March 2016 Budget

[whole diary]

[Oberon]

George Osboren's budget today provides an additional ^5m to support the Peninsula Rail Task Force in developing options to improve the resilience of the rail line between Newton Abbot, Dawlish and Exeter, and the government ^will fully consider the recommendations in the Peninsula Rail Task Force's final report when it is published in June.^

A further ^3m will improve stations across the southwest, and ^7m to improve rail stations in the southeast.

So we've not been completely forgotten.

[ChrisB]

Redhill, Newbury & High Wycombe in the SE. Doesn't say which SW stations

[Oberon]

"There is ^16m to improve station facilities at Market Harborough, St Albans, Redhill, Newbury, High Wycombe, Exeter St David^s, Weston-Super-Mare, and Cheltenham Spa; the redevelopment of St Albans City station is allocated ^5m. The full business case for a new Thameslink station at Brent Cross has also been approved."

[Thatcham Crossing]

I wonder what they'll do at Newbury? The footbridge looks very tatty to me, for a start.

A lot of work to do anyway I guess in connection with getting the wires up. The Station area at Newbury is one of the few (along the to be electrified section of the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury)) where there seems to be no outward sign of any work related to this having started at all?

[Noggin]

I wonder what they'll do at Newbury? The footbridge looks very tatty to me, for a start.

A lot of work to do anyway I guess in connection with getting the wires up. The Station area at Newbury is one of the few (along the to be electrified section of the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury)) where there seems to be no outward sign of any work related to this having started at all?

Isn't there a road bridge to rebuild before much can be done? Can't remember the timelines but it's basically all hands on deck to get Tilehurst to Didcot electrified for IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project. This will offer more capacity on routes, save money, give a consistent and safe service and meet customer requirements. Intended to replace HSTs.) testing, with Newbury only getting a look in when the mainline is pretty much complete.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Yes, there's the Boundary Lane bridge between Newbury and Newbury Racecourse that is closed for most of this year (I think) for rebuild.

To me that doesn't mean that work around Newbury Station itself couldn't start, but take your point that all the focus at the moment is on getting Tilehurst to Didcot (and Airport Junction to Tilehurst) done.

[grahame]

To me that doesn't mean that work around Newbury Station itself couldn't start ...

agreed, but if they did a lot f work a year or two early then left it unused, they would open themselves to criticism!

[PhilWakely]

To me that doesn't mean that work around Newbury Station itself couldn't start ...

agreed, but if they did a lot f work a year or two early then left it unused, they would open themselves to criticism!

Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

[Noggin]

Yes, there's the Boundary Lane bridge between Newbury and Newbury Racecourse that is closed for most of this year (I think) for rebuild.

To me that doesn't mean that work around Newbury Station itself couldn't start, but take your point that all the focus at the moment is on getting Tilehurst to Didcot (and Airport Junction to Tilehurst) done.

Someone answered my question on another forum, Airport Jcn to Maidenhead (which is being done under a separate contract as part of Crossrail) was supposed to have OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) in revenue earning service from December 2016 but looks set to be June 2017. So basically even if you could wave a magic wand on Newbury, you'd still be stuck waiting for Crossrail, and no-one in their right mind is going to risk rushing that

[Thatcham Crossing]

Don't disagree with what anyone is saying, it just seems a bit odd that a lot of the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) section that is to be electrified (between Southcote Junction and Newbury) has the trackside piles in - I'd say 70-80% from my recent observations - but nothing (that I can see) around the station area itself in Newbury.

[stuving]

Don't disagree with what anyone is saying, it just seems a bit odd that a lot of the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) section that is to be electrified (between Southcote Junction and Newbury) has the trackside piles in - I'd say 70-80% from my recent observations - but nothing (that I can see) around the station area itself in Newbury.

It may look a bit more logical if viewed in terms of work scheduling and resources.

For some of the time, at least, the "HOPS" piling train (doesn't that name now seem rather quaint and out of date?) was being used wherever possible, but couldn't do every pile. That's one of the reasons it's not been very productive. The remaining piles are done "by hand", but they too can be done with little by way of forward planning, by crews who just keep working through a list of "things to do".

The station, however, is likely to involve more complicated work (more stuff in the way), more machinery, and so would probably be planned as a single mini-project with a work compound on site, public notification of start and end dates, etc. And it could require more planning and detail design work, in which case it may be held up by resource limits in that area. And as it didn't get a fixed date before Chairman Hendy's "great leap to the right", it may now happen later as a result.

[paul7575]

It's also been fairly obvious on the Reading - Didcot section that all the station areas were also left untouched while piles went in either side, - and this makes sense particularly if the work can ultimately be done working from the platforms outside of track possessions.

I don't go on the Reading to London stretch that often, but that also seems to show 'mass production' only between stations.  The conclusion must be that having a gap in the piling through Newbury station is intentional.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

That's right.  The station areas are now starting to get some attention, gantries installed within the platform areas at places such as Cholsey, Taplow and several of the other smaller stations.  Larger stations such as Maidenhead and Slough are still largely untouched.  Perhaps the Easter blockade will see some movement in those areas?  I expect electrification progress to be quite intense during the blockade.