Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

That ought to rule out IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) too.

It should, but the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have told 'em to take 'em, so that's decided then. 

Oxford Stn looks like 2016 or even 2017 before DfT get around to this rebuild

According to a certain FGW^▸ (First Great Western) project director who ought to know, Oxford *station* rebuild was always 2017, never 2016. The resignalling was going to be 2016, however, and that most of it has moved back also to 2017. Chiltern is trying to get a 'phase 1 resignalling' done still in 2016.

Of course, the resignalling will need to be complete before the wires can go up - any track layout changes need wires above them....and they won't want to get all the machinery back soon after putting them up before any changes

[Electric train]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) West report today that the hold-up is because of power supply problems.

Hmm...

Not surprising there's no Over Head Line 

[ellendune]

Swindon Station Footbridge

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=30064794571

In order to accommodate the new trains and electrification infrastructure we need to remove the redundant Swindon Station footbridge that used to serve Polaris House.

In truth it may have been intended to serve polaris house, but it has never been opened. So it never did. 

[stuving]

If you look in the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s mini-franchise outline, at what electric services start at which SLC^▸ (Service Level Commitment) change, it is clear that they are later than the CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) timetable says. I asked an FGW^▸ (First Great Western) area manager about this at the manager-bothering session at Reading today, and he confirmed that these are revised dates. We knew there was a review going on, but only Twyford-Marlow had officially been deferred (awaiting infrastructure decisions for Bourne End).

The new milsetones are very tight - any delay in handing over working wires will jeopardise the full IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) (and son of IEP) service in December 2018. There may be a little leeway in the phasing, and a priority list of what might be allowed to slip a little - I suggested that the branches, and South Wales past Cardiff, might be a few months late and found that was a familiar concept. But note - any of these dates before Dec 2018 may slip back to Dec 2018.

To Newbury, Oxford, the CP5 date (for "First Electric Train") is Dec 2016 and now it is May 2017.
To Chippenham, Bristol Parkway CP5 has the same - not clear if this makes it by May 2017.
To Bristol Temple Meads, at least via Chippenham, CP5 has May 2017, now December 2018.
To Cardiff, CP5 is December 2017, now December 2018.
To Swansea, CP5 has May 2018, now December 2018 (but ...).
Branch lines, CP5 has Dec 2017, now no fixed date.
Basingstoke, CP5 had TBA, and that is now TBA but later than before.

I was told that the first EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) will run Paddingtom - West Drayton, replacing the Greenford trains which will convert to shuttles from West Ealing. This will allow driver familiarisation etc. in advance of the main start. DfT have this step in May 2017, which must be wrong - it's mentioned under SLC1, which ends on that date - but I can't remember how much earlier the correct date is.

[TaplowGreen]

Interestingly FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Twitter feed today was stating electrification of "London to Bristol, Oxford and Newbury will be complete by 2016.South Wales 2017" .....hmmmmmm

[IndustryInsider]

I was told that the first EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) will run Paddingtom - West Drayton, replacing the Greenford trains which will convert to shuttles from West Ealing. This will allow driver familiarisation etc. in advance of the main start. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have this step in May 2017, which must be wrong - it's mentioned under SLC1, which ends on that date - but I can't remember how much earlier the correct date is.

December 2016 for the Greenford shuttles I think.  Though I thought it was Paddington to Hayes, rather than West Drayton?  The former already being wired of course.

[stuving]

December 2016 for the Greenford shuttles I think.  Though I thought it was Paddington to Hayes, rather than West Drayton?  The former already being wired of course.

Since June 2016 was the original date to finish the wires to Oxford, Newbury etc. you imagine Network Rail would be very keen to at least finish and hand over something by then (for 1st train in December). Though this bit is actually being done by Crossrail. Presumably this date has been negotiated into their contracts? Maybe NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are more confident of Crossrail's ability to meet milestones than their own.

[Electric train]

I was told that the first EMUs^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) will run Paddingtom - West Drayton, replacing the Greenford trains which will convert to shuttles from West Ealing. This will allow driver familiarisation etc. in advance of the main start. DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have this step in May 2017, which must be wrong - it's mentioned under SLC1, which ends on that date - but I can't remember how much earlier the correct date is.

December 2016 for the Greenford shuttles I think.  Though I thought it was Paddington to Hayes, rather than West Drayton?  The former already being wired of course.

All this goes to explain all the phone calls from the Crossrail team asking if I was interested in position in their Electrification team, quite a bit to do was one of the things said to me 

[stuving]

December 2016 for the Greenford shuttles I think.  Though I thought it was Paddington to Hayes, rather than West Drayton?  The former already being wired of course.

All this goes to explain all the phone calls from the Crossrail team asking if I was interested in position in their Electrification team, quite a bit to do was one of the things said to me 

According to Crossrail, Western end electrification is due to complete 21062016 (as is West Drayton but not Hayes & Harlington stations). But it's being managed by Network Rail anyway, so the difference from GW^▸ (Great Western) electrification is NR^» (Network Rail - home page) working for Crossrail with TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s money (but handing over to themselves for non-Crossrail use first) rather than working for themselves. I found Balfour Beatty's announcement they were doing the OHLE and AT stations for Stockley Park - Maidenhead, with completion in 2016 (OHLE) and 2017 (AT). Which doesn't quite square. Who's doing the power infeeds I don't know. Since these contracts were let in October 2013 and June 2014, there was "quite a bit to do" right from the start.

(So, do you trust Crossrail/NR to do better than me at getting all the bits in the right order?)

[ChrisB]

According to Crossrail, Western end electrification is due to complete 2106 (as is West Drayton but not Hayes & Harlington stations).

In this case, I hope Crossrail (and you!) are very wrong.... :-)

[Electric train]

December 2016 for the Greenford shuttles I think.  Though I thought it was Paddington to Hayes, rather than West Drayton?  The former already being wired of course.

All this goes to explain all the phone calls from the Crossrail team asking if I was interested in position in their Electrification team, quite a bit to do was one of the things said to me 

According to Crossrail, Western end electrification is due to complete 2106 (as is West Drayton but not Hayes & Harlington stations). But it's being managed by Network Rail anyway, so the difference from GW^▸ (Great Western) electrification is NR^» (Network Rail - home page) working for Crossrail with TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s money (but handing over to themselves for non-Crossrail use first) rather than working for themselves. I found Balfour Beatty's announcement they were doing the OHLE and AT stations for Stockley Park - Maidenhead, with completion in 2016 (OHLE) and 2017 (AT). Which doesn't quite square. Who's doing the power infeeds I don't know. Since these contracts were let in October 2013 and June 2014, there was "quite a bit to do" right from the start.

NR are doing all the "on network" for Crossrail and will remain the asset owner, operator and maintainer; only the tunnels sections will be owned, operated and maintained by TfL.

The in feed for Crossrail is at Kensel Green, the 2 large 400kV transformers are on site ( by the gas holders) the 400 kV grid line is a cable tunnel under the Canal.  The next GWEP^▸ (Great Western Electrification Program) grid is Didcot.  Maidenhead is MPATS^▸ (Mid Point Auto Transformer Site - electrification)    so is quite crucial to the whole GWEP until Bramley comes in when Reading Basingstoke is electrified.

My particular specialty is Distribution and not the knitting

[BerkshireBugsy]

I am sure this question has been asked about Crossrail before but I didn't know what to search for.

I was travelling home from Paddington in the light for once and I was trying to work out how the crossrail track will run along side the existing 4 tracks in places where there is limited space.

I did find some volumes of maps on the Crossrail web site but there are so many of them

On a separate note I was driving from Pangbourne along the road which runs between the Thames and the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) and was very impressed with the progress on erecting the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") gantries but then it was the first time I had been along there in ages.

[Adelante_CCT]

I was travelling home from Paddington in the light for once and I was trying to work out how the crossrail track will run along side the existing 4 tracks in places where there is limited space.

From Paddington there are 6 running lines before merging into 4 shortly before Old Oak Common, the crossrail tracks will join up with these 6 tracks and will then run on the 2 relief lines (of the existing 4 tracks that operate west of Old Oak)

[paul7575]

I am sure this question has been asked about Crossrail before but I didn't know what to search for.

I was travelling home from Paddington in the light for once and I was trying to work out how the crossrail track will run along side the existing 4 tracks in places where there is limited space.

As in the previous reply, Crossrail's tracks merge with the existing reliefs by Old Oak Common.  A diagram was posted quite recently in the Crossrail thread here:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=818.msg172796#msg172796

[BerkshireBugsy]

I was very surprised today (Sunday 12th April) when driving over Thatcham level crossing to see that the new footbridge construction had come on leaps and bounds. It's still not in use  but in the attached picture you can see the new one in the distance.

This picture was taken standing on the level crossing looking eastbound