Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

Passed through Bristol Parkway yesterday (29th December).

Disappointed with progress over Chistmas period on the electrification project. Couldn't see any uprights west of the footbridge within the station environs and less than a handful between what was known as Pugsleys bridge and the east side of footbridge. Looking from the upper deck of the original multi storey car park some uprights for the gantries are visible on the car park side of the up loop whilst it looks like the uprights for the downside have been sunk into the platform surface of the new platform 1 and the existing platform 2. To my untrained eye it looks as if the OHL^▸ (Over-Head Line) for both the down through loop line and the new platform 1 line will be hung from the overhang of a gantry supported by the upright inserted into the surface of platforms 1/2 and the upright alongside the car park, the Over Head Line (OHL) for the down main (platform 2), up main (platform 3), up platform 4 loop line and the up loop will be hung from the gantry itself.

As for the new platform, the CIS^▸ (Customer Information System) is installed and operating, all platform numbering is in place with big notices detailing the regional destinations from which platform although there were at least two work sites on the platforms 1/2 which were barriered off.

I also noticed a staff CIS display on a steel upright facing the steps down from the footbridge to platforms 3/4 which I hadn't noticed on my previous passages through the station, don't know if there is a similar one facing the steps down from the footbridge to platforms 1/2, must look next time.

Looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) couldn't see any routings into the new platform, will have to watch OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website).

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[lbraine]

Visiting Reading today - and the Reading to London Paddington stoppers were all being run by EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit). The Turbos were running Oxford to Reading only.

Perhaps a softly softly / incremental approach to the full switch over of TV services on the 2nd.

Good to see the EMUs using the wires at Reading at long last

[Thatcham Crossing]

On a bustitution back to Thatcham last night, noticed work-in-progress at several locations - just east of Theale platforms, just west of the new Ufton Nervet bridge and the vicinity of Towney crossing.

[TonyK]

The installation of masts and booms is a relatively quiet process

So why are they called "BOOM!" then?

[martyjon]

Been a while since I posted on progress, well here goes.

Apart from the immediate area around Bristol Parkway station, all the uprights are installed from the first overbridge East of Parkway right through to the Western portal of the Chippping Sodbury Tunnel together with dangly bits from the booms, cantilevers and gantries of whatever you call them. I have noticed that quite a few what looks like tubular brackets have been affixed to some uprights and there seems to be no consistency in the installations and makes me think that  'overs'  from other projects have been brought together and used here. From my uniformed eye all that remains to be installed is the overhead knitting.

On the  'operational overrun'  from Westerleigh Junction to Rodford Bridge all the uprights are in place, the last remaining ones having been installed the past weekend with only one gantry, that at the end of the overrun to be installed. Apart from the immediate vicinity of the junction itself no dangly bits have been attached to the booms / cantilevers that I can see. One thing I did notice was the closeness of the uprights on the curve round towards Yate but then with the radius of the curve on the stretch installations at distances the same as on a straight line would mean the OH wire would be  'out of gauge'  for the pantograph,

Progress at last after a lull following the Badminton line closure of last fall.

I expect my next progress report on this subject will be to inform coffee shop members that the OH knitting is up.

[chuffed]

It's a good job Mary Whitehouse isn't still around with all these references to 'dangly bits'. She'd be apopleptic and the Lord Chamberlain's blue pencil would be working overtime !

[Thatcham Crossing]

Uprights and cross-beams installed through Thatcham Station over the last few days. Uprights in place through Midgham also.

[ellendune]

Pretty much all knitting in place from just east of Swindon Station to Didcot only a few incomplete sections. 

[TonyK]

It's a good job Mary Whitehouse isn't still around with all these references to 'dangly bits'. She'd be apopleptic and the Lord Chamberlain's blue pencil would be working overtime !

Less of that word "pencil", please. And "blue" while you're at it. And I'm not sure "apoplectic" isn't dirty: I'll have to look that one up and get back to you.

[DidcotPunter]

Pretty much all knitting in place from just east of Swindon Station to Didcot only a few incomplete sections. 

Yes, from what I can see driving around locally there is only the Steventon gap to wire, as cantilevers and small part steelwork (SPS^▸ (Small Part Steel) - aka 'dangly bits'  ) are complete from the A34 bridge to west of Causeway crossing, plus there is one wire run missing on the up line between Uffington station and Baulking.

Wires appear to be complete from Uffington to South Marston now and the autotransformer stations (ATS^▸ (Automatic Train Supervision)) at Wantage Road, Uffington and Shrivenham are complete and look like they've been wired in.

I've not been to Swindon station but driving into town last week it appears that main steelwork is in place from South Marston to the station with some SPS in place too. Someone mentioned on RMWeb that they'd been briefed that the wires between Didcot and Swindon were to be treated as live from next May and to Bristol Parkway from June. Can't comment on progress west of Swindon but the implied energisation to Swindon by May would appear be easily achievable from the apparent progress to date. This does not, of course, mean that trains will be running on AC from that date as the earliest commitment for that has been December 2018.

[didcotdean]

The Customer Panel in January was given an internal target date for the electrification to enter public service to Swindon; sadly as those there were asked not to quote it I feel unable to share it here as I haven't personally yet seen it said elsewhere in the public domain. I know this is a bit of a tease, but it might encourage someone not under a similar confidence to disclose it

[Western Pathfinder]

I note that today Friday the Thirteenth of April marks the official opening of the new platform One at Bristol Parkway Station
The ceremony was conducted by The SOS for transport Mr Greyling this afternoon
Amongst others of the great and good to be present a Mr M Hopwood !.

[Timmer]

Amongst others of the great and good to be present a Mr M Hopwood !.

He was indeed. One for the photo album standing by one of his shiny new trains:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dap78lsXcAEyEti?format=jpg&name=large

[martyjon]

Amongst others of the great and good to be present a Mr M Hopwood !.

He was indeed. One for the photo album standing by one of his shiny new trains:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dap78lsXcAEyEti?format=jpg&name=large

How DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) I miss him, was at Parkway today and I would have, at full volume, proclaimed look folks Mr Hopwood has crawled out of the woodwork today to have his piccy took but cant answer his customers questions why these shiny new 10 coach trains are running with 5 coaches locked out of use carrying fresh air, why turbos can't call at short platforms, why station stops are pulled forcing passengers to override and travel back, why customers are asked to pay more for their travel by an alternative route when engineering work affects their regular route.

Please someone let me know in advance when and where his next public appearance is and if I can make it I'll be there.

[Sixty3Closure]

One of the platform extensions at Twyford is...well not quite finished but looking more like a platform than a large mound of earth. It does feel completion is in sight.

I think it was part of the Electrification programme but they seem quite far apart with the platform still unfinished so maybe not.