Great Western Electrification Progress

[Philip Phlopp]

I believe the location where what Crossrail calls its Outer West Package contract area ends is Ruscombe junction, about five miles west of Maidenhead, so that would seem to be a likely candidate for the point where Amey takes over responsibility for the wiring work.

I've had a look but can't find the exact mileage, but it has to be somewhere between 29m and 31m based on the survey work which was done for both projects.

The electrical system doesn't quite match the catenary, but that was changed very early on when it become clear electrification was going beyond Maidenhead.

 

[jimm]

I've had a look but can't find the exact mileage, but it has to be somewhere between 29m and 31m based on the survey work which was done for both projects.

The electrical system doesn't quite match the catenary, but that was changed very early on when it become clear electrification was going beyond Maidenhead.

Maidenhead is a nudge over 24 miles from Paddington and Twyford is 31 miles so it looks like Ruscombe fits the bill.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I went down to Bristol today and I noticed there are now quite a few masts up as far west as around milepost 63, pretty much all the way from Didcot albeit it is generally a few here, a few there and some considerable gaps in between them - but at least one part where there are a good number up in one short stretch.

 

[D6975]

I took a trip down to Eastleigh yesterday, so got a chance to take a look at what they were up to last week between Bristol and Bath.
Keynsham station has obviously had quite a bit of work done, about three quarters of the length of each platform has new edging, presumably adjusted for the new track height. The Bristol ends of the platforms are temporarily closed off. Oldfield Park platforms don’t appear to have been touched as yet, but lots of renewed track between there and Bath as already mentioned.
The first piles for masts have appeared at Saltford, I saw a small group of 5 or 6 just east of the temporary works depot and another 9 a little further to the East. (I was looking at the down side).
Surprisingly, there isn’t a trailing crossover between Bath and Bathampton loop. This was, I thought supposed to have been installed when the Sidney Gardens area closure was on a few weeks ago (This will enable trains terminating at Bath to get out of the way while waiting to get back to the down platform). There is a trailing crossover just east of Bathampton Jn, but that isn’t where it’s needed, reversing there will mean occupying the main whilst the driver changes ends.

 

[reddragon]

I checked Goring to Cholsey yesterday.

Wires are up from west of Goring on 4 tracks to just east of South Stoke, & continue on 2 tracks to west of South Stoke.

All posts look to be up, even in stations but contact arms are patchy.

 

[Mintona]

Not been to Cardiff for a while, so not sure when they went up, but about half a mile east of Pilning station (in the Cattybrooke area) there are now masts attached to piles. 3 on the down side and 4 on the up side. Not a huge amount but quite exciting to see the beginnings of a proper electrified railway down this way.

 

[leomartin125]

Little update from a few trips recently, as I live at Maidenhead, it's not hard to miss.

A lot of work East of Maidenhead (the clearly Balfour Beatty work) with a lot of gantries up between 1/2 mile East of Maidenhead station and Slough (that's as far as I went, I know work continues further towards London) with cabling in place over the lines between Taplow to just before Burnham, but a lot of work done. Also the Windsor and Eton Line has gantries and overhead equipment installed at the Slough end, no neglect for branch lines! (Unless it's the Marlow line of course - of which a recent project by NR has resulted in many trees and lineside shrubbery to be cleared in preparation for OHLE despite it not occuring according to the latest Hendy report which I can't understand).

West of Maidenhead is taking shape, slowly but steadily. An OHLE base has been made at Ruscombe, complete with machinery and lots of gantries to be put into place. Piling is also nearing completion if not already complete between Maidenhead and Twyford, and a few gantries have been installed at Ruscombe. But nowhere near the amount of work that has occured East of Maidenhead, it's clear to see NR are doing that section and not Balfour Beatty.

 

[TheKnightWho]

Quite a number of piles placed sporadically all the way along the Oxford branch when I travelled on it a couple of days ago. Not sure how long they've been there though.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

As an expat Brit who tries to keep up with progress, is it fair to say the HOPS train etc are really performing and though we will not get to original timescale NR are on schedule or better to the revised Hendy timetable?

 

[leomartin125]

As an expat Brit who tries to keep up with progress, is it fair to say the HOPS train etc are really performing and though we will not get to original timescale NR are on schedule or better to the revised Hendy timetable?

Post below:

 

[Philip Phlopp]

It is fair to say that Balfour Beatty, who are contracted to do the electrification on the North West Manchester to Preston line also, are very good at keeping to schedule. I wouldn't say NR are up to the same standard, personally I would have thought contracting out the Maidenhead to Reading part of the scheme would be a better choice given the amount of progress still yet to do, the HOPS train was efficient, but since the 'Goring Gap' protestors have criticised every move NR made, it has been very 'here there and everywhere', but now progress is finally being made, though more so on the Crossrail scheme which isn't done by NR. Long story short, Balfour Beatty are better at electrification than NR in my view.

Absolute bollocks. Please don't talk complete crap on the internet, son.

Balfours screwed up the NW electrification and walked out on the contract a year ago. Carillion and Volker are picking up the pieces.

Goring Gap protesters haven't affected piling schedules, signalling cables and unfavourable ground conditions have messed up piling schedules. HOPS was useless beyond belief when launched. It takes hours to move around in a possession, its piling equipment isn't powerful enough and leaves lots of piles half finished, and it had lots of teething problems. We had to go to Kirow to order an extra crane for piling, such was the lack of progress.

NR aren't doing any electrification work themselves, they contract in various companies.

And Balfours are absolutely useless, beyond help.

 

[leomartin125]

Well if that's the case, then your answer is that the GWML electrification scheme is now so screwed up to beyond belief that the only thing you can possibly go off is the Hendy review, written by a man in charge of a company that isn't even doing the electrification by the sounds of it, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was bollocks too.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Well if that's the case, then your answer is that the GWML electrification scheme is now so screwed up to beyond belief that the only thing you can possibly go off is the Hendy review, written by a man in charge of a company that isn't even doing the electrification by the sounds of it, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was bollocks too.

Network Rail are running the electrification projects (primarily Crossrail West Outer electrification and Great Western Electrification Project) under which our contractors, Balfour Beatty, Amey, Carillion and the Alstom Babcock Costain (ABC) joint venture, actually deliver the work, with consultants like Atkins and Parsons-Brinckerhoff being involved with part of the design and environmental work.

There are sub-contractors involved such as Murphy and Sons, Hochtief, Amco, BAM Nuttall who do things like bridge re-building and installing new access on stations. They and others will be sub-contracting or dealing with road closures, utilities, local authorities etc. National Grid are also involved in wiring to the feeding stations, ABB supplying switch gear and so it goes on.

There are of course other additional contractors, some directly contracted by NR, others sub-contracted by our 'prime' contractors, or sub-contractors.

 

[jimm]

Quite a number of piles placed sporadically all the way along the Oxford branch when I travelled on it a couple of days ago. Not sure how long they've been there though.

A long time. Don't forget Oxford was meant to be ready for electric passenger trains this December on the initial schedule, so a lot of the planned piling between Didcot and the edge of Oxford was done at an early stage.

 

[steverailer]

It is fair to say that Balfour Beatty, who are contracted to do the electrification on the North West Manchester to Preston line also, are very good at keeping to schedule. I wouldn't say NR are up to the same standard, personally I would have thought contracting out the Maidenhead to Reading part of the scheme would be a better choice given the amount of progress still yet to do, the HOPS train was efficient, but since the 'Goring Gap' protestors have criticised every move NR made, it has been very 'here there and everywhere', but now progress is finally being made, though more so on the Crossrail scheme which isn't done by NR. Long story short, Balfour Beatty are better at electrification than NR in my view.

You must work for Balfours or a related company then, or a troll. They are absolutely rubbish, as Phillip said, screwed up the NW work, it was way behind. They couldn't organise a pee up in a brewery. Maybe a management change down south has helped or the scrutiny they are under from NWR that wasn't there in the NW. Balfours only come in the top 5 main companies as there is only 5 main ones doing that type of work.

Amey have the work west of Maidenhead and are running the woefully inadequate HOPS trains for NWR. TBH if they had spent the money the hops had cost on conventional methods the job would be much further on than it is, but they have it so have to use it unfortunately. One difference may be that Balfours are more happy to rob peter to pay for paul than Amey are, in that they will move stuff around from later sections to current ones to bet it done, where as Amey seem to have the attitude that it only goes where its ordered for.

To be fair everyone is better that NWR at electrifying as NWR don't do it themselves they contract it out and only oversee it.

 

[quantinghome]

HOPS was useless beyond belief when launched. It takes hours to move around in a possession, its piling equipment isn't powerful enough and leaves lots of piles half finished, and it had lots of teething problems. We had to go to Kirow to order an extra crane for piling, such was the lack of progress.

Do you think HOPS is redeemable? Can the technical problems be overcome or is there something fundamentally wrong with the concept? It would be a shame to repeat the APT experience, get something that 'nearly' works, and then scrap it.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

Do you think HOPS is redeemable? Can the technical problems be overcome or is there something fundamentally wrong with the concept? It would be a shame to repeat the APT experience, get something that 'nearly' works, and then scrap it.

I don't know, I'm not working on it day in, day out. I'd want to hear what the guys on the ground want before scrapping it or forcing others to use it.

For what it's worth, I think the HOPS trains should have been formed with a locomotive and DBSO or DVT, and used container flats with demountable racks and equipment. They could have added the big, proper Kirow cranes and heavier duty Movax piling equipment into the formations, either permanently or when needed, and being loco hauled, could have carried lots more piles, supplies and parts, removing the need for repeat returns to the depot at Swindon.

 

[steverailer]

Do you think HOPS is redeemable? Can the technical problems be overcome or is there something fundamentally wrong with the concept? It would be a shame to repeat the APT experience, get something that 'nearly' works, and then scrap it.

The sections that I have seen working are redeemable as the operators and workers get more used to it and its capabilities. Some flaws could be ironed out like the inability to be able to use the MEWP and crane at the same time on the sps train (they can both be in the air but only one can move at once). Also the rumor is that some components have been down rated by the manufacturers until the end of the warranty period.

There ability to work with the next line open has definitely speeded the job up

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I'd like to know why a run-of-the-mill German electrification train is so bad when operating in the UK.
It sounds like we have redesigned it for UK use and, not for the first time, produced a camel.
NR did all this to themselves, don't forget. Nobody forced them to buy Windhoff.
Railtrack did the same in the late 90s with the Windhoff WCRM rewiring train - it was banned on arrival for being out of gauge.
But maybe that one has sorted itself out since, as it was used recently on the NW project (and may even be at work on the GW).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I'd like to know why a run-of-the-mill German electrification train is so bad when operating in the UK.
It sounds like we have redesigned it for UK use and, not for the first time, produced a camel.
NR did all this to themselves, don't forget. Nobody forced them.

It is my great worry too - though it seems like it is improving - maybe. My great hope was that all the kinks would/will get sorted out and then when GWML is finished it would go elsewhere to be of great use. Not sure where the HOPS would be of use next (sorry do not want to get too far OT) -perhaps our resident engineers can give us a hint.

 

[jimm]

I'd like to know why a run-of-the-mill German electrification train is so bad when operating in the UK.
It sounds like we have redesigned it for UK use and, not for the first time, produced a camel.
NR did all this to themselves, don't forget. Nobody forced them to buy Windhoff.
Railtrack did the same in the late 90s with the Windhoff WCRM rewiring train - it was banned on arrival for being out of gauge.
But maybe that one has sorted itself out since, as it was used recently on the NW project (and may even be at work on the GW).

It's not a run-of-the-mill German electrification train. It was built to Network Rail's specification. Similar equipment is in use elsewhere - Windhoff's system is modular - but no one else has asked for it to be put together in the same way that Network Rail did.

As has been stated back up the thread, it is now achieving piling rates as planned. You can hardly blame Windhoff for the buried signal cables on the GWML, can you?

And there seems to have been an expectation that it would work flat out from the moment it arrived, rather than allowing the crews some time to build up their skills and learn how to get the best out of it.

 

[oxoneil]

Went over the bridge near Denchworth today (just west of the Wantage Road bridge) and one side of the down line has lots of support posts up. Later crossed the Baulking bridge and there is a large patch of ground which has beenow levelled off. Not sure what that's for, looks like a big square car park.

 

[themiller]

Do you think HOPS is redeemable? Can the technical problems be overcome or is there something fundamentally wrong with the concept? It would be a shame to repeat the APT experience, get something that 'nearly' works, and then scrap it.

On page 27 of the April issue of Modern Railways, Roger Ford & Ian Walmsley were briefed on the HOPS and my reading of the article is that the piles that were being installed were not the ones for which the HOPS was specified. The type of piles which were being installed have been reviewed and were considered to have been over-engineered, so now that the original type of pile for which HOPS was designed are being driven, progress has accelerated.

 

[furnessvale]

I don't know, I'm not working on it day in, day out. I'd want to hear what the guys on the ground want before scrapping it or forcing others to use it.

For what it's worth, I think the HOPS trains should have been formed with a locomotive and DBSO or DVT, and used container flats with demountable racks and equipment. They could have added the big, proper Kirow cranes and heavier duty Movax piling equipment into the formations, either permanently or when needed, and being loco hauled, could have carried lots more piles, supplies and parts, removing the need for repeat returns to the depot at Swindon.

On page 27 of the April issue of Modern Railways, Roger Ford & Ian Walmsley were briefed on the HOPS and my reading of the article is that the piles that were being installed were not the ones for which the HOPS was specified. The type of piles which were being installed have been reviewed and were considered to have been over-engineered, so now that the original type of pile for which HOPS was designed are being driven, progress has accelerated.

Without knowing the full facts, HOPS doesn't seem too flexible if it cannot be easily adapted to a different pile type.

I agree with Philip above. Demountable racks could also have been changed at local sidings or track access points etc.

 

[Pete81E]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this so apologies if not.

Someone mentioned IEP testing this autumn. I have heard a rumour from a usually very reliable source that testing between Paddington and Didcot could start as early as the introduction of the summer tmetable in May,

Presumably this will be diesel mode, unless they can energise just a part of the route (presumably Didcot end).

Has anyone else heard this or have any updated info on testing schedules?

Regards,
Pete

 

[jimm]

Observations between Didcot and Reading today.

Registration arms are now starting to be attached to the portals in Didcot Parkway station and the first overhead wires north of Cholsey are in place - a short section on the Reading-bound relief line and a longer stretch on the Reading-bound fast line, running most of the way between Cholsey and South Moreton. Not sure if there is any wire up over the Didcot-bound fast line as I wasn't sat on the right side of the train in the morning to see.

Not sure if this is the right forum for this so apologies if not.

Someone mentioned IEP testing this autumn. I have heard a rumour from a usually very reliable source that testing between Paddington and Didcot could start as early as the introduction of the summer tmetable in May,

Presumably this will be diesel mode, unless they can energise just a part of the route (presumably Didcot end).

Has anyone else heard this or have any updated info on testing schedules?

Regards,
Pete

Can't see any chance of GWML testing using electric power for several months. For starters there are still several portals missing on the eastern outskirts of Didcot and others still to go up at Cholsey station and in the northern outskirts of Goring. None of the autotransformer wiring has been started and there are still lots of supports for the autotransformer cables missing from portals all the way from Didcot to Tilehurst.

 

[smiffy9373]

Cant remember where I read it but the test section ( Tilehurst to Didcot ) was targetted for a switch on at the end of May.

 

[snowball]

None of the autotransformer wiring has been started and there are still lots of supports for the autotransformer cables missing from portals all the way from Didcot to Tilehurst.

If I remember correctly, electric trains ran on one or both of the phases of Liverpool to Manchester before the autotransformer cables were finished.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Someone mentioned IEP testing this autumn. I have heard a rumour from a usually very reliable source that testing between Paddington and Didcot could start as early as the introduction of the summer tmetable in May,
Presumably this will be diesel mode, unless they can energise just a part of the route (presumably Didcot end).

Can't see any chance of GWML testing using electric power for several months. For starters there are still several portals missing on the eastern outskirts of Didcot and others still to go up at Cholsey station and in the northern outskirts of Goring. None of the autotransformer wiring has been started and there are still lots of supports for the autotransformer cables missing from portals all the way from Didcot to Tilehurst.

Cant remember where I read it but the test section ( Tilehurst to Didcot ) was targetted for a switch on at the end of May.

I think we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Diesel (and electric) testing is already being done on the ECML.
"Treat as live" is not the same as being energised; that will happen when a minimum of wiring and trackside feeder equipment is ready - not by May certainly.
Didcot is the business end of the electric supply (west of the station), and the wires are nowhere near there yet.
I don't think autotransformers are critical to the testing, it's only needed when the electric traffic reaches a high level which is not for a long time yet.

 

[jimm]

Whether or not you need autotransformer capability at this stage, the fact remains that the Hendy update gave September as the indicative date for Tilehurst-Didcot to be ready for IEP testing. The wires may all be up and energised earlier than that if they crack on but it won't be next month