BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) was directed by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) at the time to reduce maintenance costs by reduce over capacity as a way of showing efficiencies it is easy today with increasing passenger numbers and fright tonnage to question now why did they do that, in the 70's and 80's BR did not have the funding to maintain all of its system, its also the reason why so many bits that would be oh so useful today were sold off

The RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) is not a set in stone document it is NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s view on how it sees the most efficient use of the asset, the ToC's n FoC's through pressure of their customers may have a different view mix all this in with what DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) want who provide much of the (tax payers) money to run the services and providing / maintaining the infrastructure all will alter the service patterns no doubt will suit some and mostly not others

Good lord no ........ Tony Ben may be

Not as impressive as the early days of the 125's with there regular exhaust box fires due to oil seals blowing in the turbo chargers

You either have a system
a) where staff a rostered to cover the full seven days a working week with rest days that are never on the same day of the week every week for which you pay a higher basic rate for the normal week to compensate for the antisocial working, this system normally has a the same flat rate for working rest days
b) where staff cover Sundays and rest days voluntarily, in this system you pay an enhanced rate for working those extra shift to compensate for giving up your days off.

The choice LM^▸ (London Midland - recent franchise) staff made spend Sunday at home with family on a lovely summers day or work for money where most of it will be taken by HMRC in tax to pay the bankers bonuses, not a difficult decision.

The big key words in this episode is "Volunteer to work Sundays" to relay on providing a professional service on "volunteers" is fool hardy management (oh nothing wrong with volunteers providing a service as I am some one who dedicates a lot of my free time in voluntary youth work)

I would say this is more a failure of and the incompetence of the companies management more than of its work force for not "volunteering" to work overtime

It should be remembered that this forum only represents a small proportion of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) users however I believe that this forum does solicits views many of which are very focused on service provision and highlights what many would like to see that service to be, well founded and objective views that cover the whole of the GWML RUS and the adjacent RUS's that impact on these forum users should be put forward from the forum to the consultation.  It is an opportunity not to be missed by the Coffeeshop.

Not sure that a rigid OHLE contact system has been used in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) at any thing approaching high speed.  I've never seen the Seven Tunnel as an impossible to electrify it is quite a large diameter tunnel a little damp in places but not the wettest of tunnels that have had 25kV run through them and lets face it 25kv runs through carriage washing plants 

Furrer & Frey is the system being used to rewire the GE between Liverpool St and Shenfield / Southend, having seen some of it in the sky it looks a bit light weight compared to it predecessor but apparently it is performing very well.

It is a chewie document to digest, but it does make it clear that there are some major bottle necks along the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line), nothing we all didn't know already but this document list them along with some solutions like 14 full length platforms at Paddington this fascinates me as all the years I have been associated with Paddington the platforms have been shortened.  The RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) also alludes to what else will need to be done much further into the future to increase capacity.  I can see the day that 4 tracking between Didcot and Swindon will be included in a RUS.

Bridge building requires quite a few possessions to crane the bits in place, depending on the planned T3 and other works sometimes these seem to take a long time but are actually on program

The rigid bar system is used on the Trowse Bridge (Norwich) (image from Wikipidia) when it was electrified in the 80's  A swinging cantilever system using the rigid conductor was installed in North Pole Depot to allow the road that was used for lifting could also be used for normal maintenance.
From what the OLE^▸ (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") design engineers has told be the plan is to install portal type structures inside Seven Tunnel to support the contact system, also classic Booster Transformer or return conductor system will be used where as the rest of the GWML^▸ (Great Western Main Line) will be Auto Transformer system.  There are train speed limitations with rigid contact equipment

Also all new structures are built standard for OHLE clearance.

The former chairman and owners of EWS^▸ (English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd, now known as DB Schenker Rail (UK^▸ (United Kingdom))) (possibly the largest of the FOC's) had a policy of diesel traction, DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) Schenker may have a different view after all the FOC's need to make their case and a commitment to use electrification, which I am sure they will.

I meant that work bids can be submitted up to 13 weeks but for disruptive works (that is major work effecting track, signals electrification) but there is a risk it will not be allowed.

Two distinct halves of the same company maintenance, track renewals, soon to include minor infrastructure renewals is part of "Assets" and GWML electrification HS2 Crossrail Thameslink major renewals etc is part of Investments, there is a(nother) reorg due which will see reshaping of the company