Great Western Coffee Shop

Noticing a freightliner yard just off to one side of the line between Newport and Cardiff .. and by all appearances it's not having overhead electric fitted.   A thought struck me.    Will all freight on the GWR main line continue to be diesel hauled, or will we see heavy use of class 88 and similar bi-mode locomotives? 

As far as I know there are no plans to wire the Popular's (Acton Yard to North London Line) that being the fright connection off of GWR metals close to OLE, the other is via North Pole onto the West London Line which would be impractical for fright due to too much reveresing; Class 88's might be posibe it will be up to the FOCs to sponsor the guaging and compatibility.

 
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As far as I know there are no plans to wire the Popular's (Acton Yard to North London Line) that being the fright connection off of GWR metals close to OLE, the other is via North Pole onto the West London Line which would be impractical for fright due to too much reveresing; Class 88's might be posibe it will be up to the FOCs to sponsor the guaging and compatibility.

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Enjoying the typos in this post. The GWR 'frights'...well, we all know about those, don't we !

The Acton to WCML connection via the NLL was definitely announced some time ago though, and is still shown in the latest enhancement delivery plan, (the Mar 2018 version page 104), as ‘assumed CP6’, same as the Basingstoke - Reading line.

I don’t think it’s been forgotten about.

Paul

As well as the connection to the NLL the spur to Acton Canal Wharf Jn and the line from Acton Wells to Cricklewood via Dudding Hill also needs to electrified. As does Carlton road Jn to Junction Road Jn unless it's being done under Goblin. This would allow allow electric hauled freights via Goblin to  reach Tilbury without using the NLL or crossing the GEML at Woodrange Park. Although they'd still have to cross the MML.

Is the spur off the Goblin  to Harringay being electrified?

To complete an electric network across London the Kew Triangle will need electrifying.

Oddly, there are also signs of OLE at Landore.  No wires but all the rest of the ironmongery.  Perhaps they'll run on 250v AC.

Do you mean Landore? Maliphant was rebuilt as an electric IET depot before the electricity was cut, to be open well before for the original in-service date. All the OLE was put up except the wires - as it would not be energised for several years they feared the wire would be nicked. I imagine some reworking of the facilities has been needed to cope with all the diesel engines, and I suspect there will be a stretch of wire strung up for routine system testing. So that will be 25 kV, not 250 V, but very low power.

In April last year Network Rail produced a Freight Network Study (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjf1q2ovavbAhVM16QKHbbKBpkQFggnMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.networkrail.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F04%2FFreight-Network-Study-April-2017.pdf&usg=AOvVaw00swu5TkA94Kjc4jyJe82K).  It's mostly a wish list, with priority ratings based on various criteria.

It says almost nothing about electrification. Well, what can they assume? Anything, or nothing, if built into their plans would be a risk. So they resort to the vaguest of cop-outs: "The approach to future route electrification and upgrades will be set out in due course.".

There is a short section that lists the benefits of electric freight workings:

And these are the priority routes:

But in the short term, no electrification has highest priority, and just one short link rates as medium:
Under "other routes" there are two:
That last one comes with an assumption: "Subject to electrification capability having been delivered on the core route via Winchester and north of Basingstoke". An odd way of putting it, you might think, but having already justified that and been told to do it, they haven't been told definitely not to.

One of the advantages they do mention is electrifying more depots on electrified lines. There are also specific mentions where higher speed is needed,e.g. on the MML and from the Mendips.

Don't forget that many of those links will be useful for moving electric passenger stock about.

Crossrail stock would have an electric route from East to West if Acton - Acton Wells was electrified, avoiding the central tunnels if there were problems. Now they are diesel hauled

As far as I know there are no plans to wire the Popular's (Acton Yard to North London Line) that being the fright connection off of GWR metals close to OLE, the other is via North Pole onto the West London Line which would be impractical for fright due to too much reveresing; Class 88's might be posibe it will be up to the FOCs to sponsor the guaging and compatibility.

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Enjoying the typos in this post. The GWR 'frights'...well, we all know about those, don't we !
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And I am enjoying un quoted quote  ;D ;D


Freight spine ……………………. deferred with no expected date for reopening the project