Signalling - centralised operations may lead to wider problems in the future?

[whole diary]

[John R]

Hijacking this thread slightly, I notice that all along the western section of the Great Western (certainly all the way from Nailsea to Swindon) the cabling troughing is being dug up and replaced. Is this in connection with the forthcoming resignalling of the area?  The new troughing looks slightly larger - if so that seems surprising that in an age when most things to do with communications seem to be minitiarised. 

[Electric train]

Hijacking this thread slightly, I notice that all along the western section of the Great Western (certainly all the way from Nailsea to Swindon) the cabling troughing is being dug up and replaced. Is this in connection with the forthcoming resignalling of the area?  The new troughing looks slightly larger - if so that seems surprising that in an age when most things to do with communications seem to be minitiarised. 

It is all to do with the resignalling of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line).  The GWML will have modern ETRMS signalling however this is being superimposed over a renewed classic type system which has to be installed in parallel to the old system.  Also electrification means screening conductors have to be laid in the troughs the type of screening conductors being used on the GW^▸ (Great Western) will be about 20mm in dia

[The SprinterMeister]

Of course it doesn't have to be a fire.  Think of the problems over a wide area when there was a power failure at Swindon Panel in February. http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=12086.0

Are there any plans to have local emergency control in case of problems?  As I understand it there used to be (maybe still are) emergency mini-panels at places like Weston-super-Mare and Newbury which could operate in cases of a failure at the main centre.

There isn't one at Weston Super Mare anymore. It has been removed fairly recently. The panel was located in the chargmans office in the station buildings on the up side. There was I believe some dispute between Network Rail and the Bristol Panel signallers about sending them down there on Sundays to operate it occasionally to retain familiarality with it so out it came.....