Where would you electrify next?

[59CosG95]

Why wasn’t London Gateway electrified when built? Was it before Goblin was authorised? Surely it is a quick easy (it’s all relative) job and gets some diesels out of London.

If Basingstoke - Bletchley was electrified for the container trains would Oxford be able to cope with the northbound ones all turning right across the northern approach, or would this actually be easier than them turning right across Chiltern at Leamington?

Are any of those routes ‘simple’ electrification? Most seem to need major remodelling first - ie Leicester area, Soham/Ely, Oxford/EWR. Maybe Mendips-Newbury (but that is looong)???

My crayons say do Nuneaton/Brum/Tamworth triangle but that needs to account for HS2, a local electric service to Tamworth with new stations, and preferably remodelling Whitacre (straighter and maybe a triangle for Birch Coppice Access?)

Oxford has already been remodelled and resignalled to the spec planned for when it was still going to be electrified in CP5, it's just that the wires haven't made it yet.
AFAIK, between Bicester Gavray Jn & Oxford North Jn, only Wolvercot Tunnel has a clearance problem; EWR just need to sort out the stretch between Gavray & Denbigh Hall (Bletchley) Jns.

 

[Bald Rick]

Why wasn’t London Gateway electrified when built? Was it before Goblin was authorised? Surely it is a quick easy (it’s all relative) job and gets some diesels out of London

It was a long time before Gospel Oak - Woodgrnage Park was authorised, which meant that anything using it would have to switch to be diesel to get across London, or go across the flat junctions from Woodgrange Park, Forest Gate, Maryland and Stratford if on electric. And there’s no capacity for that in the daytime. Basically, the port wouldn’t pay for it (they paid for the upgrading of the line), and the Freight operators wouldn’t pay for it either. Yes they would be the main financial beneficiaries, but only if the Gospel Oak Line was done, which it wasn’t.

 

[59CosG95]

It was a long time before Gospel Oak - Woodgrnage Park was authorised, which meant that anything using it would have to switch to be diesel to get across London, or go across the flat junctions from Woodgrange Park, Forest Gate, Maryland and Stratford if on electric. And there’s no capacity for that in the daytime. Basically, the port wouldn’t pay for it (they paid for the upgrading of the line), and the Freight operators wouldn’t pay for it either. Yes they would be the main financial beneficiaries, but only if the Gospel Oak Line was done, which it wasn’t.

I think there would almost certainly be a worthy business case for it now, if NR were to revisit the issue.

 

[Meerkat]

How much would it cost?
Three or four miles (not sure where the 1.5 in the link came from) and only one bridge (criminal if the new bridge was not electrification ready....).

 

[Bald Rick]

I think there would almost certainly be a worthy business case for it now, if NR were to revisit the issue.

Point of order, I think you mean if NR were asked to revisit the issue and provided funding to do so.

The tricky thing here is that the financial beneficiaries will be the FOCs, and government has no way of capturing that benefit (unlike with passenger TOCs).

 

[59CosG95]

Point of order, I think you mean if NR were asked to revisit the issue and provided funding to do so.

The tricky thing here is that the financial beneficiaries will be the FOCs, and government has no way of capturing that benefit (unlike with passenger TOCs).

Indeed, that is a thorny issue, which, unless pressurised, they won't seek to alter.

 

[klass43]

But think of all the money you'd save by closing it and switching to a shorter route. Less track, more accessible, less extreme weather. You could demolish all those viaducts and sell the stone for building

The S&C should be kept open as it's one of the most scenic railway lines in the UK.

I would do three things: firstly, finish off all the extra bits that have been deferred etc, such as Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads and Swindon to Bristol via Bath Spa. Secondly, I would electrify any remaining parts of the main Cross Country Route, which would help other services, for example by electrifying the entirety of the Great Western line to Penzance. Finally, I would make a policy that any new passenger lines (major ones at least) be electrified from new, just because the main reason electrification is so slow is that it can only be done while lines are closed. This means we save time and money on electrification which will have to happen at some point in the future anyway.

Good idea. It's ridiculous running diesel trains between Plymouth/Penzance - Edingburgh/Glasgow, where large sections have electrification.

 

[Glenn1969]

Should all 4 Northern East-West routes (via Huddersfield, Calder Valley, Hope Valley and Tyne Valley) be electrified?

 

[Whistler40145]

I'd definitely electrify Leeds to York and wire up Hambleton West to Hambleton South Junction, this would provide a useful diversion route for LNER services.

Lancaster to Morecambe would be an asset to free up DMUs

Windermere branch shouldn't have been scrapped

Carnforth to Skipton would also free up DMUs

 

[Starmill]

Carnforth to Skipton would also free up DMUs

Really? How many?

 

[Whistler40145]

Really? How many?

Is that a hint of sarcasm

 

[yorkie]

Is that a hint of sarcasm

I think the fact you are asking that means you know the answer is "hardly any".

And if that's the only reason for doing it, then that's a pretty weak argument!

 

[Trainician]

I would electrify the Marston Vale line

 

[najaB]

I think the fact you are asking that means you know the answer is "hardly any".

And if that's the only reason for doing it, then that's a pretty weak argument!

TBH, anything that eliminates DMU running is a good thing, but yes I get that this particular case shouldn't be a priority.

 

[D365]

I would electrify the Marston Vale line

Electrification, if it happens, will come under East West Rail.

 

[PeterC]

My first reaction is to say "finish the Great Western and Midland electrifications" but politically it would have to be in the north of England. Cosidering noises about Manchester being favoured over Yorkshire and the North East it would probably need to be on the east of the Pennines.

Once that was sorted then a rolling programme based on operational need.

 

[NoMorePacers]

My first reaction is to say "finish the Great Western and Midland electrifications" but politically it would have to be in the north of England. Cosidering noises about Manchester being favoured over Yorkshire and the North East it would probably need to be on the east of the Pennines.

Once that was sorted then a rolling programme based on operational need.

I haven't noticed such noises existing. Not necessarily false however.

 

[Trainician]

I would electrify the section of the ECML Leeds to York (Neville Hill Depot - Colton Junction)

 

[Whistler40145]

Crows Nest Junction to Salford Crescent

 

[Peter Kelford]

I think the fact you are asking that means you know the answer is "hardly any".

And if that's the only reason for doing it, then that's a pretty weak argument!

I would tend to agree here.

Lancaster to Morecambe would be an asset to free up DMUs

Even more so here...

In any case, the vast fleet of new DMU ordered means that it is highly likely that a somewhat significant number of diesels will be running 'under the wires'.

 

[EastisECML]

Every metre of every track in the country.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Every metre of every track in the country.

This.

 

[The Ham]

This.

Definitely!

 

[najaB]

Every metre of every track in the country.

Good goal, but that doesn't answer the question of where to tackle *next*.

 

[Peter Kelford]

Every metre of every track in the country.

Good goal, but that doesn't answer the question of where to tackle *next*.

It's a real shame that we don't have loco-hauled trains and/or many bi-modes.

The first thing is to tackle short and medium-length lines that are heavily connected. E.g. Chippenham to Bristol - As it stands, there wasn't much point electrifying Wooton Basset to Chippenham.

Other work would include making the network more flexible and divertable, such as Peterborough - Melton - Syston - Leicester - Birmingham. Another key electrification would the Transpennine routes.

 

[Trainician]

It's a real shame that we don't have loco-hauled trains and/or many bi-modes.

The first thing is to tackle short and medium-length lines that are heavily connected. E.g. Chippenham to Bristol - As it stands, there wasn't much point electrifying Wooton Basset to Chippenham.

Other work would include making the network more flexible and divertable, such as Peterborough - Melton - Syston - Leicester - Birmingham. Another key electrification would the Transpennine routes.

Loco hauled stock is outdated to the Dft and so they're phasing them out

 

[Trainician]

I would electrify Market Harborough to Sheffield. Then I would have class 387s and class 801s on the fully electric MML.

 

[Trainician]

Also I would electrify the North Wales Main Line

 

[Peter Kelford]

Also I would electrify the North Wales Main Line

Probably a good choice.

 

[Trainician]

Probably a good choice.

Yep it would because it assures that the WCML and it's branches are completely electrified