Electrification

[whole diary]

[TJ]

In addition to the electrification of the Midland Main Line it would now seem that it is the likely intention to electrify both FGW^▸ (First Great Western) routes to Bristol (via Bath and Brtistol Parkway), plus the lines to Oxford and Bedwyn, thus ensuring that all commuter services into Paddington are electric.

Whilst other FGW electrification may be desirable, the above, if it happens, will be a base upon which to build.

TJ

[G.Uard]

Source would appreciated. Thanks

[Electric train]

The source would be useful. 

There is no clear strategy as yet for route mainline electrification, the anticipated time scale is CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) for Government funding which is 10 years away

[TJ]

Source - TravelWatch Southwest AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting).

Information was freely given without caveat, so I have put it in the Coffee Shop public domain. It doesn't of course guarantee that this is what will happen, but it does indicate the current thinking / latest situation.

I would very much welcome what is suggested, being a sound base on which to build.

TJ

[12hoursunday]

Source would appreciated. Thanks

It's a RUMOUR un-founded as usual!

[grandsire]

The Adair Turner report to the Government ( "Committee on Climate Change" ) just published  says that rail only accounts for 2% of transport carbon emmissions.  Page 278 of the report deals with rail and  there are 5 lines of text saying that electric power is more carbon efficient and "an accelerated programme of electrification could therefore deliver significant emissions reduction".
Sadly, 5 lines of text in a 500 page report is not a ringing endorsement of the need for electrification!

[Electric train]

Iain Coucher NR^» (Network Rail - home page) Chief Executive and the new Minister of State for Transport Lord Andrew Adonis have just returned from a 2 day fact finding visit to Japan to see how they operate and plan their rail system, it would seem from Iains blog posted on the NR intranet that Lord Andrew Adonis is keen on electrification and new build high speed lines ......... all we need now is the money

[John R]

France would have been cheaper. They could even have gone by Eurostar and used their journey there to see HSR in action.

[Electric train]

France would have been cheaper. They could even have gone by Eurostar and used their journey there to see HSR in action.

The other object of the visit was to see how JR are planning to tackle renewals, much of their high speed routes are 40 years old they are looking at renewing some bridges etc signaling and to increase track capacity from 2 teack to 4 in some places, so to a degree it was a two way visit with NR^» (Network Rail - home page) able to share its expirence of renewing major components on an operational railway

[John R]

Hope they didn't use Rugby as a case study then.

[Northerner]

If the Paddington suburban services were electrified then Thames turbos could be sent everywhere to get rid of pacers and provide much needed capacity!

[Electric train]

If the Paddington suburban services were electrified then Thames turbos could be sent everywhere to get rid of pacers and provide much needed capacity!

By the time that happens post Crossrail the Turbos will be life expired they are already 17 years old

[willc]

If the Paddington suburban services were electrified then Thames turbos could be sent everywhere to get rid of pacers and provide much needed capacity!

Turbos can't be sent everywhere. They were built wider than 15X and 17X DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) to take advantage of the extra clearances given by the GW^▸ (Great Western)'s old broad gauge legacy, so are banned from many routes.

Someone inside FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may know more detail on where they are and aren't allowed to go. As well as their current stamping grounds, they can obviously operate anywhere on Chiltern's routes and Didcot-Bristol, from their time working the Oxford-Bristol services.

[Electric train]

If the Paddington suburban services were electrified then Thames turbos could be sent everywhere to get rid of pacers and provide much needed capacity!

Turbos can't be sent everywhere. They were built wider than 15X and 17X DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) to take advantage of the extra clearances given by the GW^▸ (Great Western)'s old broad gauge legacy, so are banned from many routes.

Someone inside FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may know more detail on where they are and aren't allowed to go. As well as their current stamping grounds, they can obviously operate anywhere on Chiltern's routes and Didcot-Bristol, from their time working the Oxford-Bristol services.

And to Gatwick Airport which was never a 7'1/4" gauge railway.  I am not sure but they are not a C1^▸ ((on coaches) National route restriction) loading gauge and they will not be greater than C3 ie a Mk3 (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) coach

[willc]

If the Paddington suburban services were electrified then Thames turbos could be sent everywhere to get rid of pacers and provide much needed capacity!

Turbos can't be sent everywhere. They were built wider than 15X and 17X DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) to take advantage of the extra clearances given by the GW^▸ (Great Western)'s old broad gauge legacy, so are banned from many routes.

Someone inside FGW^▸ (First Great Western) may know more detail on where they are and aren't allowed to go. As well as their current stamping grounds, they can obviously operate anywhere on Chiltern's routes and Didcot-Bristol, from their time working the Oxford-Bristol services.

And to Gatwick Airport which was never a 7'1/4" gauge railway.  I am not sure but they are not a C1^▸ ((on coaches) National route restriction) loading gauge and they will not be greater than C3 ie a Mk3 (HST^▸ (High Speed Train)) coach

The 23m-long 165/166 are 2.8m wide (like most 20m-long coaches, eg Class 150) because of the wider WR clearances, while other 23m-long coaches in use in Britain, including Mk3s and 153/155/156/158/168/170 DMUs are 2.7m to fit inside C3 gauge. For whatever reason, the Reading-Redhill-Gatwick route clearly does have adequate clearances.

Getting slightly off-topic, the current issue of Today's Railways Europe says that when DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) stored its tilting ICE-TD DMUs in 2002-3, an unnamed UK^▸ (United Kingdom) operator did go to look at them with a view to using them on ex-GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) routes, because the tilt capability meant they are slightly narrower than your typical European train and would fit through Brunel bridges. The stumbling block was their length, at 27m more typical of Europe, which meant they would foul curved platforms at places like Bath. If you want a taste of what might have been, half the fleet is now back in action, operating from Hamburg to Arhus and Copenhagen in Denmark.