France to get five new high speed train lines after government gives green light

[whole diary]

[DaveHarries]

Let's give the French some credit - at least they consider investment in rail infrastructure on this scale something worth considering. By contrast, HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) here is greeted with little short of hostility, and we cannot even complete electrification of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) to get the wires into Bristol's main station (or into Oxford at all).

I reckon that the electrification to Bristol will happen eventually but we may not hear anything until after the Bristol works for the summer. But I wonder if the residents of Bath may have something to say in the matter in the form of pushing for a requirement that the 800s & 802s revert to diesel on the approach to Bath and then switch back to electric for running between Twerton and Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context).

Dave

[IndustryInsider]

But I wonder if the residents of Bath may have something to say in the matter in the form of pushing for a requirement that the 800s & 802s revert to diesel on the approach to Bath and then switch back to electric for running between Twerton and Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context).

It's possible.  Operationally a bit annoying but in terms of performance it would make very little difference.  The biggest issue is that small diesel only areas like that render it much less likely in the future that some of the sets will turn into the all electric* Class 801s they were originally supposed to be.

* With emergency use engine still fitted of course.

[WSW Frome]

The rail route in Bath runs through the recently established "Clean Air Zone." Medium and heavy vehicles have to comply with very recent pollution prevention standards or else pay the charge. It would be somewhat hypocritical if diesel running on rails was considered "obligatory."

[broadgage]

Presumably France either has NO newts, or alternatively perhaps French Newts are numerous and therefore not endangered by building railway lines.

[Oxonhutch]

Presumably France either has NO newts, or alternatively perhaps French Newts are numerous and therefore not endangered by building railway lines.

I vividly remember a quote from a French railway engineer on the building of new railways, "when we want to drain the pond, we do not ask the frogs"!