Electrification work West of Bath

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Just wondering looking at this, why are there works all the way to Bradford on Avon?  That's well away from the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line)... unless there are plans to electrify to Southampton at some point in the future?

They're taking the opportunity of the line being closed through Sydney Gardens (and thus fom Bath to Bradford) to do other works not directly connected. Of particular note is Dundas, where they'll be able to run 165 and 166 units through in future.   If they didn't do the works during these 4 weeks, there would have to have been another closure at some point ...

[TeaStew]

My first week of using aforementioned HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) shuttle from Bath to Bristol (and associated coach replacement from BOA to BTH^» (Bath Spa - next trains)) has gone without incident. FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff were handing out KitKats to passengers off my 0722 Bath-Bristol HST this morning.

[TonyK]

And at last, a picture of those electric bits by the depot at Stoke Gifford:

[Oberon]

I thought the work at Dundas was to allow enough width for the passage of Freightliner type services. We have a number though Bath daily at present running via Swindon. Limited to relatively low speeds they would presumable get in the way of the full electric 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.) service if they couldn't run via the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) with its loops at Woodborough etc?

[paul7575]

I thought the work at Dundas was to allow enough width for the passage of Freightliner type services. We have a number though Bath daily at present running via Swindon. Limited to relatively low speeds they would presumable get in the way of the full electric 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.) service if they couldn't run via the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) with its loops at Woodborough etc?

There's a secondary purpose of the work at Dundas, which is to allow for gauge clearance of 165/166 DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit), the period of the Bath blockade being a suitable time to do it without further closures:    http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Newsletter-TPOD-week-2.pdf

The freight gauge clearance won't necessarily be usable immediately on completion, what's being done elsewhere on the obvious routes, I don't think Salisbury northwards has any planned work yet.   I've an idea that they just taken the opportunity to do a few other bits of work and get them 'in the bank' for the future.

Paul

[JayMac]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff were handing out KitKats to passengers off my 0722 Bath-Bristol HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) this morning.

Two or four fingers? 

If you were a Thames Valley commuter you'd be forgiven for thinking FGW have been giving you two fingers for years.

[johnneyw]

Interested to see a small army of clip boarded staff at Temple Meads last Tuesday to help people travelling on the disrupted services around Bath. The chap that tried to help me couldn't have been more keen to make sure I was sent in the right direction, so much so that I utterly forgave him for sending me to the completely wrong platform.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

The only member of staff at Bristol Temple Meads whose guidance I would accept without checking would be Wayne Spence MBE.

There are certainly many other excellent staff at BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) - but they have yet to gain that level of my confidence. 

[Oxonhutch]

Just a polite reminder to the responsible people at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative)) to put the newspapers on the up expresses.  It appears that those services now starting at Bath and reversing at BTM are devoid of such material and have been for the past week.  An unexpected consequential loss.

[TeaStew]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff were handing out KitKats to passengers off my 0722 Bath-Bristol HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) this morning.

Two or four fingers? 

If you were a Thames Valley commuter you'd be forgiven for thinking FGW have been giving you two fingers for years.

HAHAHA! The cheeky b^t*rds!  It was two... AND I got a two finger Twix when I got back to BOA yesterday too!

[Timmer]

Following on from the work taking place East of Bath this summer, does anyone know what the timetable is for work taking place West of Bath?

I believe there is a fair bit of track lowering that needs to take place that would involve a major closure period. Can a work schedule be located on the Network Rail website?

Thanks

Tonight I finally got the answer to my original reason for starting this thread thanks to BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West. Network Rail will be carrying out work needed for electrification West of Bath, towards Bristol, Easter 2016. So a heads up that's when it's due to take place.

[Electric train]

Following on from the work taking place East of Bath this summer, does anyone know what the timetable is for work taking place West of Bath?

I believe there is a fair bit of track lowering that needs to take place that would involve a major closure period. Can a work schedule be located on the Network Rail website?

Thanks

Tonight I finally got the answer to my original reason for starting this thread thanks to BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Points West. Network Rail will be carrying out work needed for electrification West of Bath, towards Bristol, Easter 2016. So a heads up that's when it's due to take place.

Has to be done sometime ............ Easter is a quieter time on the Railway, no school traffic, less commuters travelling.  A 4 day blockade is equal to 6 or 8 weekends and is certainly a lot cheaper, if the blockade can run to 10 or 14 day that is equal to 6 months worth of weekends and is way way cheaper and ultimately less disruptive to passengers 

[Timmer]

No I agree Easter is a good time to do major work on the railway. Just giving a heads up that's when it's scheduled to take place.

[Timmer]

I also think that it would have to be more than a four day blockade if the track has to be lowered through St Ann's tunnel?

[TonyK]

I look forward to the St Annes tunnel work. The bridge at Newbridge Road is within a quick stroll - I shall record whatever I can for posterity.

Until only 7pm tonight, you can watch the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) report on the Box Tunnel work on BBC iPlayer