Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

All depends on how many marginal seats there are in Bristol at the next election!

...none, at the last count. But Bath, on the other hand, might be.

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Remember the furore over the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) through Goring?  Well this is the outcome, from the Henley Standard:

"LANDOWNERS in the Goring area can apply for grants from Network Rail to improve plots that adjoin the Great Western main line through the village.

The company is offering sums of between £10,000 and £100,000 to offset the impact of the electrification of the route, which started in 2015 and prompted complaints about the “unsightly” metal gantries that were installed to hold up overhead cables.

Network Rail promised to consider installing alternative designs but progress stalled as opponents said these wouldn’t reduce the visual impact. Now the company says it wants to support any projects which would result in new woodland being planted, enhance existing woodland or improve access between wooded areas.

The deadline for applications is October 26 and applicants should be able to deliver their schemes over a four-year period.

For more information, visit www.trustforoxfordshire."

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Red Squirrel]

I'm going to take a wild stab and guess that the URI should read https://www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk/

They'll need to be tall trees, won't they? Isn't it the problem that the railway is on an embankment as it passes through Goebbels Gap?

[eightonedee]

Posted by: Gordon the Blue Engine
Insert Quote
Remember the furore over the OHLE through Goring?  Well this is the outcome, from the Henley Standard:

"LANDOWNERS in the Goring area can apply for grants from Network Rail to improve plots that adjoin the Great Western main line through the village.

The company is offering sums of between £10,000 and £100,000 to offset the impact of the electrification of the route, which started in 2015 and prompted complaints about the “unsightly” metal gantries that were installed to hold up overhead cables.

Network Rail promised to consider installing alternative designs but progress stalled as opponents said these wouldn’t reduce the visual impact. Now the company says it wants to support any projects which would result in new woodland being planted, enhance existing woodland or improve access between wooded areas.

The deadline for applications is October 26 and applicants should be able to deliver their schemes over a four-year period.

For more information, visit www.trustforoxfordshire."

This has nothing to do with the outcry in the Goring Gap over the visual impact of the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line).

It is offsetting for the vegetation removal all along the line necessitated by the preparatory works for electrification. This money has been on offer for some years. They have had difficulties in getting environmental groups to come up with woodland habitat to mitigate the loss of trackside trees and scrub. If you know of a suitable project (not just in Oxfordshire, but also elsewhere along the route), get in touch.

As regards reducing the visual impact, whisper it abroad here in the Gap (a beautiful part of the world!), but my guess is that Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) are just waiting for the steelwork to weather from its original shiny finish to a more discreet matt grey and hope everyone forgets the fuss.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

Eightonedee may well be right, but it looks like Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) have successfully sold their woodland habitat scheme to Goring as at least a partial solution to their concerns about the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE). 

By the way, the correct link is  www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk/network-rail-1.


Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Thatcham Crossing]

Overhead wiring is complete except for a section east of Newbury racecourse

You refer to the gap at Kennet Viaduct, where there are power lines that cross the track (not far above where the Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) wires will be once installed).

A lot of contractors and plant on the site when I had a look around yesterday. Not sure how they're going to resolve, but assume that whatever the plan is it will be carried out during the final blockade (8th Oct for 4 days).

Updating my previous post....went for a look around at Kennet Viaduct earlier. Road closure at the end of Hambridge Lane due "overhead power line removal". It looked like some of the lines are already down, with those over the tracks still in place. I guess those will come down (and the missing Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) wires will go up) during the coming week's blockade.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Electric train]

Overhead wiring is complete except for a section east of Newbury racecourse

You refer to the gap at Kennet Viaduct, where there are power lines that cross the track (not far above where the OHLE wires will be once installed).

A lot of contractors and plant on the site when I had a look around yesterday. Not sure how they're going to resolve, but assume that whatever the plan is it will be carried out during the final blockade (8th Oct for 4 days).

Updating my previous post....went for a look around at Kennet Viaduct earlier. Road closure at the end of Hambridge Lane due "overhead power line removal". It looked like some of the lines are already down, with those over the tracks still in place. I guess those will come down (and the missing OHLE wires will go up) during the coming week's blockade.

Dealing with the wayleaves for the DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator) & TNO^▸ (Transmission Network Operator) (Distribution Network Operator and Transmission Network Operator) where they cross the railway has been long and complex issue; some of the wayleaves date back to the 1930's where the height of the DNO/TNO above the railway was acceptable add in the mix the rail is higher due to greater ballast depth, in the it all boiled down to who was going to pay

[stuving]

Updating my previous post....went for a look around at Kennet Viaduct earlier. Road closure at the end of Hambridge Lane due "overhead power line removal". It looked like some of the lines are already down, with those over the tracks still in place. I guess those will come down (and the missing OHLE wires will go up) during the coming week's blockade.

Having had a quick look at Google's latest pictures, this line appears to be an MV link (two circuits) of SSEN^» (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks - website)'s from the Thatcham bulk supply point (opposite the station) or the substation behind it to the Riverside substation in Newbury. Having gone over the railway, it only runs about 400 m into town before going underground, so maybe they will now bury the whole of that section. There is a 33 kV feed between the two sites, but I think this is 11 kV so probably links the two substations, and the 33 kV line is a bit further north.

At first sight, the obvious way to increase the clearance would be taller poles, wouldn't it? But perhaps, being on an embankment, doing that here would exceed the maximum permitted pole height. At Thatcham, there do seem to be two MV lines still crossing the railway from the BSP^▸ (Bulk Supply Point) or the substation behind it; though of course this is level ground, which eases the pole height issue.

In fact all the MV lines from there start off in cables, indoors where the switchgear now is, even if they come up onto poles within the "Thatcham Power Plant" boundary. A little to the west, several lines that must come from there too pop up out of the ground and set out across the canal. I guess digging trenches across the canal never was a popular job.

Incidentally, why is the bridge - and it is just a skew bridge - over the canalised river called a viaduct (officially Bull's Bridge Viaduct)?

[paul7575]

Difficult to confirm from aerial views, but maybe it’s a viaduct structure that is used instead of an embankment for the westward continuation towards and over the next road?  Another possibility is that it was a more typical multiple arched structure when first built?

Paul

[Thatcham Crossing]

From my quick look around, and judging by what also looks like some digging sites (hard to tell as they have tent-like structures over them) I'd say the wires are going to be buried.

The pole heights already looked quite high to me (sorry, should have got a pic) due to track being on something of an embankment for the bridge over the Kennet (and the small road under-bridge at the end of Hambridge Lane).

[Electric train]

Updating my previous post....went for a look around at Kennet Viaduct earlier. Road closure at the end of Hambridge Lane due "overhead power line removal". It looked like some of the lines are already down, with those over the tracks still in place. I guess those will come down (and the missing OHLE wires will go up) during the coming week's blockade.

Having had a quick look at Google's latest pictures, this line appears to be an MV link (two circuits) of SSEN^» (Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks - website)'s from the Thatcham bulk supply point (opposite the station) or the substation behind it to the Riverside substation in Newbury. Having gone over the railway, it only runs about 400 m into town before going underground, so maybe they will now bury the whole of that section. There is a 33 kV feed between the two sites, but I think this is 11 kV so probably links the two substations, and the 33 kV line is a bit further north.

At first sight, the obvious way to increase the clearance would be taller poles, wouldn't it? But perhaps, being on an embankment, doing that here would exceed the maximum permitted pole height. At Thatcham, there do seem to be two MV lines still crossing the railway from the BSP^▸ (Bulk Supply Point) or the substation behind it; though of course this is level ground, which eases the pole height issue.

In fact all the MV lines from there start off in cables, indoors where the switchgear now is, even if they come up onto poles within the "Thatcham Power Plant" boundary. A little to the west, several lines that must come from there too pop up out of the ground and set out across the canal. I guess digging trenches across the canal never was a popular job.

The minimum (modern) electrical safety clearance is difficult to meet, the railway requires 3 metres for the nearest DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator) live parts to any of the railway OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") equipment, there is also risks on both parties of energising each others conductors in the event the DNO aerial conductors were to drop onto NR^» (Network Rail - home page) OLE conductors; and then there is the pain in the !!!! when the DNO need to maintain repair their system it is often difficult fitting them in with normal railway possession and they don't like paying for railway approved contractors to manage their access.

[Thatcham Crossing]

From my quick look around, and judging by what also looks like some digging sites (hard to tell as they have tent-like structures over them) I'd say the wires are going to be buried.

The pole heights already looked quite high to me (sorry, should have got a pic) due to track being on something of an embankment for the bridge over the Kennet (and the small road under-bridge at the end of Hambridge Lane).

Had another quick look around today. The power lines are down, the last of the poles were being pulled out of the ground as I passed. The Over-Head Line Equipment (OHLE) wires are up over Kennet Viaduct, which is one of the last sections to be completed between Southcote Jct and Newbury.

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[mjones]

Does anyone know the latest on when IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) will use electrical power to Swindon? Earlier in this thread September was mentioned, but clearly btthat has slipped.

[IndustryInsider]

In test conditions, now.  In passenger service, turn of the year I think.

[Adelante_CCT]

As II says, should be turn of the year and that will be down as far as Bristol Parkway.