Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Quote from me

Can I just also add to the wcml comment on gauge clearance, could it not be freight?

Quote from willc

Freight wagons have a completely different profile to passenger stock.

will, you didn't really read what i wrote or read the posts above it then did you?

or maybe you did, are you confirming that the wcml has had gauge clearance for freight due to the difference in profile compared to passenger stock

or do you not actually know?

[willc]

I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to. According to Rhydgaled, DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) specifically said the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) would be cleared for use by IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) - and I was suggesting that this could be accounted for by the previous plan to use IEP on Northampton fasts, which is no longer happening - it is perfectly possible they may not have updated the route clearance paperwork to reflect that change of plan yet. And that wouldn't be surprising given how many times the project has changed over the years.

If the person responding for DfT just looked for references to WCML gauge clearance generally, then they would have found lots of stuff about W10 gauge clearance, which has been carried out all the way to Glasgow - but that is to allow 9ft 6in containers on standard flat wagons, and clearance for these would be neither here nor there in terms of passenger stock, which has a different profile, being lower, longer, with stepboards, etc. The key point about W10 is providing clearance at the top of the train to accommodate the containers. A standard container flat is 60ft, so much shorter than a 23.9m or 26m coach, and a container flat and its load is narrower than a passenger coach's body.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

thank you for clearing that up will, i was simply asking a question about someone else's post,and at the time of reading your first reply i may have taken it the wrong way for which i am sorry

[anthony215]

Further article in the south wales evening post today about the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) deciding not to extend the wires to Swansea:

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/MP-alleges-weaknesses-rail-electrification-findings/article-3497799-detail/article.html



I do hope either the DFT change their minds or the welsh assembly  can find the money for it as it would enable a reduction in the number of Bi-mode IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)'s with more 8 carriage emu's being ordered

[ChrisB]

Can't be long before the order is placed, can it?

[willc]

No desperate urgency, since the first trains aren't needed for four years or so, to start testing ahead of 2016 entry into service, so still wriggle room to see if they can stitch up a deal to wire to Swansea in conjunction with Valley Lines electrification. Last month all the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) did was reconfirm Hitachi/Agility as preferred bidder and the reopening of negotiations with them on a contract. Indication was this and Agility putting finance in place would take most of the rest of this year.

[ChrisB]

Agility have just confirmed that their will be three (diesel) engines under a 5car dual-mode IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.).

[Electric train]

Part of the problem with running the wires to Swansea is Signaling and Telecoms systems imunisation, however there are plans to resignal the Swansea / Cardiff line but this is a little way off, it will be started until after the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) effected by electrification is done. 

A few other things may speed up the full electrification to Swansea; the political will of the Welsh Assembly post the elections next week, the GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise tendering process, the future of Network Rail (if NR^» (Network Rail - home page) becomes history the future cohesion of electrification and resignalling could become history too)

[willc]

I'm not aware they had ever said (since the announcement at the start of March) that it wouldn't have three engines.

And here's an interesting one for the proponents of a big locomotive with a big diesel engine. DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) has just ordered 20 new diesel locos, with an option for up to 180 more - with four small engines in them. http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/db-regio-orders-multi-engine-traxx-diesel-locomotives.html

[ChrisB]

Odd then that their website merntions a change in spec. Looks as though you missed that.

[JayMac]

Agility have just confirmed that their will be three (diesel) engines under a 5car dual-mode IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.).

Odd then that their website merntions a change in spec. Looks as though you missed that.

ChrisB. Rather than post information without sources and then follow it up with a snidey, 'I know something you don't' post, how about providing a url?

I've looked at Agility Trains' website and am struggling to find the information you are referring to.

[ChrisB]

You're right, I thought they'd have added it by now. I was talking to an Agility rep at a conference.

[Electric train]

You're right, I thought they'd have added it by now. I was talking to an Agility rep at a conference.

There's the down fall a "rep" and not a design engineer or project manager

[ChrisB]

He was involved in the project.

[woody]

According to the latest May 2011 ^Modern Railway^ magazine in a speech during a visit to Swansea on April 1st,Prime Minister David Cameron said that he was looking at extending the wires to Swansea.The mags ^Informed Sources^column says that Cardiff-Swansea could be wired for well under ^100million,the cost saving of fewer bi-modes covering the return on investment and adding that with 45 bi-modes in the March 1st announcement the minimum viable quantity there is all to play for.
  Also it says Network Rail is debating the location for commissioning its electrification factory train due in 2013 known with the acronym HOOP(High Output Overhead-line Plant) with one suggestion that it be used on the Cardiff-Swansea line with the commissioning budget helping to partially offsett the cost of electrification there.