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rower40
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« Reply #2535 on: June 15, 2017, 15:11:02 » |
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Or is it enough distance for an electric-only train to stop on passing the "Electric trains stop here" board, before running out of wires and needing a Thunderbird to haul it back?
When I was 14 or so, I had a Lego railway; hacksawing through the conductor rails (BEFORE installing!), and bridging the gap with a diode, meant that trains running onto a dead-end siding would stop, but could be reversed off. The equivalent could be done here by isolating the last section, and getting the ECR to supply power to it when an electric train has become stranded, and is ready to drive back onto the properly-wired-up railway.
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John R
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« Reply #2536 on: June 15, 2017, 15:34:35 » |
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Given there won't be any electric-only units for the foreseeable future, and that decision was taken broadly at the same time as to curtail the wires at Thingley then I don't believe that is the reason.
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Electric train
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« Reply #2537 on: June 15, 2017, 18:17:11 » |
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It is possible the piling had already been contracted, often more cost efficient to allow work to go ahead than cancel a contract; or there was a possession available a piling team available so the decision was taken to carryout the piling.
There can be a multitude of reasons, remember the electrification via Bath has been deferred, not cancelled.
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #2538 on: June 17, 2017, 00:31:25 » |
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The following item is an article, on page 5 in The Week In of 7 June 2017 (a free newspaper distributed in East Bristol & North East Somerset). To those who know him, David Redgewell particularly wanted me to post this item on the Coffee Shop forum - so here it is: No assurance from Chancellor on electrification
On a visit to Bristol last week, Chancellor Philip Hammond would not give any assurances that electrification of the GWR▸ line into Temple Meads will go ahead.
Mr Hammond, who met the newly elected West of England Mayor Tim Bowles, said "Investing in infrastructure is the number one priority for us ... but we've got to do it in a way that is cost effective, and it means engineering projects to deliver the maximum passenger benefits that we can with the money that's available.
"What matters to people is the output: reliable journey times, shorter journey times, greater frequency of service, better availability of wifi on the trains. How we do that, whether it's by electrifying or not part of the lines using hybrid trains, is of less interest to them. What they want is the services delivered and that is what Network Rail is determined to deliver too."
The first of a new breed of Hitachi bi-mode diesel/electric trains are due to join the GWR fleet this year. While services to Bristol Parkway will be fully electrified, trains bound for Temple Meads will switch to diesel power for the last part of the journey at Thingley Junction, near Corsham. The "deferral" of work west of Chippenham because of spiralling costs was announced last autumn.
When the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling came to Bristol to support Mr Bowles during the run-up to the mayoral election, The Week In asked him whether we would ever see electric trains travelling all the way to Temple Meads. He told us: "Our expectation is yes, but I don't want people to be hung up over journey times or when overhead wires will appear. The important thing is that from this autumn, travellers will begin to see a new service with new trains, more departures and extra seats. Electrification continues ever westwards and it is our intention that it will continue, albeit on a different timescale."
Tim Bowles made it clear during his campaign that electrification needs to happen and that if elected, he would be pressing for it.
We have asked him for his response to Mr Hammond's comments.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2539 on: June 20, 2017, 14:19:01 » |
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Network Rail are saying "suspended", but the Government are intimating otherwise, stating that the bimodes can already go anywhere, wiring or no wiring. I suspect Hammond is saying 'not in this Parliament'. But that may now not be a full 5 years.
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Electric train
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« Reply #2540 on: June 20, 2017, 18:05:08 » |
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Network Rail are saying "suspended", but the Government are intimating otherwise, stating that the bimodes can already go anywhere, wiring or no wiring. I suspect Hammond is saying 'not in this Parliament'. But that may now not be a full 5 years.
Also he and his boss might have to "buy off" some West Country MP▸ during this parliament   |
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5450
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #2541 on: June 21, 2017, 10:58:07 » |
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Also he and his boss might have to "buy off" some West Country MP▸ during this parliament Hmm... with four Labour MPs in Bristol and a LibDem in Bath, I suspect the current government's pork barrel money will go elsewhere. Antrim - Lisburn, anyone? With maybe a link to Belfast International? |
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
Posts: 6594
The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!
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« Reply #2542 on: June 21, 2017, 19:47:56 » |
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For at least the third time since I moved to Bristol, electrification has been promised, then unpromised. This time, it looks to be even more of a false economy than before. How much did it cost to fit all the diesel engines as compared to finishing the electrification? Particularly as so much of the prep-up work has been done on stretches of track that will not see wires above them for the foreseeable?
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Now, please!
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ellendune
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« Reply #2544 on: June 21, 2017, 20:05:24 » |
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For at least the third time since I moved to Bristol, electrification has been promised, then unpromised. This time, it looks to be even more of a false economy than before. How much did it cost to fit all the diesel engines as compared to finishing the electrification? Particularly as so much of the prep-up work has been done on stretches of track that will not see wires above them for the foreseeable?
If it is a delay that allows money to be saved by a better sequence of work (e.g. Bristol East Junction and Temple Meads refurbishment) then it is probably best in he long run. If it is kicked into the long grass then it is stupid. |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2545 on: June 21, 2017, 20:39:30 » |
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As I said earlier, NR» want to do the work, but the Goverent (their paymasters) aren't interested, as stated by various Ministers. It'll happen, not just under this (likely) shorter-term Parliament. The Government is due to submit their plans for Rail to the ORR» by the end of the year, if not sooner. We'll find out for sure then
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John R
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« Reply #2546 on: June 22, 2017, 09:37:06 » |
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The delay for Bristol East in particular is very logical, but my worry is that with the new stock all now bi-mode, the business case won't stack up. And the nimbys of Bath not wanting the overhead wiring will be used as the excuse not to proceed.
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Adelante_CCT
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« Reply #2547 on: June 22, 2017, 13:09:47 » |
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It states 'To Cardiff via Bristol and To Newbury', not 'To' Bristol, so I'm assuming the via Bristol part means Parkway, also the map doesn't show a green line between Parkway and Temple Meads. |
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #2548 on: June 22, 2017, 14:19:58 » |
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I think government's reasons for not wanting to finance it are important. If they are purely political (such as, in order to favour the Northern Powerhouse, to punish Bristol for voting Labour, or whatever) then they are likely to be reversed fairly quickly even without a change of government. If they are due to poor economic outlook (budgets tightening as post-Brexit economy shrinks, tax rates fall, etc) then they are less likely to change even with a change of government.
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Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5450
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #2549 on: June 26, 2017, 12:14:48 » |
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Also he and his boss might have to "buy off" some West Country MP▸ during this parliament Hmm... with four Labour MPs in Bristol and a LibDem in Bath, I suspect the current government's pork barrel money will go elsewhere. Antrim - Lisburn, anyone? With maybe a link to Belfast International? Ah - silly of me to think it might be spent of a rail project. Apparently a decent chunk will go towards this: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/york-street-interchange-overview |
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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