Main line electrification starting December 2013

[whole diary]

[John R]

Maybe it had to be Bullied to reach that sort of speed.

[eightf48544]

Oops probably not bullied they never did discover, on the Rugby test plant, how nuch steam one of his boilers would make even with two firemen

[James]

Electrification starting December 2013?

Apart from seeing a few posts around the Reading area of Electrification, is the electrification actually happening further afield than Reading or has it stalled?

I appreciate the weather and other factors have played a part in the delay of the electrification project but it does seem to have stalled or is moving slowly, anyone know other reasons why?

[paul7575]

'Electrification' has been underway for a couple of years, because the whole project includes stuff like bridge rebuilding and/or track repositioning for OHLE clearance.  Then there's road access to build substations and network connection points and stuff.

The more visually obvious stuff like the masts takes some while to appear, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening, there are piled and excavated foundations for electrification masts around the Didcot area for instance.

I'd say it is wrong to say anything has stalled - it was never likely to start instantly with masts and wires appearing somewhere the very next day.

Paul

[James]

'Electrification' has been underway for a couple of years, because the whole project includes stuff like bridge rebuilding and/or track repositioning for OHLE clearance.  Then there's road access to build substations and network connection points and stuff.

The more visually obvious stuff like the masts takes some while to appear, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening, there are piled and excavated foundations for electrification masts around the Didcot area for instance.

I'd say it is wrong to say anything has stalled - it was never likely to start instantly with masts and wires appearing somewhere the very next day.

Paul

Sorry, just so much as been going about it for years, and hoping that things would move quickly, but thanks for clarifying this.

[stebbo]

The bridge works at Oxford - which have caused controversy in the flooding issue (see separate postings) - and the row over closure of a level crossing serving some allotments at Oxford are to do with the pre-electrification work.

By the way, didn't the Southern Railway start off with overhead electrification in the early 20th century, then switch to third rail? As I recall, the third rail was originally meant for the densely worked London suburban services but when steam was withdrawn the third rail was expanded as the overhead electrification was by then long gone.

Also, wasn't the original Liverpool Street overhead electrification done at 15kv?

[Alan Pettitt]

Not quite, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway had electrified about 24 miles of track with overhead equipment at 6,600v AC but after grouping to form the Southern it was converted to third rail.

[DidcotPunter]

The bridge works at Oxford - which have caused controversy in the flooding issue (see separate postings) - and the row over closure of a level crossing serving some allotments at Oxford are to do with the pre-electrification work.

By the way, didn't the Southern Railway start off with overhead electrification in the early 20th century, then switch to third rail? As I recall, the third rail was originally meant for the densely worked London suburban services but when steam was withdrawn the third rail was expanded as the overhead electrification was by then long gone.

Also, wasn't the original Liverpool Street overhead electrification done at 15kv?

Indeed there is plenty of pre-electrification work being undertaken across the route and more is planned this year.  Mast foundations are being installed between Reading and Didcot - there is a large store of electrification equipment being assembled at Moreton Cutting. I believe that the High Output HOPS train for OHLE installation is now at Swindon (at least some of it is) and is due to start work later this year.  Clearance work is being undertaken at Foxhall Junction just west of Didcot Parkway to make way for the 400kV feed from the National Grid. Positions for mast bases are now marked out around Didcot station. I think it's a case of watch this space.

The LBSC Railway, one of the constituents of the Southern, electrified the South London Line from Victoria to London Bridge using overhead electrification at 6.7kV 25Hz AC in 1909. I believe that the wires were subsequently extended to Coulsdon. When the Southern Railway took over they decided to standardise on the 660V third rail system which was already in use on the LSWR^▸ (London South Western Railway), another constituent company.  One could argue with hindsight that this was a retrograde step.

The Liverpool St to Shenfield part of the GEML^▸ (Great Eastern Main Line) was electrified at 1.5kV DC^▸ (Direct Current) in 1949 - this was an LNER^» (London North Eastern Railway - about) scheme which was completed post-war after nationalisation. It was subsequently extended to Chelmsford and Southend Vic in 1956 and the whole system converted to 25kV AC in 1962 when the Great Eastern suburban electrification was commissioned.

[IndustryInsider]

I believe it was hoped to let the new HOOP track machine loose, which is when things will really start getting noticeable, in March?

[onthecushions]

It's a mistake to think that 3rd rail is dc and o/h is ac.

Alongside 3rd rail electrified lines, in a cable trough, runs an oil-filled cable at 33kV (11kV on LUL^▸ (London Underground Ltd) and Merseyrail). Only at the substations, 3-5 miles apart is this switched, transformed, protected and rectified. Going East from Reading these are at Reading, Winnersh, Wokingham, Bracknell etc, with isolating sectioning cabins in between. One could swop all of this restrictive clutter for a modern catenary system, with the existing main transformer secondary winding re-wound with fewer turns to give 25kV rather than 33kV. Modern emu's are essentially dual voltage - supposedly only a depot-fit job.

100 years ago, there were no solid state rectifiers, inverters or power control, no vacuum switchgear, no digital data transmission, no XLPE insulation and no mechanised installation systems. It's a marvel that the engineers of the time achieved so much but I don't think that we will be the least disappointed by the present generation of engineers, now that it has some money to spend.

OTC

[Electric train]

......... with the existing main transformer secondary winding re-wound with fewer turns to give 25kV rather than 33kV.

The primary rectifier transformer is 33kV the secondary is typically 300V ish depending on how its wound, the rectification give 750V dc.  The 33kV network is not suitable to provide practical power at 25kV.

The current practice on Network Rail for ac OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") traction is to distribute at 50kV using the symmetrical auto transformer system ie 25kV - 0 - 25kV there is an aerial feeder wire which at 50kV to the contact wire both of which is 25kV to rail.  (elsewhere in the world an asymmetrical system is be investigated 50kV - 0 - 25kV)

The Grid feeds on the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) in England will be located at Kensal Green, Didcot and Melksham!!! the system will be auto transformer 25 - 0 - 25 kV

[onthecushions]

The primary rectifier transformer is 33kV the secondary is typically 300V ish depending on how its wound, the rectification give 750V dc.  The 33kV network is not suitable to provide practical power at 25kV.

The main TF at the Reading grid supply point, probably has a ratio of 132/33. My point is that it could easily be 132/25. A direct ac supply would have lower impedance and losses and so would be able to supply much more power than via the pointless dc substations.

A 2x40MVA supply from the 400kV supergrid is fine for high demand areas but is OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) for suburban line conversions.

Engineering is optimising value for money, not spending a budget.


OTC

[bobm]

From ThisisOxfordshire

THE timetable for a rail scheme that could cause months of disruption for the county^s motorists has been scrapped.
 
Network Rail has said a schedule it gave for rebuilding 28 bridges in the county is ^out the window^ after it admitted the original plans were not right.
 
But the company has now said that communities may only get four weeks^ notice ^ rather than the months of advance warning people were given when the plans were first revealed.
 
The scheme caused dismay after plans were announced late last year, with people worried about road disruption and councils raising fears about a lack of consultation.
 
The rail infrastruture company has now promised to give ^at least^ four weeks^ notice for each road closure.
 
But unlike in December, when the whole plan for the works was shown, there will be no full schedule released in one go.
 
The firm has said it will redraw the timetable after admitting the original one was ^misleading^.
 
The company needs to modify or rebuild the bridges over the next four years as part of its ^1bn electrification of the Great Western Mainline from London to Cardiff.
 
To put in overhead electric lines to power new trains, the company needs to raise several Victorian bridges by several feet.
 
It will need to close 19 roads, possibly for up to four months at a time, and in December gave the Oxford Mail a timetable for possible closures.
 
But senior project manager Nigel Fenn has now said: ^Those dates are all out the window.
 
^They were misleading. They would have been formulated over a year ago and train operating companies have produced new timetables since then.^
 
Mr Fenn said Network Rail has to notify the train operators of engineering work as much as two years in advance and work around their timetables ^ which have now changed since the original plans were made.

The line between London and Oxford via Didcot is due to be electrified by January 1, 2017.
 
The rest of the main line from Didcot to Bristol and South Wales, including the Oxfordshire stretch to Swindon, must be finished by January 1, 2018.
 
Under plans first revealed late last year, Network Rail said it could begin work on several schemes in the county at the start of 2014.
 
However, only one of those schemes has so far begun ^ at Fulscot Bridge in South Moreton ^ and all the other schemes that will take place over the next four years have yet to start.
 
Network Rail^s head of consents and environment, Nia Griffiths, said two or three Oxfordshire bridge modifications would start in the next six months, but the only one the company could reveal was a footbridge at Goring and Streatley station.
 
The firm said it does not need to consult ^ but is doing so anyway.

Mr Fenn said: ^We have permitted development rights. I can do whatever I like to the bridge, and we are given those rights by the Government.
 
^But we don^t like to enforce that and cause trouble.^

But the mayor of Wantage, Fiona Roper, said the town council had never been consulted over plans to raise Station Road bridge north of Grove by 1.3 metres.
 
She said: ^I think it is a shame they haven^t approached us. I am assuming they^re going to a higher level, the county council, but it would be nice to have a say.^
 
In January, Oxfordshire County Council rejected an application by Network Rail to close the road for up to six months from February 10, forcing Network Rail to look into other ways to carry out the work.
 
At the moment, the last road closure is due to begin at Christmas 2015.

Ms Griffiths said: ^We will give the Oxford Mail the dates for each of them as early as we can, which is as soon as it has been agreed with the county council.^
 
Wantage and Didcot MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Ed Vaizey, said: ^m very concerned about the process Network Rail is undertaking.
 
^There is a lot of evidence that it has not been well managed elsewhere. I am still trying to secure a meeting with them, but they are proving elusive. My constituents cannot afford the chaos and disruption which seems likely to take place without proper planning.^
 
Network Rail spokeswoman Anne-Marie Batson said: ^This programme is really fluid.
 
^One day we might say one thing then a week later it is something else but there is always a reason behind that.^
 

[Electric train]

The primary rectifier transformer is 33kV the secondary is typically 300V ish depending on how its wound, the rectification give 750V dc.  The 33kV network is not suitable to provide practical power at 25kV.

The main TF at the Reading grid supply point, probably has a ratio of 132/33. My point is that it could easily be 132/25. A direct ac supply would have lower impedance and losses and so would be able to supply much more power than via the pointless dc substations.

A 2x40MVA supply from the 400kV supergrid is fine for high demand areas but is OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) for suburban line conversions.

Engineering is optimising value for money, not spending a budget.


OTC

I see where you were coming from, 132kV is still used although it is not favoured, the imbalance caused by the single phase 25kV on the 132kV network can cause negative phase sequence and the resultant harmonics.  In addition the 132kV network is no longer part of the "National grid" whilst it is regarded as transmission it does not have the security of supply like the 400kV grid, NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s security of supply at 33kV is achieved by the number of intakes it has from the DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator)'s (Distribution Network Operator).

NR is the largest private high voltage network in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), and is possibly the largest dc network operator in the world