Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Dispatch Box]

Well this is my first post and it's about a subject I know a little about I thought I'd join in and try to dispel some of the myths surrounding the whole buried cables issue or indeed non issue.
First off, all the available drawings for the Western Route were collated and scanned some years ago, as the odd ones remaining become available then they to are subjected to the same process.
The rules surrounding buried services are laid down in H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) law and all industries incl the railway have to comply. The rules are quite simple really and set out a set of steps which if followed should reduce the risk of damage to any services within the work area.
I'm not going to go into the full details but let's look at a scenario where someone wants to install some equipment which involves excavation.
             RULE 1. UNLESS YOU KNOW OTHERWISE NEVER ASSUME THERE IS NOTHING THERE. ALWAYS FOLLOW RULE 1

Step 1. Obtain where possible drawings showing the services in the area. None available or not up to date go to Step 2
Step 2. Ask the asset owners if they know of any services in the area which may not be on the drawings. If unknown then go to Step 3.
Step 3. Carry out trial holes and fully CAT Scan the area. Please note that not all services show up with a CAT Scanner.
If services/obstructions are found then note and report the issue. In addition use that info to update the records.
Step 4. If the area is clear then carry out your work.

It should be noted that this process is for buried services which on the railway can include lots of things; drainage, cables, culverts, old foundations, old sleepers, rail never recovered, the original foundations for Swindon station etc etc. You can never assume anything when it comes to buried services and even if you had the drawings you MUST always do further investigation work.
There is actually 1 step prior to step 1 above which may be useful: Find an old git with the local knowledge who knows cables and ask him what's there.
I also see above a reference to the Filton Bank Project. All the redundant cables, where possible, have been recovered and any left in the ground are known about and plotted. The plastic ducts you see are temporary protection until the new trough routes are installed.

Hope I haven't waffled on too long for my first post and I'm happy to answer any generic questions about cables on the Railway.

 

I think this is what I put in my post?. Yes I wondered whether the ducts would later be removed.

[Hellzapoppin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSCz-35M9hA

Well I hope I've managed to post this link properly and if so it shows what can happen if you don't follow the rules properly.
The American system of dealing with buried services differs from ours in that the utility owner has to attend site and mark up where their assets are. In the case shown it was known there was a gas line in the area but the owner didn't know exactly where it was. The contractor was told to stand down until further investigations were carried out but as the job was nearly finished and behind schedule the contractor decided to carry on with tragic consequences. Scary stuff.

[TonyK]

Welcome indeed, Hellzapoppin! That link works, and certainly does illustrate the potential for disaster from unknown buried stuff. I'm glad to read that Filton Bank has been properly cleared up, which is entirely appropriate for an engineering project of that size.

[Dispatch Box]

On the little thing in the top left corner of my screen is now blank, reporting no cancellations.

[grahame]

On the little thing in the top left corner of my screen is now blank, reporting no cancellations.

I hope it still contained a map outline and the roadwork spots?   The map tends to show fewer (or no) cancellations / changes late in the evening or in the early hours when fewer trains are running and fewer expected in the next 6 hours or so.  And in an ideal world, it would always be clear.   But with so many services running, I suspect that it'll be rare for it to be routinely totally clear during the day for a long while yet.

[Bmblbzzz]

I've just read of a, hopefully very rare, OHLE failure – the line somehow broke and fell on to a train in Krakow central station. No injuries reported. Hopefully we won't see that happening here!

[paul7575]

I've just read of a, hopefully very rare, OHLE failure – the line somehow broke and fell on to a train in Krakow central station. No injuries reported. Hopefully we won't see that happening here!

It happened in one of the St Pancras HS1^▸ (High Speed line 1 - St Pancras to Channel Tunnel) platforms in a few years ago, there’s a RAIB^▸ (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) report about it.

Paul

[Dispatch Box]

I've just read of a, hopefully very rare, OHLE failure – the line somehow broke and fell on to a train in Krakow central station. No injuries reported. Hopefully we won't see that happening here!

Oh! no, Why, was it made of Knicker elastic?

[Thatcham Crossing]

Took a 387 for the first time on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) yesterday, the 1K11 which is a semi-fast Newbury to Paddington and used to be an High Speed Train (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) until very recently.

It went like the clappers between Thatcham and Theale (covered easily in 7 mins) and then sat at Theale for what seemed like a very long 3 minutes.

This could only be because it can easily "beat the timetable" and needed to wait for the advertised departure time.

Felt so much faster than a Turbo (and an High Speed Train (HST), in terms of accelaration and deceleration) on this type of run on the B&H 

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Electric train]

Took a 387 for the first time on the B&H^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury) yesterday, the 1K11 which is a semi-fast Newbury to Paddington and used to be an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) until very recently.

It went like the clappers between Thatcham and Theale (covered easily in 7 mins) and then sat at Theale for what seemed like a very long 3 minutes.

This could only be because it can easily "beat the timetable" and needed to wait for the advertised departure time.

Felt so much faster than a Turbo (and an HST, in terms of accelaration and deceleration) on this type of run on the B&H 

Yep, in the current timetable they will be running to the original timings for the slowest of the diesel traction, timings will be adjusted in the future.

387's are quicker off the mark than a 165/6 and 253 and breaking is much much better

[GBM]

387's are quicker off the mark than a 165/6 and 253 and breaking is much much better
[/quote]
Pedantic alert - really hope not    (apologies ET)

[Electric train]

387's are quicker off the mark than a 165/6 and 253 and breaking is much much better

Pedantic alert - really hope not    (apologies ET)
[/quote]

Problem being an electrical engineer with circuit breakers 

Oh tidy up the quotes    not that I am be pedantic 

[SandTEngineer]

Reported elsewhere that an attempt was made last night (11 January) to steal the contact (or return) wire from an substantial length at Newport.....

[Dispatch Box]

Reported elsewhere that an attempt was made last night (11 January) to steal the conductor or return wire from a substantial length at Newport.....

Was it live, if was that would have taught them.

[Dispatch Box]

Because we are coming out of Europe now it seems, Are Network Rail going to have to abandon E.R.T.M.S. Also confused as to what it is, but sounds ever so expensive.