Class 387 coming to Thames Valley - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Thatcham Crossing]

if anything the Reading Newbury line would be the one to park into CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024)

Not good news if that does come to pass on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury).

If it did, what would be the chances of some Turbo's displaced by other electrification being completed, being used to double-up/increase capacity as a short-term measure?

We see very few 4, 5 and 6-car combo's in this neck of the woods and there are definitely some services where it would be welcome (now, let alone in a few years!).

No doubt the above would impinge upon the cascade plans for these trains and won't happen either!

[IndustryInsider]

Groundswell is by definition unattributable , but a very senior member of the project team said..."one of the illogical aspects of Oxford is that we are trying to electrify the railway before we make the proposed track and signalling changes ^ which will almost certainly lead to some abortive work.... that the section of railway from Didcot to Oxford, RS4, was not worked on from an OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") perspective until Hendy has completed his report." 

So logically, if the people are taken off the project to work on GW^▸ (Great Western) mainline, then Oxford electrification slips to the right.

The situation at Oxford certainly isn't ideal, but with such a wide ranging electrification project it was always likely that some major station alterations would not be timed perfectly.  It's true that no work has been completed recently and that, as 'DidcotPunter' states there is no sign of steelwork yet.  However there is no sign of steelwork within the station limits at Didcot yet, or Cholsey, Goring, Pangbourne, Tilehurst or anywhere between Sonning Cutting and Maidenhead.  The support piles have been driven in at more than 50% of locations between Didcot and Oxford though, and the trenches dug for them at the majority of other locations.

The stabling implications at Oxford are important.  It would seem, to me, to be far more logical to pause the Reading-Newbury section (no depot, not all trains easily transferred to electric traction) than the Didcot-Oxford section where all the fast Oxford-Paddington trains and local services would be easily operated by electric trains and those that come from the Cotswolds would be bi-mode under electric traction.  Even if some of the knitting would have to be redone when/if Oxford station is rebuilt - let's not forget it remains unfunded.  That's if any pause is deemed necessary at all.

I really can't see how any review done seriously would consider the Oxford section as worth pausing, but then again I've been amazed at some decisions before, so who knows.  However, I will stick with what I said about rumours often being wrong.

[ChrisB]

Yes, the actual station rebuild is unfunded, but a lot of the resignalling (all that to the north of the station) for better access to EastWest/Chiltern to Bicester etc is funded & Chiltern will be pushing for it, including the redesign of the upside bays & relocation of the drivers depot

[IndustryInsider]

Yes, but that hardly impacts on electrification at all as it is mostly beyond its limits.

[ChrisB]

All the sidings etc at the north end of the station will need wires, plus the crossovers etc...think you'll find most will be within limits

[didcotdean]

It does make me wonder whether someone has had the 'clever' thought that the headline fast service from Oxford for some interim period could be to Marylebone with the Paddington route being only services from the Cotswolds and connections at Didcot and Reading from XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)). Stopping service between Oxford and Didcot to be provided by a diesel shuttle etc, stopping services for PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) to be electric from Didcot and Reading, plus the new hourly (SWI^» (Swindon - next trains))-DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains)-RDG^‡(resolve)-PAD service which could be EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) or SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)).

Doesn't really solve the stabling, could overload DID, and gives no short term improvement in OXF^» (Oxford - next trains). It is though the sort of thing that kind of looks good on paper 

[ChrisB]

Would overload Marylebone too

[didcotdean]

I thought the Chiltern service is to be 2 trains an hour anyway though - or are you thinking about the station itself plus peak time?

It isn't at all difficult to pick holes in the above schema.

[ChrisB]

It is...but you suggest sending the two GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) fasts that way too

[eightf48544]

The Chiltern/GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Oxford services could be diverted to Paddington either via the direct line to OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) or via the Greenford branch.

Keep the bean counters happy for months/years working out the revenue split!

[didcotdean]

It is...but you suggest sending the two GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) fasts that way too

No, in the clever (read stupid) concept above the Marylebone services replace the Paddington ones ... the trains that run present services would no longer be with GWR.

Of course you could run the bimodes, but they will be otherwise engaged on the main line.

[IndustryInsider]

All the sidings etc at the north end of the station will need wires, plus the crossovers etc...think you'll find most will be within limits

Yes, but they're going to have to be modified anyway to allow for 10-car IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)'s to stable.  Might as well electrify them at the same time surely?

[ChrisB]

But that's the work rumour has it that's being delayed....so the wires will follow the delay....

[IndustryInsider]

I'm getting confused! So you're saying bi-mode IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)'s won't be serving Oxford until the wires are up?

[ChrisB]

That's the suggestion being made by the rumour....

BUT there's no reason why those can't drop the electric pick up at/around Didcot & make the way from there to Oxford/Cotswolds on the diesel engines. Instead of dropping the pickups in Oxford.

It's the 387s that wouldn't get beyond Didcot.....hence the suggestion of the fasts going via the Chiltern lines (it wouldn't work, granted)....but the problem of the Oxford fasts would need to be sorted.