Two MP^▸ (Member of Parliament)'s touted for next Transport secretary are MP's for Chippenham, and for Saffron Walden.

Are either even interested in transport let alone informed?

OTC

I promised that ET would have the final and best word!

OTC

This link has worked without paywall:

https://www.modernrailways.com/article/decarbonising-western

OTC

When an electrical circuit with inductance (a coil for instance), is broken, the current drops suddenly. The inductance therefore tries to oppose this by producing a large inverse voltage. This is sufficient to cause a spark across opening contacts. At such high energies small particles of the (silver alloy) metal surface are transferred with the spark. You can see this also in a traditional car ignition system. Over years of frequent operation even highly rated railway relay contacts therefore start to lose their initial shape, producing some resistance between them when closed.

ISTR^▸ (I seem to recall/remember) that railway policy was to replace them every 21 years but condition monitoring was not used, so heavily used ones were not changed any more often than lightly used ones. Modern practice is to use more solid state devices and to use strategies such as "Zero volt/current switching" in ac circuits.

Our esteemed ET member could give a clearer more precise description.

OTC

They did manage 59 minutes before NSE^▸ (Network South East), in a comfortable Fratton based 4CIG.

There could be a passing place at Twickenham if Platform 2 (now reinstated) were made a through  platform and the main lines moved to the centre platforms. There are also loops just East of Staines. Also the centre (slow) roads at Clapham Jn are not restricted in speed whereas the "fast" outer lines are! This carries on to Barnes Jn but pathing is a problem with the Loop trains coming in here. Ascot is also not the capacious station that it once was.

The lenghthening of the units was probably more pressing (it went over to horrid VEP's previously) as the service is very busy.

OTC

The Belle project of returning a Pullman EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) to main line operation created some heritage questions. These included how much should one alter historic artefacts for modern use. This is usually answered by the reversibilty criterion - can it largely be put back? In the Belle's case a very large number of changes were applied, more or less grafting much of a CIG unit onto each set in a very final manner.

It might have been simpler, kinder, quicker and a better business proposition simply to fit a CIG unit (or two) out with Pullman interiors, central locking and retention toilets.

OTC

I asked a Swedish colleague about this and his reply was that while their railways do have more in the way of snowploughs and resilience etc, it is generally accepted that extreme weather requires compromise in activities rather than complaints. They expect c12 hours of disruption and adapt accordingly. Perhaps our mild climate has led us to believe that we can travel and work quite independently of nature and that its is Government's fault if we can't.

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Interestingly the quoted  "good" employer was a (privatised but regulated) utility company or its sub; the "bad" employer was dear Network Rail or its subs, property of HMG.

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If one asks a large population what their view is about a matter that they know little about and which will affect only a minority, one will get a perfect, statistically significant result which of course is perfectly meaningless.

If you asked a railway General Manager accountable to a Board of Directors whose access to funds is limited only to commercial loans whether a scheme is advisable or viable, then you would have a meaningful answer.

OTC

I would of course defer to the above posters whether for knowledge, experience or sound judgement.

In support of the "reasonable fares" theory is the volume hungry nature of the railway; it costs little more to run a train with 1000 seats than one with 100 seats yet the revenue is tenfold. If I were a commercial manager with HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) I would be tempted to run some "£10 singles" to London. Against that is the question of whether there really is that much demand to reasonably fill HS2 services AND the spare seats generated on the classic remaining semi-fast trains. I hope they've done their market research well.

In terms of investment, the question must be whether there is a return on a scheme. I remember being taken round Tinsley Yard, complete with its cabin and wagon arresters, all really redundant before it was opened. We can name many more and I remember a Signalman telling me how his grade feared for their job when their box was painted! The marginal improvements of the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) have always paid whereas the "big bang" schemes of the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) have often left a sour taste. Too often big schemes are driven by headline seeking politicians and work seeking contractors' and consultants' lobbies.

I sincerely hope HS2 is a success but also that the existing Cinderella lines receive proper attention.

OTC

Because every other premium product on the railway since market pricing was adopted has attracted "what the market can bear" fares and also govt will want either a return or more likely a minimised loss, on its "investment".

I'm always game for a SNR cheap off peak, split, or advance, though!

OTC

The Birmingham stretch of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) makes some sense in that it gives extra capacity on the South end of the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), together with LGV^▸ (Large Goods Vehicle) speeds to B'ham. For intermediate stations the benefit is indirect, though not really proportional to the cost. The prestige project HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) services are likely to be at premium fares, not of immediate interest to the masses.

What the "red wall" voters etc really wanted was better local services (i.e using that dirty word, electrification) on their local lines; in the Midlands, Leamington and Stratford round to Worcester and Telford, also along the already 125mph line to the East Midlands and again to Leicester including NUCKLE. Yorkies would like to see not just TP but also the two routes Sheffield - Leeds, the Calder Valley route, Harrogate etc etc. Even we in the West would like our local wirings completed.

I'm still a cautious supporter of HS2 to B'ham and perhaps relieving the curving Trent Valley route, with the good alignment to Crewe improved not replaced. For the rest, the presumption should be on improving existing alignments with bypasses and tunnels (as on HS2!).

The previous accepted figures were of 50% of the existing routes being suitable for high speed, 25% being upgradable and 25% needing a by-pass.The objection to this seemed to be that NR^» (Network Rail - home page) couldn't work on existing lines economically (or operate them afterwards!).

I think that in practice the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) will win the race to Scotland as it has done before.

OTC

...and even a wiring stub as far as Appleford or Radley would be usable by the 80x's, going fast to Oxford and the Cotswold Line.

Bring it on...

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Back on my trips to Oxford for the first time since 2019, I noticed vegetation clearance either side of the bridge over the Thames, North of Didcot, together with a Balfour Beatty van close by. They trimmed the grass very neatly!

Could this be a portent of a renewal of interest in completing the wiring to Oxford, perhaps? Other wirings, such as to Wigston and Stalybridge have commenced without announcement.

The capped piles, unwired masts and TTC's and the deserted Radley ATS^▸ (Automatic Train Supervision), still stand unused.

OTC

I would have thought that the "Metro" idea would have longer legs if it concentrated on the route that rail can serve effectively, i.e Falmouth to Truro, St Austell and points East.

Newquay is about on the same Longitude as Truro, being due North, so is truly  a "great way round" by train, even (at present) from St Austell.  Lostwithiel and even Bodmin are however quite direct.

The heritage line would not have to increase its services much to give a year round connection to the General station.

Have I missed something?

OTC