Great Western Electrification Progress

[QueensCurve]

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.

Feature presently available at:-

https://youtu.be/TuXg4dZAj3s?t=4s
https://youtu.be/TuXg4dZAj3s

 

[HowardGWR]

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 Ufton Nervet leveling crossing.

Put that right for you. (also forgetting the typo 'level').

 

[ANP1990]

Put that right for you. (also forgetting the typo 'level').

Sorry I was typing on my phone and it autocorrects at the most annoying times!

 

[QueensCurve]

Report this morning of overhead wire problems at Burnham. Is this a first?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/148042.aspx

 

[steverailer]

Report this morning of overhead wire problems at Burnham. Is this a first?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/148042.aspx

Thats the Balfours/Crossrail section

 

[Nippy]

Report this morning of overhead wire problems at Burnham. Is this a first?

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/148042.aspx

It is a first at Burnham

 

[ANP1990]

Noticed that there were a couple of sections with four taller than average masts spaced approx. 10 feet apart (as observed from a hst at speed so could be way off). Specifically, one of them is near Maidenhead (i forget where there one was). Are these feeder sections?

 

[class ep-09]

It is a first at Burnham

It was the earth bonding left attached to contact wire after overnight works. Catenary, dropers and contact wire were ok, no damage.

 

[swt_passenger]

It was the earth bonding left attached to contact wire after overnight works. Catenary, dropers and contact wire were ok, no damage.

Sounds quite similar to an incident reported on the section west of Tilehurst somewhere a few months back...

 

[leomartin125]

Noticed that there were a couple of sections with four taller than average masts spaced approx. 10 feet apart (as observed from a hst at speed so could be way off). Specifically, one of them is near Maidenhead (i forget where there one was). Are these feeder sections?

They could be neutral sections... I've seen a few around and one is outside Didcot heading East.

 

[reddragon]

Observations today

Tilehurst Junction ladder is completed by the finishing of the Up main to Down relief link. No more work on the UPL or depot link

Reading - lots of fitting up on the lines from Reading West, in platforms 1,2,3,7,8,9 and east of the station on the mains

Sonning to Twyford is at last progressing

Steelwork, fittings etc mostly complete now to 2 miles west of Maidenhead, few gaps like the bridge at Maidenhead.

Wires are going up all the way between Taplow & Hayes, lots of activity.

Bay platform at Hayes is complete ready for the 8-car 387s.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I think there is an error in the Wikipedia article on the GWML electrification which I would like to correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st-century_modernisation_of_the_Great_Western_Main_Line

I will do more research tonight when I get home from work. In the article under 2009 it states the entire line plus Marlow, Henley Windsor etc branches and Reading- Basingstoke. I could swear that the branches announcement came in the 2010-2015 timeframe and Reading- Basingstoke came under "The Spine" announcement.

Am I missing something or am I correct please?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think there is an error in the Wikipedia article on the GWML electrification which I would like to correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st-century_modernisation_of_the_Great_Western_Main_Line
I will do more research tonight when I get home from work. In the article under 2009 it states the entire line plus Marlow, Henley Windsor etc branches and Reading- Basingstoke. I could swear that the branches announcement came in the 2010-2015 timeframe and Reading- Basingstoke came under "The Spine" announcement.
Am I missing something or am I correct please?

This was how the Railway Gazette reported Andrew Adonis's announcement in 2009: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...rification-planning-to-start-immediately.html
No mention of the branches other than Oxford/Newbury.

The way the 2010/11 re-approval by the Coalition government is described by Wiki is about right though.
The TV branches "crept out" in the scope-creep phase leading up to the CP5 HLOS in 2012, and this was also the first mention of Reading-Basingstoke, as you say as part of Electric Spine.

The RG article makes amusing reading today, in terms of progress and cost.
Thameslink is also running very late, and I wonder what happened to the air-conditioned 319s intended to be running by now on GW and NW schemes?

 

[swt_passenger]

They could be neutral sections... I've seen a few around and one is outside Didcot heading East.

The east end Grid feeder stations are at Didcot West and Kensal Green. (The other 2 are at Melksham and Cardiff).

IIRC the sets of four closely spaced lineside stantions are at the positions of the various autotransformer feeding stations.

 

[59CosG95]

The east end Grid feeder stations are at Didcot West and Kensal Green. (The other 2 are at Mellsham and Cardiff).

IIRC the sets of four closely spaced lineside stantions are at the positions of the various autotransformer feeding stations.

Mellsham? Where on earth is that?! I assume you meant Melksham, but the GW doesn't pass that close to there.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

In the article under 2009 it states the entire line plus Marlow, Henley Windsor etc branches and Reading- Basingstoke. I could swear that the branches announcement came in the 2010-2015 timeframe and Reading- Basingstoke came under "The Spine" announcement.

Don't forget that the Marlow branch is now excluded, believed to be because of the problems caused by the reversing platform at Bourne End being too short for four car units.

Instead the plan is to retain a small fleet of 165/166s and consider remodelling Bourne End to allow a half hourly service of through trains to run between Marlow and Maidenhead.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Mellsham? Where on earth is that?! I assume you meant Melksham, but the GW doesn't pass that close to there.

It is Melksham, Wilts and is probably fed along the branch northwards to the GW main line.
It all depends where the high-tension power grid lines intersect the railway.

 

[59CosG95]

It is Melksham, Wilts and is probably fed along the branch northwards to the GW main line.
It all depends where the high-tension power grid lines intersect the railway.

If that's the case it would perhaps make sense to string new catenary up along the Melksham branch and feed power in that way-I'm no electrical engineer, so I'm prepared to expect ribald jeers from some of the more veteran 25kV men!

 

[jimm]

The grid feeder station will be nearer to Thingley Junction than Melksham, and the plan, as far as I know, was to provide what was described as a high-level feed cable off the ground on stanchions that will run up through Chippenham as far as Wootton Bassett - the idea being to keep a reliable power feed available for the South Wales route if the 25kv via Bath is switched off for any reason.

I don't know if this has ended up as the approved plan, or whether Wiltshire Council has requested any buried sections of cable. Anyone know?

 

[swt_passenger]

It is Melksham, Wilts and is probably fed along the branch northwards to the GW main line.
It all depends where the high-tension power grid lines intersect the railway.

AIUI from discussions in another forum the grid feed is somewhere north of Melksham but nearer the big National Grid site there than the railway. Measuring on Google Earth the National Grid site is about a mile north of Melksham station, and about 3 miles south of Thingley Junction, it is quite massive and easily visible on an aerial view.

The power lines from the grid feeder station then connect to the OHLE presumably via various switching systems and transformers (to provide for the 25 kV-0-25 kV for the ATFS) in the vicinity of Thingley Junction. It seems perfectly possible to me that the main grid connections are named after the location on the grid rather than the location in railway terms.

In fact looking at this news from National Grid:

The Melksham site
To make the connection in Melksham, we will use 25kV underground cables to carry the electricity. Two lines of cables will run from the existing National Grid substation off Westlands Lane and connect to the railway further north at Thingley Junction.

http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/In-your-area/Projects/melksham-gwm-connections/

They also explain that the cables take an underground route 3 ½ miles long, understandable if they aren't 'as the crow flies'.

So the $64,000 question, is the 'grid supply point' the equipment within the National Grid site, and hence their responsibility, or at the railway end of the link?

 

[Marky_Mark]

Thought people might like to see some pictures of the activity taking place between Patchway and Severn Tunnel eastern approaches, either side of Pilning station.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskHvAhJC

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thought people might like to see some pictures of the activity taking place between Patchway and Severn Tunnel eastern approaches, either side of Pilning station.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskHvAhJC

Thank you very much and welcome to the forum. I see this is your first post. Updates like this are very welcome. Please post more if you are able on an ongoing basis.

 

[steevp]

Thank you very much and welcome to the forum. I see this is your first post. Updates like this are very welcome. Please post more if you are able on an ongoing basis.

Hear, hear - observations and photos let people know how things are really progressing

 

[Welsh1]

Hi all,

Hope you don't mind me posting here but in the coming weeks I've got an interview at Thames Valley Signalling Centre.

Just wondering if anyone out there could give me some information as to what projects are upcoming and any other information about the centre its self. I just want to swat up a little to express how keen I am.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

 

[59CosG95]

I'm not that up to date with it all, but project-wise, ones to mention would probably include the continuation of electrification to Swindon (no idea how we're doing on that score), and closing the gap between Reading and Heathrow (no idea where we're at there either).
Anyone got any idea what's going on on those 2 fronts?

 

[Mordac]

I'm not that up to date with it all, but project-wise, ones to mention would probably include the continuation of electrification to Swindon (no idea how we're doing on that score), and closing the gap between Reading and Heathrow (no idea where we're at there either).
Anyone got any idea what's going on on those 2 fronts?

Dunno about Swindon, but GWR's plans to run 387s to Maidenhead from May would imply the expect to have the wires up to there before then. Although I think technically Airport Junction to Maidenhead is Crossrail rather than GWML electrification as such.

 

[reddragon]

I'm not that up to date with it all, but project-wise, ones to mention would probably include the continuation of electrification to Swindon (no idea how we're doing on that score), and closing the gap between Reading and Heathrow (no idea where we're at there either).
Anyone got any idea what's going on on those 2 fronts?

see #3086 and #3131

 

[jimm]

Hi all,

Hope you don't mind me posting here but in the coming weeks I've got an interview at Thames Valley Signalling Centre.

Just wondering if anyone out there could give me some information as to what projects are upcoming and any other information about the centre its self. I just want to swat up a little to express how keen I am.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks

Network Rail overview of projects in GW area (several completed a while back)

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/12281.aspx

But maybe if you want to ask about TVSC, post in the Railway Jobs area, so we can keep this thread on topic.

 

[59CosG95]

see #3086 and #3131

Ah thanks.

 

[reddragon]

Ah thanks.

When I next travel in the daylight I'll try to look at cable locations.

I did see the up relief was being connected from West Drayton into Heathrow Junction's wires last week.