Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Interesting article on the Acton Dive Under, which after several years is now nearing completion:

http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2015/12/06/a-look-at-crossrails-critical-acton-dive-under/

[stuving]

If you are near Reading next Thursday (25th), you may be interested in this talk about the Crossrail trains. It repeats one given for IMechE in Bath in November. This time it is run jointly with the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train), in UoR Whiteknights campus, at 7 p.m. It's being used as a recruiting opportunity for the IET, so beware if you arrive early for the tea - or try to look old.

There is a poster, downloadable from this page, but it's only a prettier way of saying this:

CLASS 345 ^ THE NEW TRAINS FOR CROSSRAIL

Mark Ellis, Bombardier and Phil Hinde, Crossrail

The Crossrail project demonstrates that railway engineering is an innovative and growing area of activity that can provide excellent long-term prospects for varied and technically demanding careers. Here ^14.8Bn of infrastructure investment in tunnelling, new stations, electrification, and automated control systems is being topped up with 65 new 200 metre-long trains based at a state of the art maintenance depot with a lifetime vehicle maintenance contract utilising the latest in remote condition monitoring technology.

This talk focuses on Bombardier^s new Class 345 Trains which are to be introduced progressively, on routes crossing London between Reading and Heathrow in the West and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East, between 2017 and 2019.

This event is free of charge and open to all, with a lecture starting at 19:00. It will be preceded by informal careers advice with refreshments from 18:00, which will continue after the lecture. This event is jointly organised by IET local group EC3 and the IMechE Railway Division, South West Centre.

Thursday 25 February 2016 19.00

Palmer Building, University of Reading RG6 6UR

For directions please visit http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about-findindex.aspx

Unusually for these days, no registration is asked for. However, I would ask anyone who is coming as a result of this post to let me know, please. (It's a local event for me, though I am not involved in organising it.)

PS: Sorry for the short notice - not getting round to doing things is one of the few talents I have developed further since retiring.

[FremlinsMan]

I doubt that anyone who isn't a member of the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) will get any hassle or recruitment spiel - unless you know better...

[IndustryInsider]

Meanwhile at Paddington, eagle-eyed passengers will spot that work on the platform 12/13 combination has started, with the revised line of the track and platform edge marked out in spray paint along platform 13 where it will deviate from the current formation.  Also, according to a poster on the platform the extension of platform 14 will be completed by May this year - though I'm not sure to what length.  It has now had the knitting strung above it as well.

[paul7575]

Is there any scope to extend P14 'inwards' a bit alongside the LU tracks?

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the original setup had four through platforms for the Met; so there might have been more space than is used nowadays, but currently out of sight?

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) there was a version of the enhancements plan a while back that gave a much longer finished P14 length and we couldn't see how it could be done by a simple extension to the west.

Paul

[Electric train]

If you are near Reading next Thursday (25th), you may be interested in this talk about the Crossrail trains. It repeats one given for IMechE in Bath in November. This time it is run jointly with the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train), in UoR Whiteknights campus, at 7 p.m. It's being used as a recruiting opportunity for the IET, so beware if you arrive early for the tea - or try to look old.

There is a poster, downloadable from this page, but it's only a prettier way of saying this:

CLASS 345 ^ THE NEW TRAINS FOR CROSSRAIL

Mark Ellis, Bombardier and Phil Hinde, Crossrail

The Crossrail project demonstrates that railway engineering is an innovative and growing area of activity that can provide excellent long-term prospects for varied and technically demanding careers. Here ^14.8Bn of infrastructure investment in tunnelling, new stations, electrification, and automated control systems is being topped up with 65 new 200 metre-long trains based at a state of the art maintenance depot with a lifetime vehicle maintenance contract utilising the latest in remote condition monitoring technology.

This talk focuses on Bombardier^s new Class 345 Trains which are to be introduced progressively, on routes crossing London between Reading and Heathrow in the West and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the East, between 2017 and 2019.

This event is free of charge and open to all, with a lecture starting at 19:00. It will be preceded by informal careers advice with refreshments from 18:00, which will continue after the lecture. This event is jointly organised by IET local group EC3 and the IMechE Railway Division, South West Centre.

Thursday 25 February 2016 19.00

Palmer Building, University of Reading RG6 6UR

For directions please visit http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about-findindex.aspx

Unusually for these days, no registration is asked for. However, I would ask anyone who is coming as a result of this post to let me know, please. (It's a local event for me, though I am not involved in organising it.)

PS: Sorry for the short notice - not getting round to doing things is one of the few talents I have developed further since retiring.

I might be there, no good me looking old cause I am (ish) also already MIET 

Is there any scope to extend P14 'inwards' a bit alongside the LU tracks?

AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) the original setup had four through platforms for the Met; so there might have been more space than is used nowadays, but currently out of sight?

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) there was a version of the enhancements plan a while back that gave a much longer finished P14 length and we couldn't see how it could be done by a simple extension to the west.

Paul

It has been extended as far as it realistically can, although the platform edge coping slabs have yet to be fitted.

The OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") has been declared "LIVE" although it has a permanent earth fitted just under BBR Bridge this makes issuing isolation documents quicker for the team working on the canopy   

[stuving]

I noted down some details of the class 345 trains from Thursday's presentation, which may not be new but most are not on Wikipedia (yet). These are mainly "as built", and may replace previous "as designed" limit values.

• The track has a gradient of 1 in 27 in three places, and is (by main-line standards) very wiggly.
  
• The driver's display to support DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) is always a TV in the cab, with a wireless link from platform cameras, as on LU.
  
• There were gauging issues, of which the platform heights were worst - high on GE, lower and variable on GW^▸ (Great Western).
  
• Carriage length is 22.5 m (nominal), so a 9-car is 202.5 m long and new infrastructure and the design-for maximum stretch 11-car is 247.5. (Design limits were 205 and 250 m).
  
• Each train has two independently-powered ends and a trailer in the middle, so it will run with both pantographs up.
  
• There are 5 powered bogies (both axles in each) in a 4-car "half". One car with one powered bogie will be left out of each "half" in the interim 7-car units delivered next year for use on the ex-GE TfL^» (Transport for London - about)-rail service.
  
• Acceleration is to be 1 m/s/s and deceleration 0.9 m/s/s - in the leafless dry indoors, anyway.
  
• Mass is 320 t, or "the same as a class 315 per metre".
  
• The units ordered for Overground (class 710?) are derived from this design (Aventra), but with shorter carriages at 20 m nominal.
  

There was a Bombardier presentation about their wonderful new train inspection systems (AVIS), which runs each trisn entering the depot past a battery of cameras (visible and IR), laser scanners, etc. Trains also have some NDT monitors in board (e.g. acoustic). While the idea is to reduce human routine inspections, these are still required for lots of things, though the trains designers are being leaned on to get rid of these in the future.

Further points arose in questions afterwards:

They seem to have had a fixation with minimising clutter, so while straps have to be kept there are no overhead lockers or racks. To be fair, I think this is about speed and the fact that on short central journeys people keep hold of their light luggage and near to wheeled stuff on the floor. Hence space for big things is in the "stand-back" by the doors or under the cantilevered side-on seats (though people may take a while to realise it's there).

Extending to 11-car is not a simple option; the power design hasn't been done to allow for it. At least one extra power bogie per "half" is needed (that gradient again), and presumably some uprating of other components to feed it. (But this was an off-the-cuff reply and may not be Bombardier's last word on the subject).

E&OE - as notes taken during a live presentation, I may have missed or misrecorded something.

[SandTEngineer]

There was a Bombardier presentation about their wonderful new train inspection systems (AVIS), which runs each trisn entering the depot past a battery of cameras (visible and IR), laser scanners, etc.

Just to give its full name AVIS = Automatic Vehicle Inspection System

There will be two of these 'sheds' in the new Old Oak Common Crossrail Depot.  Trains will be 'inspected' at a speed of 3mph.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Just to give its full name AVIS = Automatic Vehicle Inspection System

Thanks for your definition and details - I've now added it to the Coffee Shop forum 'acronyms / abbreviations' page. 

[Electric train]

There was a Bombardier presentation about their wonderful new train inspection systems (AVIS), which runs each trisn entering the depot past a battery of cameras (visible and IR), laser scanners, etc.

Just to give its full name AVIS = Automatic Vehicle Inspection System

There will be two of these 'sheds' in the new Old Oak Common Crossrail Depot.  Trains will be 'inspected' at a speed of 3mph.

All the train manufactures have a similar system, Hitachi at Ashford and North Pole and Siemens at Three Bridges.

The presentation was okay, could have done with a little more tech info on the trains, the traction pack, hotel services etc

[Chris from Nailsea]

The presentation was okay, could have done with a little more tech info on the trains, the traction pack, hotel services etc

While I really do understand your thirst for such technical detail, Electric train, I rather fear that if I as an ordinary passenger was given so much information, my head would possibly explode. 

[JayMac]

Ditto. I see hotel services and I think; restaurant, gym, room service, swimming pool, luggage porter, sauna, shoe shine, concierge...

Some more practical than others on your average train. 

[TonyK]

... mini bar, maxi bar, too much breakfast, trouser press ...

[Bmblbzzz]

Ditto. I see hotel services and I think; restaurant, gym, room service, swimming pool, luggage porter, sauna, shoe shine, concierge...

Some more practical than others on your average train. 

Well, the motion of the train would be good for a swimming pool, creating a wave function, but not so good for the shoe shining. 

[stuving]

Ditto. I see hotel services and I think; restaurant, gym, room service, swimming pool, luggage porter, sauna, shoe shine, concierge...

Some more practical than others on your average train. 

Well, the motion of the train would be good for a swimming pool, creating a wave function, but not so good for the shoe shining. 

Obviously you lot go to a different sort of hotel from like what I do.