Great Western Electrification Progress

[LNW-GW Joint]

Anyone know any details of what was done in the Patchway tunnels?

Track lowering, the NR publicity says.

 

[snowball]

And now a Severn Tunnel video:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...e-extent-of-upgrade-work-in-the-severn-tunnel

 

[jyte]

Hey,

Very long term lurker here. Can anyone confirm/deny that this is the planned extent of the GWML electrification?

I've seen various pieces of disagreeing information about Reading to Basingstoke and the Thames branches and was just wondering what the current situation with them is.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thames Valley branches is a Control Period 5 sub-project, no longer includes Bourne End/Marlow. Reading-Basingstoke was initially considered a part of the "Electric Spine", then it was transferred into "Thames Valley Branches" but it is currently a standalone small project again.

The September 2016 update to the CP5 enhancement milestones will give you all the most up to date info:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Enhancements-Delivery-Plan-Sept-2016.pdf

W001a Great Western Electrification Page 85 (as shown on the map above)
W001b South Wales Main Line Electrification Page 88 - Cardiff to Swansea
W003a Thames Valley Branch Lines Page 95 - Windsor and Henley
W003b Southcote Junction to Basingstoke Electrification Page 97

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Hey,

Very long term lurker here. Can anyone confirm/deny that this is the planned extent of the GWML electrification? I've seen various pieces of disagreeing information about Reading to Basingstoke and the Thames branches and was just wondering what the current situation with them is.

Welcome

Thames Valley branches is a Control Period 5 sub-project, no longer includes Bourne End/Marlow. Reading-Basingstoke was initially considered a part of the "Electric Spine", then it was transferred into "Thames Valley Branches" but it is currently a standalone small project again.

The September 2016 update to the CP5 enhancement milestones will give you all the most up to date info:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Enhancements-Delivery-Plan-Sept-2016.pdf

W001a Great Western Electrification Page 85 (as shown on the map above)
W001b South Wales Main Line Electrification Page 88 - Cardiff to Swansea
W003a Thames Valley Branch Lines Page 95 - Windsor and Henley
W003b Southcote Junction to Basingstoke Electrification Page 97

This is correct information - I also think there would be too much political fall out if Welsh Valleys (OK not strictly GWML) were not done in some form - 2019 and beyond of course.

Don't also forget WRATH - especially now the extra runway at LHR has been confirmed.

Also they will do the infill connector GWML - Willesden connector.

 

[jyte]

Many thanks to you both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTtxEgKzkkM

I found this fantastic video about a week ago showing the progress between Maidenhead and Airport Junction, except it's now really out of date (April '16) and the channel hasn't uploaded anything recently. Are there any more recent videos like this or videos like this of other areas? My google-fu has failed me here, sadly.

Considering all the media doom and gloom I was sort of surprised to see so much piling done/stuff up when I did Bristol TM-London over the weekend. Seems NR are doing a really good job.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Are there any more recent videos like this or videos like this of other areas? My google-fu has failed me here, sadly.

It may sound crazy but the Facebook page is not bad

https://www.facebook.com/GWelectrification/

 

[Envoy]

I wonder what will happen at the first road bridge (A48) over the GWML west of Cardiff? Apparently, immediately south of this bridge, extensive works are going on now to build a new low level road viaduct into the Ely Mill development. Goodness knows why any works required for the electrification could not have incorporated a new road junction at this point. Perhaps they plan to just lower the railway at this point to get under the A48 bridge as well as the nearby City Line? That being so, I wonder if the line could then be prone to flooding from the nearby river Ely?

I wish they would replace that awful Mill footbridge as soon as possible. New developments to the south mean increased numbers of pedestrians already. I would also like to see a new station on the City Line at this point as soon as possible.

 

[jimm]

It may sound crazy but the Facebook page is not bad

https://www.facebook.com/GWelectrification/

Though they don't seem to know the difference between piling and Pilning...

Network Rail is running a drop-in event at the Guildhall in Bath on Tuesday, November 1, from 4.30pm to 7pm to explain electrification-related work that will take place at Bath Spa station next April.

 

[leomartin125]

Nice progress being made at Maidenhead, I took the liberty of taking a photo to show everyone:

https://twitter.com/frankmichin125/status/791904696298536960

The Up/Down Mains are wired, up to the Shoppenhangers Road Car Park at present, just need the relief's to be wired now too. Ahead of schedule for that May 2017 start to Maidenhead with 387's!

 

[HowardGWR]

Though they don't seem to know the difference between piling and Pilning...

Network Rail is running a drop-in event at the Guildhall in Bath on Tuesday, November 1, from 4.30pm to 7pm to explain electrification-related work that will take place at Bath Spa station next April.

Yes I noticed that (the typo). I have wondered why this work is continuing when the Hendy Plan is to complete to South Wales via Badminton, first priority. One would have thought that every man jack and resource would be thrown at that. In fact completing to Didcot and then Swindon is first priority AIUI.

Perhaps contracts were signed originally, which preclude such prioritised concentration of effort. I would have also considered "Filton Bank" as next priority after the Badminton route. I put that in quotes as I really mean the stretch from Parkway (including the whole Stoke Gifford triangle) to the Bath Road end of TM.

That way, you minimise the use of bi-mode, as early as possible. I get the impression that Hendy thinks that all IEP should be bi-mode to deal with wires coming down on the ECML. Of course that is not going to happen on the GWML, due to the brick-****house strength of construction.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I have wondered why this work is continuing when the Hendy Plan is to complete to South Wales via Badminton, first priority. One would have thought that every man jack and resource would be thrown at that. In fact completing to Didcot and then Swindon is first priority AIUI.

It's been explained before that resignalling has to precede piling.
Hence the Bristol loop is coming later. Badminton has still to be done as well.
Meanwhile the Patchway-Cardiff section is already resignalled, so they can get on and pile the route.
The same reasoning applies to Oxford, hence the delay there.

 

[59CosG95]

Nice progress being made at Maidenhead, I took the liberty of taking a photo to show everyone:

https://twitter.com/frankmichin125/status/791904696298536960

The Up/Down Mains are wired, up to the Shoppenhangers Road Car Park at present, just need the relief's to be wired now too. Ahead of schedule for that May 2017 start to Maidenhead with 387's!

Still shy an AT wire at the top there. Shouldn't take too long to install, I'd imagine.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes I noticed that (the typo). I have wondered why this work is continuing when the Hendy Plan is to complete to South Wales via Badminton, first priority. One would have thought that every man jack and resource would be thrown at that. In fact completing to Didcot and then Swindon is first priority AIUI.

The Hendy version of the CP5 milestones (and the latest September 2016 update) divide the routes at Wootton Bassett Junction. The dates for entry into service to Bristol Parkway is given as Dec 2018, but to Bristol Temple Meads via Bath it is given as a date range, February 2019 to April 2020. Hendy had the latter at Grip 6 April 2016 in any case.

So with only a planned 3 month gap between one route's completion and partial completion of the other, (perhaps to Bath?) I'd suggest that work phases will overlap significantly. It can't be a question of throwing all the resource at one route anyway, they'd be treading on each other's toes.

All they've basically done is slipped part of a multi-year project to the right by a few months - on the ground that is still going to look as though work is progressing everywhere, they'll just be in different phases.

 

[Hellzapoppin]

It's been explained before that resignalling has to precede piling.
Hence the Bristol loop is coming later. Badminton has still to be done as well.
Meanwhile the Patchway-Cardiff section is already resignalled, so they can get on and pile the route.
The same reasoning applies to Oxford, hence the delay there.

That's not quite the case, the MLN from Thingley to BTM hasn't been resignalled and piling is still being carried out.

 

[HowardGWR]

It looks then that, overall, the signalling projects are the critical path. If so, It's a bit worrying that this the area where resources, according to Modern Railways anyway, are thin on the ground. The two activities, civil engineering and signal engineering are separate disciplines, so I suppose work on the Chippenham route could just as easily be done in parallel.
On another thread, someone is asking about the Portishead line and Bristol Metro Phase 1. I can see that to implement that project, one needs Filton bank to be restored to 4 tracks, so that project could be held up if the 'electrification' (or rather Modernisation) project is held up.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The Hendy version of the CP5 milestones (and the latest September 2016 update) divide the routes at Wooton Basset Junction.

Just for the record, it's Wootton Bassett, I believe. Thanks for your info.

 

[jimm]

It's been explained before that resignalling has to precede piling.
Hence the Bristol loop is coming later. Badminton has still to be done as well.
Meanwhile the Patchway-Cardiff section is already resignalled, so they can get on and pile the route.
The same reasoning applies to Oxford, hence the delay there.

Lots of the piling between Didcot and the southern edge of Oxford was actually done a long time ago, on the basis that it was meant to be one of the first sections of GWML electrification to be enter service.

Unfortunately progress on pinning down what track layout should be resignalled and wired at Oxford station and nearby was not so good, as Network Rail wanted to make sure that the set-up which emerged from the process would minimise any future alterations to track, signals and the overhead wiring if the money is eventually found to rebuild the station and add extra through platforms, as well as make provision for future East West services.

 

[jyte]

That's not quite the case, the MLN from Thingley to BTM hasn't been resignalled and piling is still being carried out.

Was this area re-signalled more recently or just done better than other areas (without the buried cables) then?

 

[Hellzapoppin]

Was this area re-signalled more recently or just done better than other areas (without the buried cables) then?

There are just as many buried cables most of which date back to the 1970s.
There were a lot of lessons learnt from previous issues and a more professional approach to buried services in general.
The contractors doing the trial holes have been given various options if they encounter buried cables, in the past it may have needed a redesign of the foundation's location and the whole cycle started again, now the holes can be moved, within a set tolerance of course, when the staff are on site and once a clear location is found that location is then sent to the designer who does his thing straight away. Saves time and misses cables. Lots of innovations have been thought out and so far they seem to be working well.

 

[jyte]

Lots of innovations have been thought out and so far they seem to be working well.

Yes I've been very impressed with how the project has progressed this year considering its rather bumpy start.

 

[HowardGWR]

There are just as many buried cables most of which date back to the 1970s.

I remember being given a guided tour of Slough box in the early 60s and also the Reading box sometime later. The Engineer responsible for the M.A.S. projects on the Western Region in those days was a Mr Armand Cardani, who is a legend in signalling circles. I looked him up and discovered (rediscovered) that by 1968, he had already converted 1,700 track kms on the WR to M.A.S.

So 1960s, not 1970s.

For better or worse, it would appear that responsibility for the lack of records could be attributed, possibly, to Mr Cardani. If anyone knows better, such as that there were records but that later officials, or Railtrack, destroyed them, it would be good to learn this, as I remember how well Mr Cardani was thought of at the time by all whom I met. In any case, it seems astonishing that the WR Civil Engineer would not have demanded the drawings of such cables, for his own purposes.

I imagine some sort of inquest may already have taken place within NR.

 

[gwr4090]

Bristol area resignalling and remodelling works as a prelude to electrification:
details from Rail Engineers Issue 143

Aug 2016
Filton diamond (Patchway-Bristol Parkway-Filton ABW(exc))
Relocked and control transferred from Bristol panel to Didcot TVSC

Feb 2017
Badminton line - Bristol Parkway(exc)-Wootton Bassett(exc)
Relocked and control transferred from Bristol box to Didcot TVSC
"Stoke panel" at Bristol box defunct.
Paddington-Cardiff fully controlled by Didcot TVSC and Cardiff ROC

Nov 2017
Bristol Parkway resignalled
New fourth platform at Parkway commissioned

Apr 2018
Abbey Wood-Temple Meads-Parsons St relocked.
Control transferred Bristol box to Didcot TVSC

Dec 2018
New platform at Abbey Wood
Filton bank quadrupled and resignalled

Apr 2019
Bath corridor relocked
Control transferred Bristol box to Didcot TVSC

CP6

Date ?
Bristol East Jn remodelled

Date ?
Parsons St-Bridgwater relocked
Control transferred Bristol box to Didcot TVSC
Bristol box closed and demolished

Date ?
New terminal platforms at Temple Meads

 

[Ploughman]

To clear the ground for the future.
Are any steps being taken to remove the redundant buried cables after the masts have been installed and the resignalling complete?

Or will it be a case of lets leave it buried like it always been done before.
Then someone comes along digs a hole and finds no one knows what.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

To clear the ground for the future.
Are any steps being taken to remove the redundant buried cables after the masts have been installed and the resignalling complete?

Or will it be a case of lets leave it buried like it always been done before.
Then someone comes along digs a hole and finds no one knows what.

I would love to know this too. Surely they have learned lessons?

 

[swt_passenger]

Just for the record, it's Wootton Bassett, I believe. Thanks for your info.

Noted, I have opened a new box of the letter 't' and stuck a couple in the earlier post.

 

[Tio Terry]

To clear the ground for the future.
Are any steps being taken to remove the redundant buried cables after the masts have been installed and the resignalling complete?

Or will it be a case of lets leave it buried like it always been done before.
Then someone comes along digs a hole and finds no one knows what.

It's most unlikely that anyone will invest the time and money to remove the out of service buried cables. It's not cost effective even bearing in mind the scrap value of copper these days. They present no threat or risk to the operational railway but digging up the cess to find and recover them could present an unnecessary risk because of people working lineside on an electrified railway.

 

[snowball]

Is cable channel being used for the new cables?

 

[Hellzapoppin]

The WEA area was resignalled in the 70s Howard.
As for the records, they do exist and I have access to them, I also have drawings for older schemes prior to MAS work, my favourite being the one's for Swindon works.
All the new cables will be installed in lightweight troughs and all redundant cables in the troughs will be recovered. As Terry says it's too big a job to recover the buried ones but during the immunisation phase those cables will be dealt with in one shape or form

 

[edwin_m]

Someone (I think it was the Modern Railways feature a few months back) was suggesting that the problem wasn't lack of records. The records defined the cable route relative to the rails but with various minor realignments over the years the rails are now in a different position.

 

[Hellzapoppin]

Someone (I think it was the Modern Railways feature a few months back) was suggesting that the problem wasn't lack of records. The records defined the cable route relative to the rails but with various minor realignments over the years the rails are now in a different position.

That certainly is a contributing factor Edwin but the trial hole process checks if a location is clear to pile, be it clear of cables, lengths of old rail, drains, culverts etc. In areas where there are a lot of cables shown on the records we excavate a slit trench and once a clear spot if found we can ask for the foundation to be redesigned and located in the clear spot, it's not always possible but it's the first and best option. In Swindon we found the timber supports of the original station, they're pretty substantial and would most definitely cause an issue if you tried to drive a pile through without checking first.