Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Rhydgaled]

high speed, where air resistance dominates.

...

a big notch halfway along to screw up the airstream is bad.

A streamlined notch though, which I'm guessing is not as bad as a class 90 when coupled to some stock
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How much energy would be saved by putting a decent faired join between streamlines train units? I'm sure that's not so hugely difficult to do as everyone makes out

Or just stop messing around with the idea of multiple working with units that can do over 110mph and hence will have large cab zones and can't have UEGs^▸ (Unit End Gangway). If it can do more than 110mph, build it long enough for the job so you don't need to work it in multiple, save all that cab space and duplicate kitchens etc..

UEGs = Unit End Gangways

[ellendune]

If it can do more than 110mph, build it long enough for the job so you don't need to work it in multiple, save all that cab space and duplicate kitchens etc..

So you mean either run uneconomically long trains to some places where demand is insufficient for a full train or say they cannot have 110mph trains. If you run over long trains we will either need more 800's or run less trains.  More trains cost money which this government will want to put on increasing fares still further.   

[grahame]

If it can do more than 110mph, build it long enough for the job so you don't need to work it in multiple, save all that cab space and duplicate kitchens etc..

So you mean either run uneconomically long trains to some places where demand is insufficient for a full train or say they cannot have 110mph trains. If you run over long trains we will either need more 800's or run less trains.  More trains cost money which this government will want to put on increasing fares still further.  

Bearing in mind that the fast running is likely to be at the London end ... you could come up with a 10 car unit, streamlined at both ends, with intermediate non-steamlined cabs for the slower speed more local operation on the outer sections.   Problem being to ensure they come back in the right order to the joining station, and that the Penzance section doesn't get turned on the St Erth triangle 

IF you couldn't rely on the timetable working accurately at almost all times, of course ... but you could dream of ...

Split at Exeter or Newton Abbott for Paignton and Penzance
Split at Swindon for Cheltenham Spa and Weymouth
Split at Oxford for Hereford and to work back into Paddington
Split at Swansea for Carmarthen and work back into Paddington
Split at Temple Meads for Weston-super-Mare and work back into Paddington

Serious improvement in through services ... and remember you loose 38% to 44% of your potential passengers if you give them a journey on which they have to change. So there may be serious business sense in an idea written half in jest (and far too late in the day for it tone implemented, I'm afraid!)

[ChrisB]

Split at Exeter or Newton Abbott for Paignton and Penzance
Split at Swindon for Cheltenham Spa and Weymouth
Split at Oxford for Hereford and to work back into Paddington
Split at Swansea for Carmarthen and work back into Paddington
Split at Temple Meads for Weston-super-Mare and work back into Paddington

Some of these are under serious consideration.....

Split at Exeter or Newton Abbott for Paignton and Penzance
(or Plymouth)

Split at Oxford for Hereford and to work back into Paddington
(although there has been talk of running the other half to Banbury in the peaks)

Split at Swansea for Carmarthen and work back into Paddington
(More likely split at Cardiff for Swansea/Carmarthen/return to Paddington)

Split at Temple Meads for Weston-super-Mare and work back into Paddington

[Gordon the Blue Engine]

 Problem being to ensure they come back in the right order to the joining station, and that the Penzance section doesn't get turned on the St Erth triangle 

Where is this St Erth triangle then?

[Rhydgaled]

If it can do more than 110mph, build it long enough for the job so you don't need to work it in multiple, save all that cab space and duplicate kitchens etc..

So you mean either run uneconomically long trains to some places where demand is insufficient for a full train or say they cannot have 110mph trains.

Yep; except that a 110mph train is ok (350s are 110mph units and have UEGs^▸ (Unit End Gangway)), but something faster than 110mph is not.

There's a third option though, use a short 125mph train to places where demand is insufficient for a long 125mph train (basiclly what FirstGWR do with the 180s at the moment), the problem with this being the demand between Oxford/Reading and PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) probably does need a longer train, so (for example) you need a way of stopping more than a small number of pre-booked passengers for Oxford and Reading boarding a Worcester train at PAD.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

If the Hitachi trains are coming to the CL next year, will the platform extensions that are planned to be built for almost all CL stations going to be built in time. Without an extension Hanborough would only be able to have 2 coaches of an SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) on the platform so loading and unloading would take several minutes. Dwell time for peak hour services for an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) is often 3 or 4 minutes whilst passengers alight from the maximum 3 coaches on the platform and then collect their bikes.

[ChrisB]

Question to be raised at the CLPG^» (Cotswold Line Promotion Group - about) AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting)?

[ChrisB]

sorry mods

[IndustryInsider]

If the Hitachi trains are coming to the CL next year, will the platform extensions that are planned to be built for almost all CL stations going to be built in time.

Have we got any access to more details regarding who's got the contract and what stations, platforms and lengths are going to be added?  I guess there's still a fair amount of time if there's still over a year to go, but obviously it won't be long before things will need to start happening.  The Thames Valley platform extension contract has recently been awarded.

[Worcester_Passenger]

A streamlined notch though, which I'm guessing is not as bad as a class 90 when coupled to some stock
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First TransPennine Express seem to have the answer. On the front of their 'Engage' (connecting with our passengers) Issue 3 of Feb/Mar 2016, there is the new SANCU(D) - single-axle nose cone unit (driving).

[IndustryInsider]

Although not as extensive as at Xmas and Easter, good to see another programme of works (costing ^14.5m) completed on time over the May Day Bank Holiday:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/gbp-145m-bank-holiday-railway-improvement-work-in-the-south-west-and-thames-valley-will-deliver-bigger-better-more-reliable-railway-for-passengers

[patch38]

Network Rail time-lapse video of the replacement of Broad Town Bridge in Royal Wootton Bassett via the Gazette & Herald:

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14480639.VIDEO__See_Royal_Wootton_Bassett_s_Broad_Town_bridge_rebuilt_in_two_minutes

[IndustryInsider]

Just an update on the wiring progress between Didcot and Airport Junction for those that don't travel on the route too often:

Didcot to Tilehurst is now largely completed with virtually all structures now up, the vast majority of small parts attached, and wires up on around 75% of the tracks miles.  Areas still a little behind are between Cholsey and east of Goring where few, if any, of the wires are yet up.  Not sure if this is directly related to the AONB^▸ (Areas Of Natural Beauty) issues we've covered elsewhere.  So, as this link states, the revised September date is very achievable:

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2016/05/11/great-western-wires-in-use-by-september

The Reading area itself has quite a few gantries up, but not much in the way of small parts fitted and (the depot excepted) no wires as yet.

East of Reading to Twyford is still virtually unstarted, save for the completion of most of the bore holes and foundations.

Twyford to Maidenhead is now starting to take shape following the recent construction of a compound at Ruscombe.  All bore holes and foundations are complete and around 100 or so structures have been fitted, about 25% of the total required.  Very little has yet happened in the area immediately surrounding Maidenhead station.

East of Maidenhead to Airport Junction is coming along nicely.  The vast majority of structures are up (a notable exception being Brunel's Maidenhead Thames bridge) and a high proportion of the small parts are also installed.  Wiring has been completed between Taplow and Burnham, though (aside from a tiny section near Iver) that is it so far.

[Noggin]

Just an update on the wiring progress between Didcot and Airport Junction for those that don't travel on the route too often:

Didcot to Tilehurst is now largely completed with virtually all structures now up, the vast majority of small parts attached, and wires up on around 75% of the tracks miles.  Areas still a little behind are between Cholsey and east of Goring where few, if any, of the wires are yet up.  Not sure if this is directly related to the AONB^▸ (Areas Of Natural Beauty) issues we've covered elsewhere.  So, as this link states, the revised September date is very achievable:

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/2016/05/11/great-western-wires-in-use-by-september

The Reading area itself has quite a few gantries up, but not much in the way of small parts fitted and (the depot excepted) no wires as yet.

East of Reading to Twyford is still virtually unstarted, save for the completion of most of the bore holes and foundations.

Twyford to Maidenhead is now starting to take shape following the recent construction of a compound at Ruscombe.  All bore holes and foundations are complete and around 100 or so structures have been fitted, about 25% of the total required.  Very little has yet happened in the area immediately surrounding Maidenhead station.

East of Maidenhead to Airport Junction is coming along nicely.  The vast majority of structures are up (a notable exception being Brunel's Maidenhead Thames bridge) and a high proportion of the small parts are also installed.  Wiring has been completed between Taplow and Burnham, though (aside from a tiny section near Iver) that is it so far.

Gap between Cholsey and Goring probably relates to the Moulsford Viaduct where I believe the masts (which are custom low-impact ones) have recently been fitted, so presumably small parts and wires to follow soon. Can't remember the exact date but GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) electrification is supposed to be considered live by contractors at some point this month, when exactly it is energised remains to be seen, but that will allow 3-ish months for testing, tweaking, training and general commissioning before the 800s start running underneath. 

The gantries in Reading were installed a while ago as part of the station contract. Note that Airport Jcn to Maidenhead is being done as part of Crossrail by separate contractors, someone suggested that they were also doing Maidenhead to Reading, in which case its conceivable that they are basically working west.   

A fair amount has also been done to the west of Didcot, lots of piles in place between Swindon and Bristol PW^▸ (Permanent Way) (the new Hitachi depot is complete including electrification). Also, lots of electrical switchgear being installed lineside including at Bristol TM^‡(resolve).