Great Western Electrification Progress

[snowball]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...bridge-opens-as-part-of-railway-upgrade-plan/

Oxfordshire residents will benefit from a safer way to cross the railway following the opening of a new footbridge near Uffington by Network Rail.

The new 50-tonne bridge spans the two track railway, replacing a pedestrian level crossing and removing the need for pedestrians to walk across the tracks.

The upgrade to the crossing underlines Network Rail’s commitment to improving safety on the railway, which has already seen more than 1,000 level crossings closed on Britain’s rail network.

The new footbridge was opened last Friday (March 31) by Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage, along with staff from Network Rail and contractors, Murphy.

The occasion was also marked with help from the 1st Stanford-in-the-Vale Scout group, who built a ‘Bug Hotel’ using leftover wooden materials to help encourage and increase biodiversity in the area. The hotel was built on site and will be transported to a local community garden.

Aron Ventress, Network Rail’s senior programme manager, said: “The opening of this footbridge and the subsequent closure of the pedestrian level crossing is another positive step in our campaign to improve safety across the country’s rail network. The new footbridge also paves the way for the new new fleet of electric trains.

“We have the safest railway in Europe, and we are committed to improving the safety of the railway even further as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage, said: “I was delighted to open this new footbridge, a much safer way for locals to cross the track than the old pedestrian level crossing.

The “Bug Hotel” created by the 1st Stanford-in the-Vale Scout group was inspired and I look forward to seeing it in place in Uffington Community Garden”

 

[spark001uk]

I keep getting confused between Bruton and Bourton then getting excited about the B&H being wired.


help me

I'm not excited about B&H at all. I stopped smoking 9yrs ago now.....

 

[3973EXL]

Maidenhead to Reading Today.

Maidenhead Plat 5 loop is not fully wired.
There is a wire run from part way along the platform onto the Bourne End branch.
Connection from the loop to the stabling sidings, and the sidings are now wired.
Connection from the loop to the Reading end of plat 4 is not wired.
Turnback siding is wired, plain line still to lay though.

Mile Post 25 is the limit of wires from Padd.

There is then a gap to around MP25 3/4.

The UM/DM are then wired to just before MP30.
However the UM has between 1/2 to 3/4 mile of just catenary wire from around MP29.
The previous gap on the DM around MP26 1/4 to 3/4 was wired last night.

After a gap, wires start again on the DM at MP32 1/2
UM between MP31 1/2 & 3/4
Both run to after MP34 1/4

Reading platforms still the same as earlier in the week.
Some wires extend a short distance to the east of the station. The most advanced is the DR which is from just before MP35 1/2 to the station.

No change to the limited wires up on the reliefs, in Sonning Cutting DR and MP25 3/4 to MP26 1/2 west of Maidenhead on UR/DR.

There are various SPS missing from east of the station to Kennet Loop on all lines, getting less all the time.
Also SPS missing from the reliefs from Twyford West to Ruscombe in places.

Flyover west of Reading is wired on both lines from about halfway to the west end. There is then a gap to the live section to Didcot.

Some new piles between Oxford Rd Jn and Southcote Jn.

 

[jyte]

Map of Maidenhead to Swindon is basically finished, photo attached to demonstrate.

Going to start filling in the electrification status now, then will do work on the B&H and expand to Cardiff(!)

Also I had a trip yesterday from Paddington, the ATF is missing (as far as I can tell) between Stockley and West Drayton as well as from the west sides of both Langley and Iver on the relief side.

Don't know about the mains - couldn't see them.

 

[spark001uk]

Map of Maidenhead to Swindon is basically finished, photo attached to demonstrate.

Well done, looking good!
Is there really some random crossovers sitting on Vastern Rd to the north of Reading stn tho?!!

Lol just kidding, prob a couple of cut/paste leftovers! Great job on the map.

 

[jyte]

Well done, looking good!
Is there really some random crossovers sitting on Vastern Rd to the north of Reading stn tho?!!

Lol just kidding, prob a couple of cut/paste leftovers! Great job on the map.

No I assure you there really are a couple of crossovers in the middle of nowhere.

In all seriousness yeah, they're the assets I used.

Because of the size of the map Swindon-Cardiff is going to be on a completely different map - I may merge the two at a lower resolution at the end but I just wanted to start working on Maidenhead to Swindon sooner.

Also, FYI it looks like the 387s had some successful tests on the series 1 last night.

 

[D1009]

No I assure you there really is a couple of crossovers in the middle of nowhere.

In all seriousness yeah, they're the assets I used.

Because of the size of the map Swindon-Cardiff is going to be on a completely different map - I may merge the two at a lower resolution at the end but I just wanted to start working on Maidenhead to Swindon sooner.

Also, FYI it looks like the 387s had some successful tests on the series 1 last night.

Though it looks as though the possession overran by about half an hour, I wonder whether that was due to the testing or something else.

 

[snowball]

The March 2017 update to the Enhancements Delivery Plan is now up:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Enhancements-Delivery-Plan.pdf

I've mentioned it in the electrification thread index thread but as that thread is pinned it's not obvious when it gains a new post.

 

[spark001uk]

Though it looks as though the possession overran by about half an hour, I wonder whether that was due to the testing or something else.

It did, but still all went ok by the looks. I posted over on the 387 thread, all 4 lines were used during the night.

 

[59CosG95]

The March 2017 update to the Enhancements Delivery Plan is now up:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Enhancements-Delivery-Plan.pdf

I've mentioned it in the electrification thread index thread but as that thread is pinned it's not obvious when it gains a new post.

Interesting that they still mention cascaded 365s to the GWML; I thought that idea was dead in the water.

 

[swt_passenger]

Interesting that they still mention cascaded 365s to the GWML; I thought that idea was dead in the water.

Looks like many of the GW sub-sections of the plan haven't been amended since that decision was made, there's loads of them still dated Jun 2016 or even earlier.

 

[jyte]

Can someone with a solid grasp of the Jargon post a condensed version of that document relevant to the GWML?

It seems like all projects on the GWML have been deferred to CP6 but I don't really understand it.

 

[snowball]

Press release:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...s-royal-wootton-bassett-bridge-set-to-reopen/

The A3102 in Royal Wootton Bassett is set to reopen on 20 April 2017 following the reconstruction of the Bath Road bridge, paving the way for a new fleet of electric trains.

Network Rail has been working on the bridge since late October 2016 as part of its programme to modernise the Great Western Main Line from London to Cardiff.

Garry Fernand, Network Rail project manager for Bath Road bridge, said: “The improvements we are carrying out in Royal Wootton Bassett as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan are extensive but essential in order to bring our railway into the 21st century and improve passengers’ experience.

“We’d like to thank residents and motorists for their patience and understanding during the bridge reconstructions, which will pave the way for electrification and the benefits this will bring.”

During the closure, traffic has been using a temporary link road built by Network Rail to save motorists a 30-mile detour. The temporary road will close to traffic when the bridge reopens.

The bridge reconstruction has created the additional space needed for the overhead lines that will power the new electric trains.

In addition, Network Rail has carried out drainage work on the highway, to lower the risk of flooding, and has prepared the adjacent listed Hunts Mill bridge for forthcoming work to raise its parapets. The parapets, or sides, of the bridge need to be made higher to provide a safe distance between those using the bridge and the high-voltage electricity cables. Specially-made railings are due to be added to the bridge overnight between 8 May and 15 May 2017, with two-way temporary traffic lights in place.

The track beneath Hunts Mill bridge will be lowered over the weekends of 27-29 May and 10-11 June 2017 to create the required space, while protecting the bridge’s historic architecture.

Bath Road was the second bridge in the town to be reconstructed by Network Rail. Work on the Marlborough Road bridge was carried out between March and October 2016.

Throughout Network Rail’s work in Royal Wootton Bassett, Network Rail has worked closely with Wiltshire Council to ensure both the Marlborough Road and A3102 bridges were closed for the shortest time possible, minimising disruption to residents and businesses.

 

[MatthewRead]

Interesting that they still mention cascaded 365s to the GWML; I thought that idea was dead in the water.

I know it's a shame

 

[snowball]

Sorry if there's a more appropriate thread:

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...d-kingdom-brunel-birthday-box-tunnel-bath-sun

Rail staff confirm legend that rising sun shines through Box tunnel in Bath on birthday of Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Engineers have tested one of the UK’s most intriguing railway legends: that the rising sun shines through the Box tunnel near Bath on the birthday of the 19th-century genius who created the line.

For many years, railway enthusiasts and mathematicians have argued over whether Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the creator of the Great Western mainline, did design the two-mile tunnel with his own birthday in mind.

On Sunday – 211 years after Brunel’s birth – the line was shut because of upgrade work, providing Great Western Railway and Network Rail with a rare chance to observe whether the sun really does shine through the length of the tunnel on 9 April.

Teams positioned themselves at the eastern and western ends of the tunnel and waited for the sun to rise on one of the brightest days of the year.

Communications manager Paul Gentleman, who was at the eastern end, said he was treated to a spectacular sight. “When you look from the east portal, the cutting provides a lovely V-shape,” he said. “The sun rose from the left and was shining directly down the tunnel. We couldn’t see how far.

“It was fascinating to watch the sun as it nestled in the centre of that V as it rose – quite an astounding sight. When you look at it from that east portal you got the feeling that effect was definitely part of the design.”

At the western end, it was not quite as striking. Matthew Golton, commercial development director at GWR, said: “We could see the sun had risen but we weren’t getting full-on sunshine through the tunnel.”

Golton said the tunnel had changed since it was completed in 1841. “Back then, it had 30m new bricks in the lining,” he said. ”It hadn’t had 130 years of steam locomotives through it to make it darker.”

It is possible that the sun used to glint off water in the tunnel – Network Rail continues to work hard to keep the tunnel dry. “Perhaps when it was first opened there was more water inside that the light could have been reflected off,” said Golton.

The supposed link with Brunel’s birthday was first reported by the Devizes Gazette in 1842. The Daily Telegraph followed the story up some time later but, until now, as far as GWR knows, there have been no photographs of the supposed phenomenon.

Golton said the idea of building such a long tunnel between Bath and Chippenham was hugely controversial and was described during a debate in parliament as “dangerous, extraordinary, monstrous and impractical”. Railway pioneer George Stephenson said passengers would be terrified.

The project was over budget and behind time. At the height of construction, 4,000 people were working on the tunnel and the engineers were getting through a tonne of candle wax and a tonne of explosives every week. One hundred people died during its construction.

It is not a surprise to Golton that Brunel might have added a mischievous detail to his astounding design. “There are lots of good reasons why Brunel might have wanted to provide a riposte to his critics by not only completing the structure but putting a special architectural signature into the job,” he said.

There will be no more practical chances to test the theory for the foreseeable future. The line is now open again and, from the autumn, new Intercity Express trains will begin operating on the line.

 

[jyte]

Sorry if there's a more appropriate thread:

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...d-kingdom-brunel-birthday-box-tunnel-bath-sun

I don't know, but that story gave me the same wonderful feel-good feeling I (and most people get) from Disney/Pixar movies, so thanks for that

edit: apart from the people who died, that's terrible.

 

[Dai Corner]

Interesting to remember that the tunnel was behind time and over budget so the electrification is following Brunellian tradition but at least health and safety has improved and nobody has lost their life during the project.

 

[jyte]

Interesting to remember that the tunnel was behind time and over budget so the electrification is following Brunellian tradition

A project being over budget and late is about as British as complaining about the weather and a cup of tea on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Also I'm about 1/2 way through the B&H. Would people rather I finished the map to Newbury and then released it with the electrification status or get a map showing electrification out as soon as possible?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Would people rather I finished the map to Newbury and then released it with the electrification status or get a map showing electrification out as soon as possible?

This is more the sort of status map that I had in mind when I first suggested we should have one:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2916710&postcount=4621

i.e. just a general over-view and not down to every single platform and crossover...

So for my part, yes - just a quick status map will keep me happy.

 

[spark001uk]

...just a general over-view and not down to every single platform and crossover...

I get what you mean, point to point is the most important bit I guess.

Laters to all that on-board post/beam/arm/sleeper/nut&bolt counting, I'd rather sit back and enjoy the journey haha!

 

[jimm]

Some pictures taken yesterday at Uffington, taken from the new footbridge and showing an assortment of the steelwork now in place there, have been uploaded by Martin Loader at his site http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

 

[bastien]

Despite 'The Pause', a load of piles seem to have gone in between Bristol and Bath. Specifically (going Eastward) between the tunnel and Keynsham, and between Saltford and Twerton tunnel.

Does this mean wires through Bath are back on the agenda?
Good to see the weekend closures being utilised, either way.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Despite 'The Pause', a load of piles seem to have gone in between Bristol and Bath. Specifically (going Eastward) between the tunnel and Keynsham, and between Saltford and Twerton tunnel.

Does this mean wires through Bath are back on the agenda?
Good to see the weekend closures being utilised, either way.

sssshhh - don't tell the Secretary of State - let 'em keep going.
When they recost the electrification for this stretch - it will come out very low as a huge chunk of the work has already been done.

 

[Hellzapoppin]

Sorry to disappoint but no new piling has been carried out in those areas.
There has been track lowering at Twerton and piling for a footbridge recon towards Foxes wood but no ole piling.

 

[4973]

Platform 3 has catenary but no contact wire.
Platforms 10-12 are either no wire (with some SPS missing between the platform end and the flyover) or catenary only.

 

[bastien]

Sorry to disappoint but no new piling has been carried out in those areas.
There has been track lowering at Twerton and piling for a footbridge recon towards Foxes wood but no ole piling.

Well they must be piles from earlier. 'Cos they're there, in the ground.

 

[HowardGWR]

Some pictures taken yesterday at Uffington, taken from the new footbridge and showing an assortment of the steelwork now in place there, have been uploaded by Martin Loader at his site http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

Left enough room for 4 tracks, do we think?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Left enough room for 4 tracks, do we think?

Certainly room for a third track, looking at those. Not sure about a fourth.

 

[HowardGWR]

Well they must be piles from earlier. 'Cos they're there, in the ground.

How many? You would only need a couple of piles for the footbridge (a ROW) at Foxes Wood. You wouldn't need any for a track lowering at Twerton, I would have thought. On the latter, presumably the A4 bridge near Newton St Loe is too low clearance, as well as Twerton tunnel.

 

[Hellzapoppin]

They are from earlier works. Not sure about Twerton tunnel, I'm intrigued myself now so I'll ask some questions. Surprised no mention has been made of the works in Bath spa station, certainly more interesting than piling.