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Network Rail draws up list of 'no regret' electrification schemes

Network Rail bosses are drawing up a list of "no regret" schemes to accelerate the electrification of the UK?s rail network.

The list will be submitted to Treasury and the Department for Transport (DfT) ahead of the publication of the government?s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines described the list as a series of "quick wins" with strong business cases to ensure a pipeline of work is maintained after schemes such as the electrification of the Midland Main Line draws to a close.

"We expect to see the DfT?s decarbonisation plan by March next year," Haines told a press briefing yesterday. "Until then we can?t say what schemes will or will not go ahead as all schemes have to be approved on an individual basis.

"The point of the no regret list is to present a series of quick wins that can be worked on as soon as the government gives the go ahead."

I have mention in the "electrification to Exeter" thread that NR has recently changed it policy regarding certain design requirements and specifications for new electrification (by new its is meant infills, extensions or whole schemes) which should reduce the cost, complexity  and improve constructability without loosing performance and maintainability.

Case Study 5 ? Enabling Efficient Electrification

Network Rail Technical Authority in response to the challenges outlined by the Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce undertook an appraisal of electrification costs in collaboration with Scotland?s Railway Region to determine the most appropriate efficient cost allocation for electrification projects. This culminated with the Efficient Electrification Executive Summary which outlines the most appropriate cost allocation and considerations for future electrification schemes.

The paper identified that costs of electrification projects vary significantly as a result of variations in: track access arrangements; geography; gauge of existing structures; topography; ground conditions; traction power capacity and programme duration. The vast majority of electrification project cost is not on electrification items, with direct electrification materials comprising less than 5% of overall project cost.

As well as indicating a range of STK outputs of between ?1.25m and ?2.9m per STK for historic projects in Scotland the paper outlines a number of potential opportunity areas with an order of magnitude saving. These include:

? Clearances to overline structures (potential saving of 0-8%).
? Clearances to platforms (potential saving of 0.2%).
? Access Improvements (potential saving of 0-11%).
? OLE Technology (potential saving of 0-1%).
? Substation IPC (potential saving of 0-1%).
? Consecutive delivery (rolling programme) (potential saving of 0-2%).

Subsequent work undertaken by Network Rail?s Technical Authority and the Great Western Electrification Programme has shown the potential to minimise electrical clearances in complex areas. This was achieved at Cardiff Intersection Bridge, where reduced electrical clearances were agreed to support electrification of a complex area.

EU regulations outline the need to provide up to 1.8m high bridge parapets for bridges over electrified railway. Work being led by Network Rail?s Technical Authority and Scotland?s Railway is challenging the need for this based on the disproportionate costs this brings. Analysis work following the EGIP programme has identified that providing parapet heights of 1.8m increased the cost of bridge work by around ?135k per structure compared to providing 1.5m high parapets.

On average across the ECML and WCML the number of bridges per track kilometre is around 0.42. If this rate was the same across the wider network where 13,000 STKs of electrification are proposed by TDNS this would equate to an additional total cost of ?737m compared to the cost in providing 1.5m high parapets.

Your list does not mention

Bristol Temple Meads to Chippenham
Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway
Bristol Temple Meads to Weston?

Westerleigh Junction to Bromsgrove

For discussion  ;D

* In our area
1. Bristol Temple Meads to ... Severn Beach, Patchway, Parkway and Cocklbury Lane
2. Didcot (Foxcote, Station and east) to Oxford and Hanborough
3. Wokingham to Reigate
4. Westbury to ... Newbury, Thingley, Bathampton
5. Westerleigh Junction to Bromsgrove

....

In your 1 I would add Bristol Tempe Meads to Yate and Taunton to cover Avon metro and Cardiff / Taunton services.

MetroWest may well to extend beyond Yate, to Gloucester. It's a tricky business drawing the line, isn't it, when in reality pretty much everything needs doing!

With all the dosh splashed out on the Box Tunnel, I would guess that it might be part of (at least) a bit more electrification.

Your list does not mention

Bristol Temple Meads to Chippenham
Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway
Bristol Temple Meads to Weston?

Westerleigh Junction to Bromsgrove

Not knowing what DoT means by "shovel ready", but having experience in other sectors, I think "shovel ready" means " Start April". In that case I would have thought this would only include recently cancelled plans otherwise well advanced, such as Chippenham- Bristol TM, Didcot-Oxford and the Midland Mainline. I I would guess that anything else  would be unlikely to start quickly given the long  planning timeline.

Shovel ready means the design is complete and the materials and to hand or readily available.

Dear Sirs,

I?m not familiar with this newfangled use of the expression ?no regret?.  When did this become usual?

Yours sincerely,

A ??? Pensioner

That is a very good question, and I am glad you asked.

When you think outside the box, it's a no-brainer. Having peeled the onion utilizing a desk-based coalface analysis (leveraging available technologies), I was enabled to climb the strategic staircase and look under the bonnet to visualize a helicopter view of the phrastic intent of 'no regret'.

It means 'low-hanging fruit'.

These 2 Bristol Temple Meads to Chippenham, Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway would be close to "shovel ready" now as most of the design work will have been completed under GWEP.