Major alterations to services, 16-17 Sep and Sunday Mornings September-November

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

Due to the switching on and testing of the juice in the Reading area, services to/from Paddington will be heavily altered with a limited service running through Reading up until 14:00 on the Saturday, and no services (Reigate/Waterloo excepted) will run from 14:00 on the Saturday nor all day Sunday.

Sep 16/17th

Electrification work in the Reading area
Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 September

New GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) electric trains will be running through Reading soon. To prepare for this, Network Rail need to test the overhead wires in the area.
 
This will have an impact on all Thames Valley and High Speed Services.
 
Plan your journey here
 
Saturday 0800 - 1400
Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Reading - Paddington; hourly, adding up to 15 minutes to the overall journey
Swansea - Neath - Port Talbot Parkway - Bridgend - Cardiff Central - Newport - Bristol Parkway - Swindon - Chippenham - Reading; hourly, adding up to 60 minutes to the overall journey
Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot Parkway; hourly
Swindon - Cheltenham Spa; amended service
Didcot Parkway - Radley - Oxford - stations to Worcester/Great Malvern /Hereford; hourly, with some services calling at Appleford or Culham
Didcot Parkway - Cholsey - Goring & Streatley - Pangbourne - Tilehurst - Reading; replacement buses will run on this route

After 1400 Saturday, and all day Sunday  
Penzance/Plymouth - Exeter St Davids - Bristol Temple Meads - Swindon - London Paddington; hourly, adding up to 70 minutes to the overall journey
Swansea - Neath - Port Talbot Parkway - Bridgend - Cardiff Central - Newport - Bristol Parkway – Bath Spa – Chippenham - Swindon - London Paddington; hourly and diverted, adding up to 100 minutes to the overall journey from South Wales to London.
Bristol Temple Meads - Bath Spa - Chippenham - Swindon - Didcot Parkway; hourly
Swindon - Cheltenham Spa; amended service
Didcot Parkway - Radley - Oxford - stations to Worcester/Great Malvern /Hereford; hourly, with some services calling at Appleford or Culham
Theale to Bedwyn, calling all stations; hourly
Theale - Newbury - Pewsey - Westbury - Castle Cary - Taunton/Exeter St Davids; every two hours

Replacement buses will run on the following routes:

Didcot Parkway - Cholsey - Goring & Streatley - Pangbourne - Tilehurst - Reading
Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Reading West - Theale
Reading - Reading West - Mortimer - Bramley - Basingstoke
Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Didcot Parkway
Reading - Swindon

Hourly services to/from Devon/Cornwall via Bristol and to/from Swansea will run via Didcot West Curve, Islip, Wycombe, and inward to Paddington via Royal Oak, outwards via Drayton Green, with the Greenford shuttle becoming hourly.

The HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) appear to be stopping at Oxford for crew change purposes only and not for passenger use. Passengers for Oxford to use Chiltern via Marylebone.

[ChrisB]

Presumably stopping at OXF^» (Oxford - next trains) to collect pilot with route knowledge.

[Electric train]

This not just a simple as switching on the juice. 

The feeder station at Didcot and its associated sites for the "Test Track" to Tilehurst were set up in the SCADA^▸ (System Control And Data Acquisition,) for a that purpose to allow the full livening up to Maidenhead MPATS^▸ (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification) (mid point)  the SCADA needs a new set of data up loading this has to be functionally proved.

On top of that Reading area is a complex area to section prove, they may also be the need to run test trains to check immunisation especially on the adjacent DC^▸ (Direct Current) railway signalling and coms.

This will unlock the planned through electric services to Didcot in Jan 18 

[insider]

Not sure for how long over the actual switch on period, but majority of the actual station will be closed including the Transfer Deck Footbridge. Car Park access via the Subway only.

Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff member in planning dept) to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") during the switch on / testing process. SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor?

[Electric train]

Not sure for how long over the actual switch on period, but majority of the actual station will be closed including the Transfer Deck Footbridge. Car Park access via the Subway only.

Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff member in planning dept) to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") during the switch on / testing process. SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor?

When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing.  As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine.

There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting.  These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation

[stuving]

Only platforms 4+5 will be open for train services, as platform 6 is too close (So I have been told by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) staff member in planning dept) to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") during the switch on / testing process. SWT^▸ (South West Trains) are looking into running their 10 car trains during this period, again possibly just rumor?

In the end, all three platforms are in use today and tomorrow.  Still using 450s, and while the times were different that was due to work elsewhere.

When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing.  As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine.

There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting.  These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation

I wasn't expecting this work to be much of a public spectacle, especially with most of the station closed and closed off. Most of the work was going on at the other (western) end, though I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE - wielding a Long Pole.

So maybe this was not quite the live testing phase yet, especially given what was going on down the other end (as seen from the top of the car park at 16:40).

[chuffed]

 I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") - wielding a Long Pole.

If said Pole had caused something to go on or go off, the guys in orange could have justifiably moaned  "that's another fine mess you've got me in, OLE'"

[Electric train]

When electrical section initial energisation, section proving, short circuit testing and load testing are carried out the only staff in the whole area are those directly involved in the electrical testing.  As a Commissioning Engineer I never allowed even a tamper to operate despite the operators being inside the machine.

There are risks of arcs, flashovers, rises in touch potential and in the extreme wires parting.  These commissioning tests are about stressing the system electrically, ensuring touch potentials at stations are below the acceptable limits, checking Signalling and Telecoms immunisation

I wasn't expecting this work to be much of a public spectacle, especially with most of the station closed and closed off. Most of the work was going on at the other (western) end, though I did see three blokes in orange sitting around. As my train left, I saw that they had got up and were doing something sophisticated and technical to the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") - wielding a Long Pole.

So maybe this was not quite the live testing phase yet, especially given what was going on down the other end (as seen from the top of the car park at 16:40).

When the OLE is constructed close to existing Live sections wire runs that transition form on to the other for what will become normal running are registered out of the way, also some sections of wire may be left out until the testing for energisation.  I am also aware that the ATF (auto transformer feeder) wire in the Reading area is not complete and needs to be before the contact wire is made live it can be done after but becomes more difficult with the need to have isolations.

There are a number of stages to this OLE commissioning, the interfacing at Reading with "the test track" and the Train Care Depot which was made Live a few months ago.   The temporary SCADA^▸ (System Control And Data Acquisition,) and its on-site control wiring arrangement put in place for the Test Track has to be decommissioned and the first stage of the new SCADA and on-site control wiring commissioned.  As well as section proving which include normal and alternative feeding arrangements, power test which may include short circuit and load bank runs; then finally test train running at line speed to prove the contact wire is aligned right    

[SandTEngineer]

ET.  Do they still use the old load bank loco to do the static tests?

[RichardB]

Due to the switching on and testing of the juice in the Reading area, services to/from Paddington will be heavily altered with a limited service running through Reading up until 14:00 on the Saturday, and no services (Reigate/Waterloo excepted) will run from 14:00 on the Saturday nor all day Sunday.

Hourly services to/from Devon/Cornwall via Bristol and to/from Swansea will run via Didcot West Curve, Islip, Wycombe, and inward to Paddington via Royal Oak, outwards via Drayton Green, with the Greenford shuttle becoming hourly.

The HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) appear to be stopping at Oxford for crew change purposes only and not for passenger use. Passengers for Oxford to use Chiltern via Marylebone.

I came back from London on the 19 27 last night.  Pity it was in the dark - fascinating route and I did pick out the key stations on the most interesting bits.   If you've ever fancied travelling the Greenford branch in an HST, today's the day!

[TaplowGreen]

387s falling over already?

This seems to be the story all day.

08:44 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 09:22


Facilities on the 08:44 Maidenhead to London Paddington due 09:22.
Will be formed of 4 coaches instead of 8.
This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.

[IndustryInsider]

I came back from London on the 19 27 last night.  Pity it was in the dark - fascinating route and I did pick out the key stations on the most interesting bits.   If you've ever fancied travelling the Greenford branch in an HST^▸ (High Speed Train), today's the day!

Or wait until this Christmas when I think it's happening again.  The ability to use the new route through Oxford Parkway makes the diversionary route far better than the previously used route via Banbury.  Some 30-45 minutes quicker now.  The new Oxford to Bicester section seems to be coping with the extra traffic easily, though there has been the odd hitch due to other reasons.

[eightf48544]

Did a trip to Swindon and back via "new" route. Out via West Ealing back via Park Royal.

Got the Foxhall curve. Fairly slow outwards to Bicester, following a Chiltern stopper. Seemed very fast Didcot Swindon doing 125?

Trees still a problem even around North Acton!

Weekend First upgrade agree GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) First Class catering offer is not up to much compared with Virgin from Euston to Lancaster.

387s both ways from and to  Taplow. Caught one of the Slough/Maidenhead fasts good run Down Main all the way   just under 15 minutes to Slough. Went Line Line 3  past SN109 to Down Main.

Changed into 18:17 stopper at Slough. Interesting announcement from driver, we are being held here due to train at Maidenhead having problems with it's doors! Maybe that's one of the problems with the 387 the sat nav doesn't know where they are so won't open the doors.

[Electric train]

ET.  Do they still use the old load bank loco to do the static tests?

No, that went phut back in BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days, no one had the money to maintain it.  With modern traction units they can be setup to provide a load characteristic to suit the test you want, typically 100 Amps at 40 mph nice constant 2.5 MW.

[ChrisB]

Virgin weekend first offer as bad as GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). Only Virgin East Coast still offers a sandwich (not bad either. Just had one!).