Although outside our main area of interest, I see that after all the debate in recent years they are seemingly sticking with 3rd rail to Uckfield.
Paul
Yes, in one of their references to the SOBC they say "AC electrification found to be grossly disproportionate in cost compared to the safety benefits gained..." Is this the start of a campaign by
NR» ?
The SOBC is the Strategic Outline business Case;
AIUI▸ it's the official begging letter from NR to
DfT» to please put some money into their end of the pipeline.
I’ve always thought with the Uckfield branch being right in the middle of the wider “Southern Region” the safety aspects are exaggerated. I suggest a lot of normal members of the public will just assume everywhere in the area is third rail already…
I’ve always thought with the Uckfield branch being right in the middle of the wider “Southern Region” the safety aspects are exaggerated. I suggest a lot of normal members of the public will just assume everywhere in the area is third rail already…
Agreed, and in fact the same comment could be made about infilling the North Downs with third rail too. Overall, the increased safety risk for such modest schemes must be immaterial in the light of the current extensive third rail network on the old Southern Region.
New third rail top contact electrification by "extension", infill etc has never been banned as such. It has been the case over the last few decades that the Regulator of safety on the
UK▸ railways (the
ORR» DfT and the
HSE▸ ) have placed the bar very high to get the safety case through making any new schemes, extensions etc prohibitively expensive.
NR has done quite a bit of work with the ORR and DfT on the safety measures that now makes the expansion of third rail top contact electrification feasible.
25kV Reading Basingstoke is questionable on any benefits, there would be the need for an expensive AC/
DC▸ interface at the southern end, and what traffic would make use of it?
Local stoppers, battery powered units could provide this.
X-Country, little use they would need new tri-mode units (third,
OLE▸ , diesel) there just is not the revenue to justify this without Government funding
Freight, again little use they would need new tri-mode units (third, OLE, diesel) with the additional need for third rail power supply upgrade for the heavier current draw on the container trains that use the route.
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