NSEFAN
Established Member
My understanding was that the GWML is generally quite straight, making high speeds relatively easy to obtain?LNW-GW Joint said:Can you see 140mph being allowed through platforms (eg Slough, Twyford etc)?
If not that wipes out many stretches east of Didcot.
The Reading-Cholsey section may also be too bendy for 140mph.
And the current 125mph profile ends at the Cotswold tunnels (Box, Badminton).
NR's efforts so far on ETCS seem to be very tentative and cautious.
I know TASS works well on the WCML which I suppose is similar to the Acela setup, but that only goes up to 125mph and is within normal signal sighting.
ETCS may have the potential to do what you say but has NR got the bottle to do 140mph intermingled with classic traffic on the overlayed system?
Prospects might be better on the ECML where they are intending to go straight to ETCS without the overlay (and the route is more suited to 140mph running).
Assuming extra turbulence from the increased speed is the problem here, how much worse will it be from the step up to 140mph from 125?