Great Western Electrification Progress

[Unclepete]

Hi, all this talk of bridge clearance, got me thinking again about the footbridge at Newbury station.
I don't recall seeing anything from NR regarding the footbridge at Newbury station being too low, but each time I'm there I get the impression it is.

Anyone on here have any info on whether it's going to need replacing?

ta

 

[steverailer]

The old bridge at Wantage is due for removal this weekend. A lot of masts, boom and sps has been installed between Didcot and Uffington over the past couple of weekend blockades and more planned for the next couple of weekends.

A stretch of earth wire is up on the UR in the 4 track section between Challow and Wantage.

And in other rumour news, its believed that Amey are taking over the entire route from ABC in January

 

[jimm]

Hi, all this talk of bridge clearance, got me thinking again about the footbridge at Newbury station.
I don't recall seeing anything from NR regarding the footbridge at Newbury station being too low, but each time I'm there I get the impression it is.

Anyone on here have any info on whether it's going to need replacing?

ta

It would appear so. In 2012, Network Rail produced an environmental impact statement for West Berkshire Council about the scope of electrification work in its area, which included the following on page 8.

Newbury Station Footbridge (No. BHL 5305)
The footbridge provides access to the two platforms of Newbury station across the BHL. The bridge would require demolition and reconstruction to create sufficient clearance for the trains and OLE to pass underneath the bridge. It is proposed that the worksite and laydown area be located within the station car park, north of the station. The works would commence in September 2013 and would take approximately 12 weeks to complete.

Not sure what happened to rebuilding from September 2013 though.

Full document is at
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse... council - environmental statement vol 1b.pdf

Also, from latest Network Rail Oxfordshire area newsletter.

Work continues well at the Shrivenham Auto Transformer site which is being built next to the new bridge B4000, Shrivenham. We are expecting to have some of the main transformer deliveries in December 2016 and will energise the new equipment around mid-June 2017.

 

[Verulamius]

Latest update from DfT.

Electrification "deferred" between Didcot and Oxford, around Bristol and Henley and Slough branches.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rail-update-rail-investment-in-the-great-western-route

 

[WatcherZero]

Claiming these 4 schemes paused will produce £146m to £165m in savings to be reinvested elsewhere.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Claiming these 4 schemes paused will produce £146m to £165m in savings to be reinvested elsewhere.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Latest update from DfT.
Electrification "deferred" between Didcot and Oxford, around Bristol and Henley and Slough branches.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/rail-update-rail-investment-in-the-great-western-route

And no new dates for these. They were already into CP6 on the June NR milestones.
It's hard to tell if this is further "slippage", or a cost cap, or a reorder of priorities.
At least the impact will be reduced with the IEP diesel capability.
I can't see anything about this on the NR site.

 

[steverailer]

And no new dates for these. They were already into CP6 on the June NR milestones.
It's hard to tell if this is further "slippage", or a cost cap, or a reorder of priorities.
At least the impact will be reduced with the IEP diesel capability.
I can't see anything about this on the NR site.

Would guess its a mix of cost cap and a reorder of priorities, get the main line done then do the off shoots.

 

[baza585]

And no new dates for these. They were already into CP6 on the June NR milestones.
It's hard to tell if this is further "slippage", or a cost cap, or a reorder of priorities.
At least the impact will be reduced with the IEP diesel capability.
I can't see anything about this on the NR site.

Still nothing on the NR site.

This looks like 4 "hard to do" bits (=expensive) for little/no passenger benefit (in terms of running times) being deferred (hard to tell but I suspect they will not get done any time soon..........).

Prudent financial management or stupid cost-cutting? Discuss! :roll::roll:

 

[swt_passenger]

Still nothing on the NR site.

The enhancements plan milestones of Sept 16 just about reflects what the DfT have just announced anyway; as hinted at by LNW-GW Joint earlier by reference to the June milestones.

All NR really need to do is tweak the next published milestones to suit the latest DfT - does it really justify another NR announcement?

 

[QueensCurve]

And no new dates for these. They were already into CP6 on the June NR milestones.
It's hard to tell if this is further "slippage", or a cost cap, or a reorder of priorities.
At least the impact will be reduced with the IEP diesel capability.
I can't see anything about this on the NR site.

Not too surprising but nevertheless a shocker.

• electrification between Oxford and Didcot Parkway
• electrification of Filton Bank (Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads)
• electrification west of Thingley Junction (Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads)
• electrification of Thames Valley Branches (Henley & Windsor)

Devastating that a huge chunk of the main line is to be "deferred".

The huge cost and programme overruns will have played their part, but we are already starting to see the availability of "Bi-Mode" making an excuse for incomplete electrification.

We can I suspect expect more of these announcements. Can't see Cardiff to Swansea being wired in the foreseeable future.

 

[DimTim]

So does electrification not reach Bristol Temple Meads?

 

[QueensCurve]

So does electrification not reach Bristol Temple Meads?

It would seem not.

 

[jimm]

And no new dates for these. They were already into CP6 on the June NR milestones.
It's hard to tell if this is further "slippage", or a cost cap, or a reorder of priorities.
At least the impact will be reduced with the IEP diesel capability.
I can't see anything about this on the NR site.

In the case of Didcot-Oxford, I'd say it is clearly further slippage, as we have gone from a 'ready for passenger service' target of June 2019 to who knows when.

Although June 2019 gets us a couple of months into CP6, the actual wiring work would likely have been wrapped up by the end of CP5 and the money the minister is talking about clearly has to come from somewhere, especially if he means that money is now available to spend elsewhere during CP5.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Probably the worst impact is on Oxford.
The EMU commuter service will be stuck at Didcot for an indefinite time, although the IEPs will be able to run through.
Meanwhile it looks as though Newbury will get its EMUs much earlier.
DMU cascades westwards are bound to be delayed too.

 

[baza585]

The enhancements plan milestones of Sept 16 just about reflects what the DfT have just announced anyway; as hinted at by LNW-GW Joint earlier by reference to the June milestones.

All NR really need to do is tweak the next published milestones to suit the latest DfT - does it really justify another NR announcement?

Possibly not, on reflection. Surely not HMG slipping out bad news whilst everyone is waiting to see what happens over the pond..............

 

[Phil.]

Only in Britain. Not only a part job in the first place but now lumps of it are being "deferred". If it wasn't so tragic it would be funny.
HS2? Don't make me laugh!

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Probably the worst impact is on Oxford.
The EMU commuter service will be stuck at Didcot for an indefinite time,

Didn't something like that affect Cambridge back in the late 1970s/ early 1980s? Electrification as far as Royston, but a DMU shuttle beyond that.

They will have to keep a handful of 165s for Henley and Windsor to join the fleet for Marlow and Gatwick etc, but will they keep 166s or 180s for the Oxford services not operated by the bi-modes?

 

[D365]

Great Western electrification really should have been completed 10-20 years ago.

 

[sprinterguy]

So, in essence, the only Great Western inter-city services that will be able to run under the wires throughout will be those between London and Cardiff (Is Cardiff - Swansea electrification still delayed/up in the air?)? As LNW-GW points out, this will also have a big impact keeping the capacity-boosting commuter EMUs out of Oxford.

This is making the shoestring-budget ECML electrification of a generation ago look like a lavish and comprehensive programme of works by comparison.

 

[snowball]

Thus the only "not deferred" sections are

Airport Junction to Cardiff

Reading to Newbury

Wootton Bassett - Chippenham - Thingley.

 

[221129]

Didn't something like that affect Cambridge back in the late 1970s/ early 1980s? Electrification as far as Royston, but a DMU shuttle beyond that.

They will have to keep a handful of 165s for Henley and Windsor to join the fleet for Marlow and Gatwick etc, but will they keep 166s or 180s for the Oxford services not operated by the bi-modes?

The 180s are suppopsed to be going soon, so it won't be them...

 

[Iskra]

I can understand the Thames branches, but not electrifying to Bristol TM and Oxford seems very strange to me.

This is going to have a knock-on effect on the DMU cascades too.

NR are looking more and more incompetent on the issue of electrification, it's hard to believe any of the electrification timescales or even whole projects now. But, if they are struggling to get it all done, then the right thing to do is to focus on completing the core route to Cardiff so that at least some of it is completed.

 

[EAD]

Not impressed. Sure there have been issues and the National Audit Office report is due out as well (which will be very critical I am sure), but cutting it back to the minimum needed for the trains ordered approach is daft.

I am afraid this is a prefect example of the way infrastructure decisions are made in the UK. Yes things need to make financial sense (and lord knows we use that as a stick a lot in this country compared to others), but there is also the greater long term benefit to our infrastructure which means sometimes you need to be bold and sit it out.

That is not an at all costs mantra - the project has already been recast and scrutinised re cost overruns, but just pausing and in so doing not wiring up Bristol properly (leaving an island from Bath and Parkway) and cutting off Oxford is daft in terms of running a railway, which at the end of the day is the intention. I fear (given Hammond is now facing a widening gap to plug) that this will just be left as is and dropped by HM Government while it shouts loudly about other issues to divert the electorate.

 

[sprinterguy]

HS2? Don't make me laugh!

Comparisons between the West Coast Route Modernisation and the contemporary construction of HS1 have already proven that it is easier to deliver a major engineering project from scratch on time and within budget than it is to work within the constraints of a Victorian infrastructure to upgrade an existing long distance corridor. The progress of the GWML electrification has little to no bearing on the construction of HS2 for this reason.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Nothing surprises me anymore. I think the CP5 HLOS of electrification may not be delivered until CP10 by the end. And I am not even being sarcastic.

 

[sprinterguy]

But, if they are struggling to get it all done, then the right thing to do is to focus on completing the core route to Cardiff so that at least some of it is completed.

I think it would have been better if they'd focused on electrifying to Oxford and the two routes into Bristol, to maximise the number of trains that can run on electric power throughout, including high capacity commuter stock to Oxford. The Cardiff and Swansea trains could have run on diesel power beyond Bristol Parkway, negating the cost of electrifying the Severn Tunnel. A moot point now that electrification work in the tunnel is complete, though.

 

[The Planner]

We are skint, end of, and up until now we havent really been determined to show it. I would have thought the more astute people on here would now have sussed that with Oxford gone that E-W knitting will soon go too. It also nails the coffin of electric spine firmly shut now I suspect.

 

[Mollman]

Guessing Didcot - Oxford will be done as part of the 'electric spine' (if that ever sees the light of day) or East - West Rail (ditto). Not electrifying to Bristol means that the Freightliner trains will still have to be diesel hauled.

 

[doa46231]

The advent of bi-mode trains has meant the death knell of main line electrification.
With road transport increasingly going electric, these dinosaurs will still be the best the railway has to offer for inter-city travel in 20 to 30 years time!
Will they even be allowed into towns and cities by that time, as already sanctions on diesel cars and trucks are being introduced in some places?

Only in Britain would we be unable to electrify a key main line route.
We are a laughing stock to the rest of the world in so many ways now.

Glad to see the plan to build more warships is going ahead!

 

[Kieran1990]

Oxford to Didcot being deferred will have a greater impact than Filton Bank. This being the impact on rolling stock cascade of the class 165/166's to the Bristol area. Which will have a ripple effects on the cascades of 150s and 158s to points West and 150s that were due to move to Northern.