Are we now looking at 2013 to 2028, or 2013 to 2020?

[whole diary]

[swrural]

It's possible to get carried away with this potential for 'disruption' though surely?

Completely unplanned chaos such as seen in the last week or two must be far harder to deal with.

Acton diveunder will almost certainly be fairly trivial in its effect, I'd expect that it will happen almost without people noticeing outside a couple of relatively short possesions to slew the track temporarily and then change to the new route, likewise the Heathrow flyover alterations.

IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) there is much scope for exaggeration of the effects of the Reading rebuild too, a year or more between major blockades is hardly noticeable in the overall scheme of things, and I seriously doubt there have been any significant unplanned disruptions to the train service through Reading caused by the work so far.

Closures that reduce the area to two lines only over weekends are part and parcel of normal planned maintenance anyway...

Paul

It's one thing to be so sanguine about what is to happen but my point is what will be the effect on the franchiser (actually franchisee) on his bid?  More importantly actually is the effect on public acceptance of inevitable delays.

The Mainline has diversion routes (via Trowbridge and Badminton) and careful planning of those will be key to stemming dissatisfaction during those years.  A few non-stops, for the - er, - voluble, would seem commercially important. 

[eightf48544]

Agreed Reading Acton and Heathrow could be seen a relatively non disruptive but we are now talking about the complete electricfication plus new completely new signalling (ERTMS^▸ (European Rail Traffic Management System.)) and completely new trains all basically being introduced simultaneously.

It only needs one of those to go wrong and the whole thing is up the shute.

Don't forget that one of the problems with modern railways is the amount of software required a lot of which has to interact with other software, especaily with moving trains which will have software controlling the traction power inteacting with both the power supply and the signalling. Ask the Dutch and Belgians about ERTMS software and the train/signal interface it's still not really right.

[The SprinterMeister]

Don't forget that one of the problems with modern railways is the amount of software required a lot of which has to ineract with other software, especaily with moving trains which will have software controlling the traction power inteacting with both the power supply and the signalling. Ask the Dutch and Belgians about ERTMS^▸ (European Rail Traffic Management System.) software and the train/signal interface it's still not really right.

I think it will be a very long time before the lineside signals go and ERTMS equipment is fitted into cabs. As I understand it there was a plan to use Cornwall as the ERTMS test area and remove rather than replace the lineside signals. This has now been abandoned.