Great Western Coffee Shop

A ^5bn investment programme to provide more seats and shorter journey times on the Great Western rail route will provide a massive boost to the economies of the south west of England and the Thames Valley, Network Rail has announced today.

Over the next 30 years it is forecast that the benefits to the regions^ economies owing to the improvement programme will be at least double the ^5bn being invested. It will also potentially bring new rail journey opportunities for key urban centres, including Reading, Oxford, Swindon, Bath and Bristol, boosting these economies by an additional ^200m.

The ten-year improvement plan ^ the largest revamp of the Great Western railway since it was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel 175 years ago ^ was unveiled today by transport secretary Philip Hammond and Network Rail chief executive David Higgins.

Speaking at the launch event at London Paddington station, David Higgins said the investment would turn the Great Western into "the most advanced intercity railway in Britain" and would help drive economic growth across the region.

Electrification, resignalling and new trains will improve journeys and provide the extra capacity needed to cater for a predicted 51% increase in passengers travelling on the route over the next 30 years.

Notes to Editors:

The Great Western improvement programme comprises seven core packages of work, the largest of which is electrification. The programme will begin with the upgrade of the signalling system between Paddington and Bristol by end of 2011, so that the infrastructure is compatible with electrification technology and ready for the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

ERTMS is the world^s most advanced in-cab signalling system and is used to improve reliability, efficiency and safety of the railway. It is currently being implemented on a number of high-speed and freight lines in mainland Europe.

Work to install ERTMS will start by 2016 after electrification. Electrification of the railway between London ^ Bristol, Oxford and Newbury will be carried out in nine phases, starting from Maidenhead in Berkshire.

Electrification of the lines from Paddington to Oxford, Newbury and Bristol will make the railway greener and more efficient. Passengers will also benefit from extra capacity thanks to the Intercity Express Programme fleet of new trains, which was confirmed by the government earlier in the year.

Network Rail is currently tendering for machinery and plant to install overhead power lines as part of the electrification process. The specification calls for machinery which uses innovative techniques to minimise disruption, allowing Network Rail to carry out most of the work within overnight eight-hour windows.

Signalling Solutions Ltd wins ^5 million contract to install Smartlock interlocking technology on Great Western Main Line

25/05/2011

Network Rail has awarded Signalling Solutions Ltd a contract worth approximately five million pounds to install parent company Alstom's Smartlock interlocking technology  for the Crossrail Surface Signalling West Inner relocking project on the Great Western Main Line.
 
The final commissioning date for the new interlockings is Christmas 2011 and will be preceded by a number of rehearsals to prove the new system and minimise disruption to the railway.
 
The contract will see the thirteen existing solid state interlockings (SSI) located and controlled in Slough, replaced by four Smartlock 400T interlockings, located and controlled in Network Rail^s new Thames Valley Signalling Centre in Didcot.

Chief hails 'new age of rail'

TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond hailed a ^new age of Rail in Britain^ yesterday as Network Rail launched a 10-year, ^5bn development plan for the Great Western Main Line, which links Oxfordshire with London, the West of England and South Wales.

Speaking at London^s Paddington station, where he unveiled a newly-restored section of the station^s roof, Mr Hammond said the aim of the Government and the rail industry was to create a ^21st century railway for a 21st century future^. Network Rail and train operator First Great Western say investment is needed to cope with soaring demand for rail travel. The number of passengers from Oxford has risen by 65 per cent over the past decade.

A number of the developments are already under way, such as the ^67m redoubling of the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester, which is due for completion next month, and the rebuilding of Reading station.

The key element of the programme is the installation of overhead power supplies for electric trains from London to Oxford and Newbury, and from Didcot to Bristol and Cardiff, combined with the introduction of new InterCity Express Programme high-speed trains and new signals.

Electrification work will start in 2014, with the first electric trains between Oxford and London due to run in 2016. Electric services from Didcot to Bristol will start the same year, with Cardiff following in 2017.

Bristol to London rail line set to be best in UK

Train passengers in Bristol could reach London Paddington in one hour 20 minutes within five years after Transport Secretary Philip Hammond officially launched a project to make the Great Western Main Line the best in the UK.

Speaking at the launch in London yesterday, Network Rail Chief Executive David Higgins said the ^5bn investment in electrification and resignalling and the procurement of new trains would make the route ^the most advanced inter-city railway in Britain^, providing capacity to cater for a predicted 51% increase in passengers over the next 30 years.

^The case for developing the Great Western Main Line into a railway for the 21st century is above all an economic one,^ said Mr Hammond. ^The transformational 10-year programme that Network Rail is leading will do more than help to meet projected demand for increased passenger and freight journeys; it will deliver a long-term boost to the economies of Wales and the South West.^

Apart from the remodelling of the key junction at Reading which is already underway, work will begin with renewal of the signalling between London and Bristol by end of 2011, making the infrastructure ready for electrification.

Electrification will pave the way for the introduction of about 70 new Super Express Trains.

Meanwhile, Mark Hopwood, the managing director of First Great Western, confirmed talks were under way about revamping Brunel^s Temple Meads station.

Speaking to the Bristol Evening Post, he said: ^We are talking about increasing the number of services between Bristol and London from two to four every hour and getting rid of the need for passengers to stand on our trains. Temple Meads is a lovely station but once these improvements are introduced we are talking about a large increase in passenger numbers. We will have to make improvements to the station in terms of access and also a general refurbishment. The scale of this work means that it is going to be challenging time for everyone involved but it is a challenge worth fighting for.^

Just five more years to wait for that magical 1 hour 20 minute journey time. A massive improvement on the 1 hour 23 minutes that was timetabled in 1990.  ::)

Yeah, I know. Calling patterns and capacity. But still, does rather highlight that headline timings need to be taken in context.

From the Oxford Mail (http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9141344.Chief_hails__new_age_of_rail_/):

If there's going to be 4tph to Temple Meads, with 2tph via Bristol Parkway, I'm thinking somthing like this might be a good idea:

1tph Paddington, Reading, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.
1tph Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff Central (prefrablly extended to Swansea with the above stops and the above services loosing the Bridgend, Neath and Port Talbot stops).
1tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads
1tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads
2tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads (taking the stops off the Swansea service and one of the via Bath services)

Bristol to London rail line set to be best in UK

Meanwhile, Mark Hopwood, the managing director of First Great Western, confirmed talks were under way about revamping Brunel^s Temple Meads station.

If there's going to be 4tph to Temple Meads, with 2tph via Bristol Parkway, I'm thinking somthing like this might be a good idea:

1tph Paddington, Reading, Bristol Parkway, Newport, Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath and Swansea.
1tph Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff Central (prefrablly extended to Swansea with the above stops and the above services loosing the Bridgend, Neath and Port Talbot stops).
1tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads
1tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Chippenham, Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads
2tph Paddington - Bristol calling at Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads (taking the stops off the Swansea service and one of the via Bath services)