Great Western Electrification Progress

[YorkshireBear]

Are the Thames Valley branches actually committed or are we just hoping they will be?

Committed in terms of HLOS I imagine they will be in the final determination.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well there was the Class 456... but that is a DC unit...

And the 466s....

 

[D365]

And the 466s....

And the lone 2PEP Class 446... Need we go on, any further back in time?

 

[HSTEd]

You could probably form a unit out of a DMSO and a DPTSO.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Committed in terms of HLOS I imagine they will be in the final determination.

They (Windsor, Marlow, Henley) pre-dated the HLOS, being announced in the last budget I think at the same time as Swansea and the Valleys.
There was a comment somewhere which said that DfT "saw no reason" why they should not be completed at the same time as the main line (ie 2016).
I think this excludes the Southcote-Basingstoke branch which is tied up with the electric spine and is more uncertain.
But I hope they manage to fit it in at the same time as the Newbury bit.

 

[swt_passenger]

They say different things in successive announcements to add to the confusion.

The key to this map here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...t_data/file/3647/map-hlos-electrification.pdf ... shows the branch lines (like the Valleys) in blue and implies it was a HLOS decision, but I think you're correct in it being added already in an earlier list of expenditure.

 

[DXMachina]

I dont seriously believe they will build a 2-car EMU and create a nonstandard fleet unit or units just for a single branch line.

Was expecting they'd rather have a couple of 3-car AC-only 319 unit (should be fairly easy to convert) and modify the Bourne End track layout a bit. a 3-car 20m-per-vehicle unit is only 15 metres longer than a 2-car Cl.165

 

[59CosG95]

Didcot to Reading are the first main stretch to get done, along with Reading Station. I am unsure about the rest, but phase 2 I imagine will be Reading - Airport Junction

I guess that ties in with the Electric Spine quite nicely, as Reading-Didcot is the section most XC and freight trains take to reach the WCML from the GWML-just need to do Didcot-Oxford-Banbury-Leamington-Coventry and Reading-Basingstoke and the GWML spine is all wired!
Airport Jn to Reading would make sense as part of Phase 2.

 

[HSTEd]

I dont seriously believe they will build a 2-car EMU and create a nonstandard fleet unit or units just for a single branch line.

Was expecting they'd rather have a couple of 3-car AC-only 319 unit (should be fairly easy to convert) and modify the Bourne End track layout a bit. a 3-car 20m-per-vehicle unit is only 15 metres longer than a 2-car Cl.165

I think you might even be able to get 4 20m cars in there without too much heavy work, since the trains don't go to the end of the platform line anyway (they appear to stop a few metres short).

 

[gwr4090]

Piling for OLE masts between Didcot and Reading seems to have started in earnest this week.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Piling for OLE masts between Didcot and Reading seems to have started in earnest this week.

Is this with the new HOPS construction train?
There hasn't been any publicity about its arrival from Germany.
Where are they doing the piling?

 

[LexyBoy]

There's been bits and bobs of the piling done for quite a while - areas round Pangbourne were done in the summer. The HOOP train is just for installing the masts and wires isn't it? All the preliminary groundwork will be done in advance AFAIK.

 

[swt_passenger]

The HOPS train will do almost everything that can be mass produced including driving the piles into the ground, once it is running.

But it isn't in use yet AFAICT, Google finds a number of press releases suggesting Windhoff only finished it in early September, so I don't think it would have sneaked into use unannounced. I'm sure I read that NR wanted Amey to train the crews away from the mainline initially anyway...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There's been bits and bobs of the piling done for quite a while - areas round Pangbourne were done in the summer. The HOOP train is just for installing the masts and wires isn't it? All the preliminary groundwork will be done in advance AFAIK.

No it does the piling as well.

 

[swt_passenger]

Network Rails last press release gives a concise summary of what the 5 different sub sections do, includes a few photos of the piling function:

A piling rig, with two MPVs with Movax vibro piling heads, which literally vibrate the steel piles into the soil, 2 pile carrying wagons, and finally a Fambo hydraulic percussion hammer MPV for tougher ground.

An excavation and concrete batching consist. This will feature an Hitachi excavator plus a Kniele concrete unit which will mix concrete from onboard aggregate, cement and water tanks.

A structures consist, which will erect the Series One masts, portal booms and twin track cantilevers. It is intended to carry 30 masts for erection, per night.

Ancillary conductor consist, which will install the earthing wires, return wires and small parts such as registration arms and other equipment.

The contact and catenary consist, which will string up the remaining wires, under tension. Another unit install other articles such as contenary wires under low bridges, neutral sections and record information such as height and stagger.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...s-off-Great-Western-electrification-1e0d.aspx

 

[SWT_USER]

Can't remember if this has already been asked but will the OHLE between Paddington and Airport Junction need upgrading? Presumably it wasn't built to deal with the number of trains Crossrail will bring?

 

[LexyBoy]

I have evidently misunderestimated the system then, my apologies! Looks seriously impressive on reading up, can't wait to see it in action (or more likely the results of it's nighttime ministrations).

 

[swt_passenger]

Can't remember if this has already been asked but will the OHLE between Paddington and Airport Junction need upgrading? Presumably it wasn't built to deal with the number of trains Crossrail will bring?

Yes. It is covered under both NR's part of the Crossrail 'on-network' activities, which already included upgrading for more frequent trains, and then again under GWML electrification and IEP specific infrastructure works to make it compatible with higher speed running.

It isn't just a case of extending the existing OHLE in the same standard to Maidenhead.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

NR's plan was to test the HOPS gear on the High Marnham test track in Notts, before letting it loose on the GW.
I don't think that has happened yet.

 

[swt_passenger]

NR's plan was to test the HOPS gear on the High Marnham test track in Notts, before letting it loose on the GW.
I don't think that has happened yet.

That's the place - I'd had a quick look for an official source but wasn't sure about exactly where.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Apologies, I had originally specified AC/Overhead in my post about the last 2 car EMUs. In condensing my post down to a more manageable size I inadvertently removed said clause!

 

[fgwrich]

NR's plan was to test the HOPS gear on the High Marnham test track in Notts, before letting it loose on the GW.
I don't think that has happened yet.

The first part of the HOPS MPV Has now arrived into the UK as we speak, and is now on it's way through the midlands to presumably High Marnham.

http://mark5812.smugmug.com/Trains2013-1/November-2013/i-VN8tkjb/A

http://mark5812.smugmug.com/Trains2013-1/November-2013/i-cGXVQgJ/A

 

[Edvid]

The Rail Engineer has published another article on the scheme: http://www.therailengineer.com/2013/12/16/operate-maintain-and-deliver/

 

[LexyBoy]

The process to electrify the Great Western main line (GWML), which started in 1977, is now materialising.

Did it? I wasn't aware of any actual work done prior to electrification for Heathrow in the 90's. If they're talking of plans, then IIRC the GWR looked into it which would have been rather earlier!

 

[jimm]

Did it? I wasn't aware of any actual work done prior to electrification for Heathrow in the 90's. If they're talking of plans, then IIRC the GWR looked into it which would have been rather earlier!

The GWR proposal in 1938 related to the main line from Taunton to Penzance and the Devon and Cornwall branches. Those that were not wired (3000v DC overhead was proposed) were intended to be diesel-worked to eliminate steam traction in the region.

Apart from the various steep climbs on the route, the GWR was concerned about the price of coal and the cost of transporting it from South Wales pits to depots in the South West, but they decided the scheme was too expensive, so it got no further than the study stage.

 

[ianhr]

The GWR proposal in 1938 related to the main line from Taunton to Penzance and the Devon and Cornwall branches. Those that were not wired (3000v DC overhead was proposed) were intended to be diesel-worked to eliminate steam traction in the region.

Apart from the various steep climbs on the route, the GWR was concerned about the price of coal and the cost of transporting it from South Wales pits to depots in the South West, but they decided the scheme was too expensive, so it got no further than the study stage.

I believe the LT Central Line extension to West Ruislip was technically part of the GWR and so the only part of their system to actually be electrified!

 

[59CosG95]

Did it? I wasn't aware of any actual work done prior to electrification for Heathrow in the 90's. If they're talking of plans, then IIRC the GWR looked into it which would have been rather earlier!

The government (Labour) considered electrifying many routes by the turn of the century (XC route, GWML etc.) but when Mrs T took over, the proposals were not implemented. Oh well, Cornwall's gonna have another 30 years or so before the wires come...

 

[davetheguard]

I believe the LT Central Line extension to West Ruislip was technically part of the GWR and so the only part of their system to actually be electrified!

The H & C line to Hammersmith is a former Great Western Railway line, I believe.

But I suppose it will have been transfered to the London Transport Passenger Board (or whatever it was called at the time) prior to electrification, so not part of the GWR system per se.

 

[Eagle]

But I suppose it will have been transfered to the London Transport Passenger Board (or whatever it was called at the time) prior to electrification, so not part of the GWR system per se.

Actually it was only transferred in LT in 1933; it was electrified quite a bit earlier (but definitely after it had passed from the GWR to the Met).

 

[ianhr]

The H & C line to Hammersmith is a former Great Western Railway line, I believe.

But I suppose it will have been transfered to the London Transport Passenger Board (or whatever it was called at the time) prior to electrification, so not part of the GWR system per se.

Oh yes, I forgot about that one, and some of the stations have distinctive GWR architecture.