Thanks that makes sense now. 

So we have 100% electric IEP, Bi-mode IEP and Bi-mode AT300 (with more powerful engines) all based on AT300.

I assume that means that there will be no HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s running on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) after all these have been delivered?

I had a tweet via Railways Illustrated that said
"Hitachi have been named by First as preferred supplier for 29 extra IEP^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.) trains for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) subject to approval by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)."

Had another tweet via Rail magazine that said
"Proposed FGW Hitachi AT300 fleet will have more powerful engines than IEP sets to cope with hills in Devon and Cornwall".

I am now confused because I thought IEP was based on AT300 and i have also seen mention that 360 AT300 vehicles have been ordered.

Also I guess we should remember that we are only weeks away from a General Election

I notice from the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) press release https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Media-Centre/2015/march/time-spent-working-on-train-contributes-millions-to-uk-businesses that they have installed wifi on HST^▸ (High Speed Train)'s and Sleepers and of course it is already on 180's.

But this morning I noticed that wifi is also being rolled out to those of us who travel on lower speed services  as there was wifi available on the 165 I was travelling on.
This is the first time I have noticed this and I must say it seemed very fast (at least compared to the phone signal in the same location). Does anyone know if it is now being rolled out across all the fgw 165/166 fleet as I haven't seen it announced in any fgw press releases?

the line between Banbury and Leamington Spa is going to reopen on Friday 13th March according to Network Rail.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/Railway-between-Leamington-Spa-and-Banbury-to-reopen-three-weeks-ahead-of-schedule-22ae.aspx

Electric train said "Oxford Stn looks like 2016 or even 2017 before DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) get around to this rebuild."

I travel between Didcot and Oxford everyday and have noticed that the holes have been dug and a lost of piles have been added between Didcot and Kennington Junc. But between Kennington Junc and Oxford no visible work for electrification has taken place, of course it could be that they are undertaking the work in stages but I wonder if they haven't started because of all the changes that are planned at Oxford station. They also don't appear to have done any work on the 3 footbridges between Kennington Junc and Oxford assuming of course that they need to be raised.

Does anybody know what the blue 'crash-like' barriers that are attached to the track and appear next to the piles are for? Lots of these have appeared between Didcot and Oxford usually adjacent to the piles but not always.

In other developments they still appear to laying the cable from Didcot Power station to the feedin substation at Foxhall Junction and although they have built the road to the substation it doesn't look as if any building has taken place yet.

The good news is that Basil Hill Road bridge in Didcot  has just reopened and the temporary footbridge from Didcot Parkway to the car park is almost complete so that the permanent footbridge can be replaced/raised.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are saying that the disruption was caused by Data Cables not working correctly at Hanwell, west of Paddington.
https://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/travel-updates/first-great-western-apology

Not sure how a cable doesn't work correctly unless they have been damaged.

This picture/caption made me laugh.
It is from the Scottish Daily Record, not only I am I convinced that this is not the West Coast Main Line (well not the one in England/Scotland) but the caption is also interesting (although probably true).
http://pic.twitter.com/aw7b5NC9eI
Apologies its not in our area.

Also if drivers are liable to prosecution shouldn't ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) be advising their members to put this into action now and not from 1st December.

Cant seem to load pictures of Foxhall Road bridge replacement so here is the link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128009138@N07/sets/72157646524296954/
Thanks for the links to the plans and I certainly never tried to pass another car in my car on the old bridge.

This weekend they have been installing a new bridge at Foxhall Road in Didcot. Given the width of the abutments looks like it me be 2-way whereas the old bridge was only a single carriageway. can anyone confirm that?





Pictures to follow once worked out how to attach them

From memory and from a distance the posts I have seen between Cholsey and Moreton look very similar to the posts in those photographs. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove whether that is the case or not and they also hadn't added any of the horizontal elements of the structure.

Yes that would be them and there were some other piles laying nearby so that would make complete sense.

Saw my first mast in the Didcot area today, just by the signalling centre.
Although it is more like a vertical pipe than a mast, does it get narrower as it gets taller?

Apparently filming a new Agatha Christie drama staring David Walliams for the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) at Didcot Railway Centre.
They have been there all week and given the amount of equipment and people (at the station  and at the football club) looks like they might be here for a while.

It is the new houses behind the Said Business School, built on the site of the old LNWR^▸ (London North Western Railway) (?) station that is now at Quainton Road, I suppose they will start complaining about the noise of the trains next