (can't remember the precise dates) ready for it to be turned into a rail replacement bus station.

As a resident of the area, I gave myself time today to work out from where your shot was taken. Looks as though it approached the station from the new Stoke Gifford bypass. Last time Filton Bank was blocked, some of the Rail Replacement buses went that way, and it was tight enough.

 

[haddock1000]

As a resident of the area, I gave myself time today to work out from where your shot was taken. Looks as though it approached the station from the new Stoke Gifford bypass. Last time Filton Bank was blocked, some of the Rail Replacement buses went that way, and it was tight enough.

The photo was taken on the corner of the entrance to the taxi rank/bus stop. The lorry was heading west, having just rounded the corner behind the car park. Judging by the traffic the lorry required both directions stopped for a little while!

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

That's pretty poor traffic management to be honest - they shouldn't be trying to move HGVs around the station car-park and/or entrance during the day. As has been suggested, it possibly got lost.

 

[D1009]

That's pretty poor traffic management to be honest - they shouldn't be trying to move HGVs around the station car-park and/or entrance during the day. As has been suggested, it possibly got lost.

There is very little in the way of traffic management, it's managed by APCOA, who have erected No Through Road signs and installed some hefty speed bumps, but I'm not sure any enforcement is possible as it is not the public highway.

 

[59CosG95]

Second catenary and contact wire in place to Langley Burrel crossing.

So, to clarify - the C&C on the Up line has now extended west from Sutton Lane Bridge to Langley Burrell?

 

[Phil G]

Yes it has. There were also some movements to Swindon transfer last night so I'll have a look over the weekend to see if it's reached cocklebury road yet.

 

[3973EXL]

B&H

Still to wire;
Reading West crossover.
Theale East 2 x wire runs.
Kennet Viaduct/Hambridge Lane area 2 x wire runs.

Next possession Saturday night to Sunday morning (Basingstoke & Newbury lines).
Ex Swindon http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/B90263/2018/08/25/advanced

From Monday night the Newbury line is blocked until Friday. Trains run as far as Theale during the day.

Monday from Swindon http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/B90246/2018/08/27/advanced
Returns Friday http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/B90247/2018/08/31/advanced

A4 Bath Road bridge parapets complete.

Low parapets on Tilehurst Road bridge.

Reading West platform extension.

Platform sections with other materials, Upper Triangle.

Reading West crossover.

Some of the recent wiring still requires adjustment/final fixing.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Supposedly the Bedwyn turnback is going to get it's extension during next weeks blockade - unless anyone knows that plan has changed?

 

[59CosG95]

Does anyone happen to know the current extent of the wiring in the Westerleigh Jct area?

 

[swt_passenger]

May be deleted, I was erroneously referring to your own earlier update...

 

[59CosG95]

No probem @swt_passenger, there have been a lot of them now!
And to that end...here's the next one.

GWML Electrification: State of Play, as of 27/8/18.
All mileages given from Paddington, except where noted.
Paddington to Wootton Bassett Jct - LIVE

• All main line tracks wired as far as Wootton Bassett Jct, and are to be considered "live" as such. Wires towards Bristol Parkway continue to Westerleigh Jct (107m 14ch); details are given below.
• TTCs have replaced/been replacing headspans at various locations within London - locations include Westway (beneath the A40), Acton Main Line, Ealing B'way, W. Ealing, Southall, H&H.
• Everything wired at Reading (bar P4-6 which were never in the plan). Includes the TCD & the curves, down to Reading West (see B&H section).
• West of Didcot Parkway, all lines are wired & live heading towards Swindon.
• Everything wired at Swindon; P1-4, and the Through Road. Switchgear at the Bristol end of P1-4 is now live.

Small Points

• ATF wires in operation from Maidenhead to Wootton Bassett; Kensal Green to Maidenhead currently only using return conductors but will be AT-ready in the near future. Some AT wires up along this stretch now; whether they are live remains to be seen.
  • In preparation for the Elizabeth Line running to Maidenhead, Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead was closed off over the Early May Bank Holiday (5/5 to 7/5); this included renewals of S&C at West Drayton & Slough West Jct, alongside HOPS work at Langley. Paddington to H&H was also closed on May 6th, and encompassed final OLE works for Crossrail, alongside (presumably) ATF installation, finishing of Platform Extensions, lift shaft installation, passenger footbridge installation, and ticket hall foundation installation.
• Parapet Work ongoing at Southbury Lane Bridge, Ruscombe.
• Twyford platform extensions all completed.
• Parapet Work has yet to commence on Butts Hill Rd Bridge, Woodley.
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of wires for the time being.
• Oxford Lines west of Didcot Pkwy wired as far as the loco fuelling sdg; Down Oxford as far as 53m31ch, Up Oxford as far as 53m42ch. Didcot avoiding lines have sprouted masts (4 portals, 2 TTCs), with a wire pair over the Down Didcot Avoider.
• A note on Steventon: Wires up under the High St Bridge (aka the "Brunel Bridge"); however, the bridge may well be demolished in CP6. It *MIGHT* need temporary parapet work to protect passers-by from stray currents; the discussion continues.
• Both Bourton & Uffington crossovers wired.
• Overruns through Swindon Jct (77m 36ch) onto the Golden Valley Line have also been wired.
• Another note on the OLE to Wootton Bassett - testing with IETs will occur in July, and entry of IETs in AC passenger service occurs in September.

The "Main Line"; Wootton Bassett Jct - Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge)
Until further notice, the 25kV transmission wires will run in a trough from Cocklebury Lane Bridge (just east of Chippenham) to Thingley Jct. Large steelwork is expected to remain in situ until wiring is authorised west of Thingley, but some specific items may be poached if required elsewhere (and duplicates aren't stored at RAF Wroughton). Details given in the "Postponements" section.

• Track lowering and drainage work at Dauntsey completed.
• All masts are now up between Wootton Bassett Jct & Cocklebury Lane Overbridge with the majority of SPS fitted. (On the basis that earth wires are up from WB to Cocklebury lane)
• All earth wires are now up between Wootton Bassett Jct & Cocklebury Lane Overbridge.
• Christian Malford, catenary & contact wires have been erected over the Up Line; these extend eastwards as far as the eye can see. They have not reached Dauntsey Bank or Wootton Bassett yet, to my knowledge.
• Over Sutton Ln Bridge, Kellaways (between Christian Malford & Langley Burrell), catenary & contact wires have been erected over both lines; these extend eastwards as far as the eye can see. No ATF wires yet, but the C&C at Kellaways extends halfway along to Chippenham Road Bridge (the next bridge west) and beyond to Langley Burrell over both lines.
• Langley Burrell (east of Chippenham)
  • Some of the thicker STC masts, which have TTC-style tubular booms fitted, aren't yet dressed with SPS. The TTC "Tensorex" portals at Langley Burrell don't yet bear the Tensorex drums which will eventually go up there.
  • Works compound established at Langley Green L.C.
  • The "termination" twin-track portal west of Cocklebury Lane now carries Tensorex drums & SPS.
  • Another catenary/contact wire pair appear to be up over the Down Line as far as Langley Burrell.

Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge) - Thingley Jct

• No piles in Chippenham station, nor any masts affixed to the viaduct.
• All piles in and majority of masts (and cantilevers) up from the western end of the viaduct to Thingley Junction (where the feeder station will be). Most TTCs have booms from beyond the viaduct to Thingley East Junction. About 14 masts are up in the vicinity of Thingley Feeder Stn, 2 of which have TTC booms affixed. Another has an STC boom.
• Piles continue westwards to the next bridge.

Thingley Jct - Keynsham

• No wiring for the foreseeable future, but overbridges between Thingley Jct & Box Tunnel have all been rebuilt. Corsham Main Road Bridge needs its parapets raising. New aqueduct & footbridge at Corsham complete.
• Both Box & Middle Hill Tunnels have had track lowered.
• A new footbridge has been built at Ashley Box.
• Piles also in (and have been for over a year) at Ashley (beyond Box Tunnel) - these might well be trial piles.
• Bathampton Jct to beyond Sydney Gardens has had track lowered. A new signal gantry at Bathampton Jct was installed over Xmas 2017 but is not yet in use.
• Bath Spa platforms realigned & raised, with track also slewed.
• Track through Oldfield Park & Keynsham now lowered.
• A lot of piles are in along the embankment around Saltford and Keynsham in readiness for future wiring.

South Wales Main Line (Wootton Bassett Jct-Bristol Parkway-Severn Tunnel-Newport-Cardiff)

Wootton Bassett Jct - Bristol Parkway; apparently set to go live in September 2018.

• All catenary & contact wires up from Wootton Bassett Jct to Westerleigh Jct (107m 14ch); Chipping Sodbury Goods Loop is also fully wired. One ATF wire contines westwards over the junction for a short distance.
• From Westerleigh Jct to Bristol Parkway, all structures are up as far as approx. MP110, in Winterbourne Cutting.
  • On the curve towards Cheltenham Spa, all SPS is now up. The northbound track also appears to have a wire run from the Limit of Wiring to Westerleigh Jct.
• Earth Wire (on the Down side) now accompanies the SPS up on the STCs and TTCs to the west & east of "The Dramway" footbridge nr Ram Hill (Coalpit Heath); a pair of single masts which seem to be destined for a portal boom can be found just east of the bridge (https://flic.kr/p/23WGyV5).
• Huckford Viaduct has had bespoke mast fittings applied.
• The "Blue Viaduct" over the M4 just east of BPW now has SPS up on the masts along it.
• Winterbourne Viaduct is currently mastless.
• BPW Platforms extensions complete.
  • TTCs up over all platforms as of 20/3, along with the Down Bristol Goods Loop (opposite P1).
  • Portal now up at the eastern end over all lines through the station. Nothing more up further east on the approach though.
  • A number of masts & booms are up on the line towards Filton Abbey Wood, between Stoke Gifford Jct No.1 (111m 79ch) and Filton Jct No.1 (113m 01ch); these end just short of Filton Jct 1 and will presumably act as an overrun until electrification continues into Temple Meads.
• Filton Bank bridge works (mileages all from Temple Meads):
  • Easton Rd Overbridge (1m 18ch) completely rebuilt.
  • Narroways Footbridge (2m 12ch) replaced.
  • Ashley Hill Footbridge (3m 11ch) replaced.
  • Bonnington Walk Overbridge (3m 62ch) - parapets raised.
  • Footbridge south of Filton Abbey Wood (4m 18ch) will need work if wiring is to occur.

Bristol Parkway - Pilning

• The Patchway/Severn Tunnel Blockade is now complete.
• 2 boomed masts are up at the Welsh end of Bristol Parkway, and a concrete foundation awaiting a mast can be seen next to them.https://flic.kr/p/245kEME A twin track portal has also appeared near there, and the station masts are now gaining SPS.
• Stoke Gifford IEP Depot all wired.
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail installed.
• Masts, booms and SPS up through Patchway. No wires yet.
  • Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed as of 18/3/18.
• At Pilning, during the Summer Tunnels blockade, all portals and masts have now been erected, and wires have gone up.

Severn Tunnel - Newport

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place. A number of masts on both sides of the line are now up at Caldicot, just before the Western tunnel mouth.
• All bridge rebuilding complete from Severn Tunnel Jct (149m 14ch) to Bishton Flyover (152m 30ch).
• Masts beginning to go up between Severn Tunnel Jct & Bishton Flyover, as of 3/4/18. These include:
  • At least 11 between Undy (Playing Fields Footbridge) and the M4 viaduct over the mains; one just east of the "white house" has a TTC boom. It can be assumed that its 8 comrades will be similarly adorned. Another mast over the Reliefs west of the "white house" has now gained a TTC boom with 1 SPS assembly; it has a twin over the Mains.
  • Two large uprights have gone up between Undy Playing Fields footbridge & "the ramp" bridge at Magor on opposite sides of the line; these may well take a portal boom.
  • Another 3 masts (two for a portal boom, one a TTC with boom up) have appeared east of "the ramp" bridge at Magor; these join the sole TTC on the Up side by the bridge.
  • The 3 TTCs west of "the ramp" bridge (2 on the Down, 1 on the Up) have gained SPS.
  • The signal gantry at Magor (west of the West End Footbridge) has been replaced by 4 signals on posts; this should mean its removal prior to electrification is imminent. A TTC with SPS is up over the Mains there too.
  • 1 mast is up to the west of Redwick Rd Bridge (by the Down Relief), and a mast due to bear a portal is up to the east of Whitewall Footbridge (by the Up Main). OTP is in place for a piling/masting operation by Redwick Rd compound.
  • Masts (with SPS fitted) up between Bishton Flyover (including over it) and Llanwern West Jct (156m 20ch). 5 masts are currently up on the curve down from the flyover at its eastern end.
  • Plenty single masts (with SPS fitted & folded) up along the Mains between the Flyover and Bishton LC.
• Plenty piles are in around the Bishton LC (153m 01ch) to Llanwern Works East Connection (153m 05ch) area; further west towards Llanwern Works West Connection/Llanwern West Junction (156m 03ch to 156m 20ch), masts are going up at the double. Portal structures/TTCs etc. are up just east of the utility bridge between the Llanwern Connections, and to the west. SPS has gone up too on lots of them; not easy to find exact numbers though.
• Some masts have sprouted near Lliswerry pond.
• 6-track portals, probably TGBUs (aka Thumpin' Great Big-Uns) going up aroung East Usk Yard (approx. MP157 1/2).
• Between the Maindee Jcts (157m 74ch to 158m 16ch), a cluster of piles is in beside the Down Relief; these are complemented by masted piles on the Main side (adjacent to the Up Main).
• Caerleon Rd Overbridge to be refurbished in 2 phases - 20/7 to 30/11, and then January ‘19 to March ‘19. Not sure what impact on wiring this will have.
• Some SPS has now gone up between Maindee West & Maindee East; between Maindee West Maindee North Jct (41m 03ch from the former Rotherwas Jct, just south of Hereford; the ELR for the southern part of the Marches Line), masts with TTCs on are also going up (as overruns) over the Marches Line; the termination mast & associated TTC are just north of signal "NT 1559".
• Fixings for masts have now been installed on the Usk Bridge.

Newport

• P1 Canopies all cut back; P2 & P3 canopies still in progress.
• Masts and portals now appearing at the western end of the station, some with SPS attached. More started to appear in mid-April; additionally, two at the Cardiff end & two through the P1 canopy on the weekend of April 28th/29th.
• 4-track portal now up over the southern 4 tracks, just east of the new station footbridge.
• Two six-track portals have now gone up over the western throat of the station, just short of a 4-track portal (uprights of) & a TTC (with SPS) adjacent to Clytha Park Rd.
• Old stn footbridge now removed; 4-track portal of the "TGBU" (Thumpin' Great Big 'Un) variety has been installed in its place.
• A new portal has gone up at the east end of Newport, with all the fixings for switchgear affixed at the top. Droptubes for registration arms are also on.

Newport - Cardiff

• Plenty masts up around Gaer Jct (159m 32ch) north of Cardiff Rd Bridge (the B4237);
  • one by the Down Relief
  • two by the Up Main (one of which is a boomed TTC with SPS)
  • three by the Gaer Jct - Park Jct Chord.
• Around 6 piles are in adjacent to the Up Main between Gaer Jct and Ebbw Jct (160m 07ch); these will probably take masts for portal booms. One such boom appears to have gone in! Currently unknown if Alexandra Dock Jct Yard will be electrified.
• Lots of steelwork up immediately behind the signal gantry adjacent to the Up Main at Ebbw Jct; this includes a full portal boom and a TTC acting as an overrun mast on the Ebbw Vale branch.
• Over 100 masts from Ebbw Jct to Marshfield (163m 60ch). Booms & SPS starting to appear in the area too.
• Green Lane Bridge, nr Marshfield (164m 57ch) reopened to traffic after reconstruction. Masts (with SPS) up around here too.
• Lots of masts (with booms, SPS & ATF brackets) now up near Mardy Rd Bridge, Rumney.
• Two TTCs, one on each side of the tracks, have been erected by the bridge at Rhymney River Bridge Jct (167m 61ch).
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct (168m 40ch); 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side. Some of the portals now have booms, and bear SPS; one of these has all its registration arms up.
• A handful of masts are also up around Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch); some have now gained TTC booms and SPS as well.
• Splott Rd Bridge upgrade work now complete.

Cardiff Central

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.
• Piling underway at the extreme ends of P1/2 & P3/4 for future masts. One can assume portals will bridge the gap between P2 & P3, over the Through lines.
• Canopy cut-back work now underway on P2.
• Brackets appear to be in place on the coping stones on the Taff Viaduct (at the western end of the station).

Swansea IEP Depot

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.

GWML/SWML Blockades:

• 14/4 & 15/4 - Swindon; done.
• 26/5 to 28/5 - Swindon; done.
• 23/4 to 25/5 (exc. weekends): Complete; Swansea-Padd services are now leaving/arriving at Swansea as per their booked times again.
• 30/4 to 18/5 (exc. weekends): Complete; Cardiff-Pompey & Cardiff-Taunton services working as normal.
• 16/6 to 6/7: Bristol Parkway - Severn Tunnel Jct is now complete.
• 30/6 to 1/7: Bristol Parkway - Swindon; done.
• 6/7 to 3/12: Reduced capacity between Newport & Cardiff Central while electrification progresses; assume only 1 pair of lines open at a time.
• 15/9 to 6/10, and 13/10 to 14/10: Bristol Parkway blockaded to allow OLE to be installed within the station. RRBs in operation between Yate & Filton Abbey Wood, and between Swindon & Newport.
• 24/12/18 to 1/1/19: Bristol Parkway - Newport will be blockaded again for more OLE works.
• More Blockades will follow; details as they become available.

Berks & Hants Line (Reading-Newbury)
Reading-Newbury set to go live from December 2018; electric trains in service from January 2019.
Reading West - Southcote Junction - Theale

• [All large steelwork is in.
• Within Reading West, piles for the new footbridge (under Murphy's remit) are in, but have been "decapitated" (i.e. shortened) and capped until a new footbridge solution is found.
• Both the Down Westbury & Up Westbury lines are fully wired through Reading West & Southcote Jct, but stop short of joining the existing wiring around Theale East crossovers.
• Both B'stoke lines and crossovers at Southcote Jct fully wired to the end of the overruns.
• Reading West Crossover and the plain line around Theale East Crossover needs wiring.
• Parapet work now complete on the A4 (Bath Rd) overbridge; Tilehurst Rd overbridge will require similar works.

Theale - Aldermaston - Midgham - Thatcham - Newbury Racecourse

• Wires over the main lines (DW/UW) from Reading West are now continuous to just east of Kennet Viaduct (nr Newbury Racecourse); approximately at MP 51 1/4.
• Theale Goods Loop is now fully wired, including over the pointwork at the Newbury end.
• Platform extension works underway at Theale.
• The platform extensions at Aldermaston and Thatcham are structurally complete; finishing works (e.g. levelling, fencing etc.) are all that remains to be done.
• After the gap over Kennet Viaduct, all wires (Catenary, contact, Earth) over all lines (Mains, crossovers and the DPL) resume at about MP51 3/4. These continue through to Newbury (see below).

Newbury Racecourse (excl.) - Newbury Town - Limit of Wiring

• The electrical substation/PSU at Boundary Rd looks roughly 80% complete. A gaggle of taller masts (presumably for another ATF feeder station) can be seen opposite the Sainsbury's.
• Bay platform and all through lines (DM, DPL, UM, UPL) fully wired through Newbury station to the limit of wiring. Newbury West Crossovers also wired.
• At Newbury, the new footbridge is now open (not the lifts yet). The canopy has now been completely cut back, and all the facing boards are removed.
• Proposed Limit of Wiring: 53m 51ch. Gives Ample room to reverse a 12-car 387 formation.
  • Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2.

B&H Blockades:

• 12/3 to 15/3; done.
• 23/4 to 26/4; done.
• 14/5 to 17/5; done.
• 2/6 to 10/6; done.
• 9/7 to 12/7; done.
• 16/7 to 5/8; done.
• 28/8 to 30/8,
• 8/10 to 11/10,
• 19/11 to 22/11.

Project Postponements

• Thames Valley Branches: Windsor & Henley deferred to CP6. Marlow removed from scope of current programme. The first few yards of each branch (bar the Henley Branch) have been wired as an overrun.
• Southcote Jct to Basingstoke has also been deferred to CP6.
• Appleford LC to Oxford paused; if CP6 accounts allow for wiring to be extended to Oxford, it would be very likely to happen now that Oxford has been remodelled.
• Catenary & Contact wires between Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Overbridge) & Thingley Jct have been deferred until (presumably) CP6; presumably this will wait until Bath-Bristol resignalling is complete. All Large steelwork to remain, unless required elsewhere.
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling (Taunton-Parkway over Easter 2018; Temple Meads to Bath in October 2018), track remodelling and Filton Bank 4-tracking (to be completed by December 2018).
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.

As always, do let me know if I've missed anything!
(apologies to anyone who saw it in a state of source code chaos too).

 

[3973EXL]

Theale

Last night the catenary wire went up at Theale east on the down.

Wiring train stabled in the up platform.

DR76921/20/19/11/13

During the day when services are running as far as Theale, worksite is outside of the possession.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Work ongoing as I type on the Newbury Railcam.

Looks like they are securing a very heavy duty (power supply?) cable over the top of a cross-track gantry.

PM Update: Work seems to have finished for now, but the gantry nearest the camera (when it's facing west towards the Boundary Road bridge) clearly now has 2 large cables running over the top of it.

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

Winterbourne Viaduct is currently mastless.

Good update, as always.

Winterbourne Viaduct now has masts installed. I'm not quite sure why, but they're single stanchions; rather than the portal-type arrangement on Huckford, Bristol Rd. and Somerford viaducts further east.

 

[59CosG95]

Work ongoing as I type on the Newbury Railcam.

Looks like they are securing a very heavy duty (power supply?) cable over the top of a cross-track gantry.

Is the gantry right by the Sainsbury's? They may be for the substation at Boundary Rd.

Good update, as always.

Winterbourne Viaduct now has masts installed. I'm not quite sure why, but they're single stanchions; rather than the portal-type arrangement on Huckford, Bristol Rd. and Somerford viaducts further east.

Ah, thanks very much Archie! I haven't seen many photos (or travelled that line) since April, so it's been harder to keep track of progress there.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Is the gantry right by the Sainsbury's? They may be for the substation at Boundary Rd

Sainsburys is to the west of Boundary Road bridge, and this gantry is to the east, but the total distance between the two is maybe 300m. The substation is on the old "Sterling Cables" site, which is between the two.

 

[59CosG95]

Sainsburys is to the west of Boundary Road bridge, and this gantry is to the east, but the total distance between the two is maybe 300m. The substation is on the old "Sterling Cables" site, which is between the two.

That seems to fit with my thoughts that the feeder cables from the substation are now being attached. Seems as though, for the old Sterling Cables site, what goes around comes around!
They might also have been carrying out snagging works on that gantry; it may well have been the case that some wires weren't in their permanent positions.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Pasting my own post from last week...

Supposedly the Bedwyn turnback is going to get it's extension during next weeks blockade - unless anyone knows that plan has changed?

Attached is the letter (taken from NR website) that was sent to the local populace advising of the work. Quite a bit of detail in it regarding what's due to happen this week

One interesting snippet from within it that I noticed is "At peak times, to supplement the through service, there will be existing diesel trains operating to Newbury alongside the new IETs".

Interesting, as I thought come January we would have seen the last of Turbo's on the B&H?

 

[deltic08]

Pasting my own post from last week...



Attached is the letter (taken from NR website) that was sent to the local populace advising of the work. Quite a bit of detail in it regarding what's due to happen this week

They don't mention how long the siding extension is and how long the footpath detour is. Unless it is fenced off people are going to trespass to avoid a detour.
How long is the extension?

 

[swt_passenger]

They don't mention how long the siding extension is and how long the footpath detour is. Unless it is fenced off people are going to trespass to avoid a detour.
How long is the extension?

The drawing on page 3 of the linked pdf suggests only about 10 metres extension, as did the earlier discussion of the diversion a few months back. This matches the bit of the letter that states the crossing is moved 10 metres west.

Why would the siding NOT be fenced off?

 

[D1009]

Does anyone happen to know the current extent of the wiring in the Westerleigh Jct area?

I've caught a XC HST to Cheltenham this afternoon, it looked to me like the wiring was in place at least on the down line between Westerleigh Jn and the Winterbourne area. There were some midweek overnight blocks over the last couple of weeks between Parkway and Westerleigh.

 

[JN114]

One interesting snippet from within it that I noticed is "At peak times, to supplement the through service, there will be existing diesel trains operating to Newbury alongside the new IETs".

Interesting, as I thought come January we would have seen the last of Turbo's on the B&H?

There is an evening Newbury - Bedwyn shuttle in the peaks, that will still be Turbo worked for the time being; although 769s likely in the future.

 

[deltic08]

The drawing on page 3 of the linked pdf suggests only about 10 metres extension, as did the earlier discussion of the diversion a few months back. This matches the bit of the letter that states the crossing is moved 10 metres west.

Why would the siding NOT be fenced off?

You are right but we have all seen holes in fencing where short cuts have been made. I don't know the area but 30 feet is not much extra.

 

[MD007]

I've caught a XC HST to Cheltenham this afternoon, it looked to me like the wiring was in place at least on the down line between Westerleigh Jn and the Winterbourne area. There were some midweek overnight blocks over the last couple of weeks between Parkway and Westerleigh.

Drove past Westerleigh earlier today - wiring definitely extended over the junction continuing as far as I could see,
Also wiring now looks complete (or at best mostly complete) on the Gloucester line over run

 

[Thatcham Xing]

I don't know the area but 30 feet is not much extra.

I paid the siding a visit for a wander around on foot around 2 weeks ago, and when a 3 car Turbo is in there, there is almost room for 2 more coaches behind where they stop (certainly 1, still with a good margin to the buffers), so even allowing for the fact that (I think) IET coaches are longer, not much of an extension is needed to fit 5.

 

[swt_passenger]

I paid the siding a visit for a wander around on foot around 2 weeks ago, and when a 3 car Turbo is in there, there is almost room for 2 more coaches behind where they stop (certainly 1, still with a good margin to the buffers), so even allowing for the fact that (I think) IET coaches are longer, not much of an extension is needed to fit 5.

We discussed this back in March, I had used the Google Earth measurement tool and reckoned the parallel section of the siding was almost 130m. I expect the 10m is needed for the final safety margin at the buffers or signal standback.

 

[D1009]

I took this shot about 45 mins ago leaving Bristol Parkway towards Filton. I believe this is a relatively recent appearance, in the gap between Bristol Parkway and the masts already erected further on. Could any OHLE experts advise what these masts are for?