Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

All four daily services between London and Shrewsbury, as well as some of the hourly trains between London and Glasgow (via Birmingham) and even the odd London to Birmingham service are also in the hands of 2x5 car Voyagers.

There was, and maybe still is, a Newquay to Dundee service that was formed of two 5 car sets. One failed in Cornwall on the day my mum was due to catch it from Temple Meads to Birmingham New Street, leaving her reserved seat 100 miles away. It ended well for her, because of a kindly GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) dispatcher and an equally kindly XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) TM^‡(resolve), letting her into first class FOC^▸ (Freight Operating Company). But I felt for all the many people on P5 trying to cram into half the train they were expecting.

That said, had it been a single 10-car unit, it might all have been left in Cornwall.

[IndustryInsider]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) don't run many in multiple.  There's one Friday diagram on the Manchester to Bournemouth axis but I'm not aware of any others on the route through Reading which is the one that I know best, with a healthy majority being operated by 4-car sets. 

Are there many more on the Bristol axis?

[Tim]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) don't run many in multiple.  There's one Friday diagram on the Manchester to Bournemouth axis but I'm not aware of any others on the route through Reading which is the one that I know best, with a healthy majority being operated by 4-car sets. 

Are there many more on the Bristol axis?

currently only a few run in multiple.  They are however planning a recast with another HST^▸ (High Speed Train) diagram and a bit of reforming of 5-car sets into 4-car sets (using spare driving cars) and some trimming of non-core routes which will allow them to run many (most?) of the core route in multiple. 

[Adelante_CCT]

Flicking through the document mentioned above as discussed here

The only current weekday double headed operations are as follows:

07:03 Birmingham to Edinburgh
11:25 Plymouth to Dundee (between Bristol and Newcastle)
13:07 Edinburgh to Plymouth (until Gloucester)

[ChrisB]

Many more at weekends, especially if affected by engineering work means 1tph rather than 2. Often doubled-up to use both units. And others permanently scheduled - well, I've travelled on double units in the past.

And XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) arguably carry more at weekends, without very few if any having problems finding their reservation as the on-board reservations can cope with coach re-lettering so prevent duplicates - which fixed coach lettering of course can't....

[Richard Fairhurst]

I note this thread has now reached page 166... wonder if the electrification will be complete by the time we get to page 387.

[Adelante_CCT]

Or 800...

[grahame]

I note this thread has now reached page 166... wonder if the electrification will be complete by the time we get to page 387.

We're looking forward to getting 153 passengers on a 153 ...

[Bmblbzzz]

I note this thread has now reached page 166... wonder if the electrification will be complete by the time we get to page 387.

Or ever...

[IndustryInsider]

I see 387140 is spending much of the day doing test runs between Reading Depot and Didcot.  Authority for 110mph running has been given for this section, subject to the ruling linespeed not being lower and an additional special limit of 30mph through the Down Relief platform at Tilehurst.

[Bmblbzzz]

I noticed lots of uprights in place around Uffington and Wotton Basset, but it seems somewhat random which uprights have their horizontal arms fitted. No wires up, obviously.

[Electric train]

I see 387140 is spending much of the day doing test runs between Reading Depot and Didcot.  Authority for 110mph running has been given for this section, subject to the ruling linespeed not being lower and an additional special limit of 30mph through the Down Relief platform at Tilehurst.

And not causing as much grief the electrification as the Hitachi units cause ............... according to my informed sources   

[IndustryInsider]

I've heard the same, ET.  Not entirely unexpected given one is an established train type and the other brand new in many respects?

[TonyK]

More demanding of power or is it the physical contact between wire and pantograph? Or are tweaks of the kit or improved driver technique needed?

But that's one reason we have testing, surely?

[eightf48544]

Rumour has it switch on Stockley Jn to Maidenhead this Sunday 26/3.

I'll be off down to Taplow to hug the footbridge.