Network Rail - plans

[whole diary]

[paul7575]

I thought the branches electrification had *all been cancelled? Seems Windsor & Henley still have a chance?

According to the regular CP 5 enhancement plans they were deferred until CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024).  Swansea was the only section explicitly cancelled.  Never stopped people assuming the worst of course...

[stuving]

The telecomms plan is disappointing - it appears to exclude what they call "Extended use of telecoms infrastructure", which presumably covers the high-capacity links to trains.

I did find a suggestion that there have been problems with DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) we've not heard about. For a start, this item is listed under "Driver Operation Only (DOO) CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision)", and then:

There are currently issues with the supporting structures associated with DOO CCTV as a number have fallen over in public areas (Platforms). The funding would be making a large assumption that these asset could last a further 2 years however recent inspections and incidents point to this not being viable

[JayMac]

Inevitable once governments past and present committed to HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)).

If that colossal waste of money hadn't been green lighted then much more pressing major projects for the existing network could have been funded.

And no. I don't buy the capacity argument for HS2.

[eXPassenger]

One of the side effects of churning out so many words is that you write something like this and don't spot it in the proof-reading (from WRSP P 103):

Level crossing safety reduction and asset improvement programme:

and another item they missed was the date.  The sign-offs are at the end of January 2018 and the front cover of the Route Strategic Plan states "Version 7... 2nd February 2017".  Of course it may be an old document that they have just got around to signing.

[bobm]

I don't buy the capacity argument for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)).

The amount of money it is costing, you couldn't afford it.   

[Timmer]

And no. I don't buy the capacity argument for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)).

I don't either when more could be done to develop the Chiltern mainline.

[ChrisB]

HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) will go further. and it's the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) that is full, not the Chiltern line that serves different towns enroute. So of little help to the WCML....although Chilterns pax would really like it done!

[metalrail]

W015 Bristol East Junction
W001a Filton Bank Electrification
W001a Wootton Bassett Jn to BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) Electrification
W002a Western IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) Capability
W008 Bristol Temple Meads Capacity -platforms 0 &1 in Midland Shed

Great to see these are still all potentially on the table.  Did wonder about the feasibility of starting the new direct IEP BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)-BPW^» (Bristol Parkway - next trains)-PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) service supposedly to be introduced in the December 2018 timetable before they sort out Bristol East Junction, along with the long planned re-opening of the Midland Shed with new platforms at BRI, tho obviously none of this will happen by then.  At least now the signalling has finally shifted control to TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about), platform 1 will now be able to be extended back to it's full length once Bristol power box that was supposed to be decommissioned back in 2015 is demolished

And hopefully the decision on the new Ashley Hill / Horfield station will also be made by the time they come to electrify Filton bank!   

[SandTEngineer]

Bristol Panel box is not likely to disappear anytime soon.  See topic here: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16746.0

[metalrail]

Bristol Panel box is not likely to disappear anytime soon.  See topic here: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=16746.0

Thought it was too good to be true, I should know better!   

[onthecushions]

There may be some green shoots of spring amongst the vast verbiage of these reports.

The Wessex section includes something called the "South of England Electrification" - Wokingham - Reigate!
(p35/6) and also electrification of, mysteriously, the "West of England line". The bottom of the electric spine is parked but not forgotten, for CP7 (p84).

The LNE EM section talks also "electric traction between Market Harborough/Kettering and..."(p45).

Also of "Electrification options of the route from Manchester Victoria to Leeds and on to York and Selby." (p44).

The SEP's of the LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about)'s also haven't given up on electrification. (Appendix K )

Life beyond ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and Grayling,

OTC

[stuving]

There may be some green shoots of spring amongst the vast verbiage of these reports.

The Wessex section includes something called the "South of England Electrification" - Wokingham - Reigate!
(p35/6) and also electrification of, mysteriously, the "West of England line". The bottom of the electric spine is parked but not forgotten, for CP7 (p84).

The LNE EM section talks also "electric traction between Market Harborough/Kettering and..."(p45).

Also of "Electrification options of the route from Manchester Victoria to Leeds and on to York and Selby." (p44).

The SEP's of the LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about)'s also haven't given up on electrification. (Appendix K )

Life beyond ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and Grayling,

OTC

Well, I'd agree about the verbiage - what a lot of words, and for what purpose? And I'd note that NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s planning horizon is many SoSs, or parliaments, or (so it sometimes seems) lifetimes, in the future.

As to why it includes those two electrification ideas, with the North Downs one listed as doing GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects) 1-3 in CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024), perhaps these are green eggs miscounted. All the big items of infrastructure are not now going to be theirs to do, and having edited those out there was this nearly empty table left. So whatever remains - however implausible - has been dignified as a line item.

At the start of the much-delayed refresh of the electrification RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy), all possible schemes were assessed and ranked in six tiers. North Downs and WoE main line both came out as tier 2, which sounds promising. However, that only means a BCR^▸ (Benefit Cost Ratio) of around 1.0 at best, so the funding decision (to start GRIP, not do the work) is still likely to be a "no".

Incidentally, I also spotted this about Basingstoke ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region): "There are currently no signalling systems in the ROC but CP6 will see Feltham and Farncombe Petersfield being re-signalled to the ROC." I din't realise nothing at all had been recontrolled thither yet - Wokingham was supposed to go last year, but is now (it says elsewhere) also due to be resignalled in CP6.