Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Yes.  From reading elsewhere, the wires between Reading and Newbury and Swindon and Bristol Parkway were approved for use yesterday (30 December 2018).

[bradshaw]

Network Rail have Tweeted that the first electric train from Parkway arrived 7 early at Swindon

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1079654361393958912?s=21

[Adelante_CCT]

Considering all the trains from Bristol Parkway are having a 10 - 12 minute wait at Swindon, I'm not surprised it arrived early!

For the record I don't see any services that arrived 7 minutes ahead of expected arrival time

[TaplowGreen]

387's in passenger service at Newbury this morning, a few days ahead of the advertised date 

Does this mean shortforms elsewhere, or do GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have sufficient stock to maintain full 8 car services on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley)?

[DidcotPunter]

387's in passenger service at Newbury this morning, a few days ahead of the advertised date 

Does this mean shortforms elsewhere, or do GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have sufficient stock to maintain full 8 car services on LTV^▸ (London [and] Thames Valley)?

With wiring to Oxford deferred indefinitely and IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) running the Oxford terminating fasts (was originally meant to be 387s), I doubt if GWR are short of units. Reported elsewhere that GWR have 45 387s for 40 diagrams, though I don't know if that includes the Reading-Newbury shuttles (2 units??).

I thought that they were supposed to be running some 12 car 'commuter-buster' peak services in the new year timetable - if those appear I would guess that they're unlikely to need to shortform 8 car peak services.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Reading-Newbury shuttles (2 units??).

I think it's 3 units needed to run the above, as the timetabled time is around 30-31 mins so 2 units doesn't quite work. From what I have observed, at least 2 of the diagrams are on 387's today.

Just looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for a few of today's runs suggests that the 387's are about a minute quicker than the current timetable requires between stops like Midgham-Thatcham and Theale-Aldermaston.

[Adelante_CCT]

Reading to Newbury is only hourly, so 2 units

[Adelante_CCT]

I thought that they were supposed to be running some 12 car 'commuter-buster' peak services in the new year timetable

This 'new' timetable won't be coming in to effect yet, and I doubt the Reading/Didcot busters would start until crossrail takes over most of the Reading/Maidenhead - Paddingtons

[Thatcham Crossing]

Reading to Newbury is only hourly, so 2 units

Doh, yes, forgetting that the Bedwyn's provide the rest of the 2tph frequency between Reading and Newbury (Mon-Sat). Just need the IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train)'s on those now, ideally before May (which was the last revised date I heard)

[IndustryInsider]

Just looking at RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for a few of today's runs suggests that the 387's are about a minute quicker than the current timetable requires between stops like Midgham-Thatcham and Theale-Aldermaston.

Drivers of 387s on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) have been given specific instructions to take it easy until the timetable is altered to try to avoid excessive TPWS^▸ (Train Protection and Warning System) activations/interventions and station overruns.  So potential performance will probably be even better than what is currently being achieved.

[Clan Line]

On BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) "Points West" tonight they ran a story about electric trains now being able to run from London to Bristol (well, Parkway anyway - near enough I suppose !). Then they had a Party Pooper on who said it was five years late. Somebody please remind me how long it took Brunel to build the actual railway in the first place ...................................

[IndustryInsider]

Five years late?  More like two years late isn’t it?

[JayMac]

On BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) "Points West" tonight they ran a story about electric trains now being able to run from London to Bristol (well, Parkway anyway - near enough I suppose !). Then they had a Party Pooper on who said it was five years late. Somebody please remind me how long it took Brunel to build the actual railway in the first place ...................................

Five and a half years for a whole new railway from London to Bristol following the act of Parliament in 1835. Built with Georgian 'technology'.

You'd think that stringing up knitting with 21st century technology could be a little more quickly expedited.

[Clan Line]

You'd think that stringing up knitting with 21st century technology could be a little more quickly expedited.

One would think so - but Brunel, of course, didn't have the marvels of 21st Century "management" to help him along ..........................

[paul7575]

Five years late?  More like two years late isn’t it?

When it was announced, wasnt it completely out of the blue, and no advance planning or design work whatsoever had started because ‘the railway’ was expecting the MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about) to be wired? 

Paul