First test trains ran on Saturday & Sunday morning.
Railway Gazette has this - including some video on the link above
UK▸ : The first testing of an electric trainset between Reading and Didcot as part of the Great Western electrification programme was undertaken on the mornings of July 16 and 17, in what infrastructure manager Network Rail said was ‘a major milestone for the electrification project’.
Having arrived from its London depot, the Hitachi Class 800 Intercity Express Train made two test runs from Reading to Didcot at up to 200 km/h to test the newly installed 25 kV 50 Hz overhead electrification equipment. The testing was managed by Network Rail, which is currently electrifying the routes between London Paddington and Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford and Newbury. The Reading – Didcot section has been completed first to serve as a testing ground for the power systems and the trainsets.
‘This is a great step forward, and I’d like to pay tribute to the team who have worked very hard to make this happen’, said Mark Langman, Route Managing Director for Network Rail Western. ‘This is the future of rail being built before our eyes and it’s a very exciting time to be involved in this project. This weekend we’ve come a big step closer to providing faster, quieter, and more efficient services to the people of the region who depend on railways.’
Electric passenger services are now scheduled to begin ‘from 2019’.
Rail Technology Magazine has this - spot the typo
Network Rail carried out two test runs of a new Class 800 Intercity Express train over the weekend on the recently energised section of the route from Reading to Didcot.
During a series of exercises, designed to test the overhead electric power system, the Class 800 was driven from Reading to Didcot on Saturday and Sunday morning.
Mark Langman, route managing director for Network Rail Western, said: “This is a great step forward, and I’d like to pay tribute to the team who have worked very hard to make this happen.â€
He added that over the weekend the team have “come a big step closer to providing faster, quieter, and more efficient services†to the people of the region who depend on railways.
Testing will now continue as construction proceeds on the Greater West programme, with public services scheduled to begin from 2019.
In the latest edition of RTM▸ , we talked to Andy Haynes, project director, West of England, the Greater West Programme, who discussed the complexity of getting the Reading to Didcot section ready for electrification. He also talked about how piling rates have increased using HOPS and installing Furrer+Frey’s new Series 1 OLE▸ system.
During our interview with Haynes, he suggested that the delayed programme, which has also seen its costs balloon, is getting back on track.
However, the ORR» recently warned that delivery of Network Rail’s obligations as set out in the new Enhancement Deliver Plan (EDP) are not without risk, particularly in relation to GWML▸ electrification.
The regulator said the key measure will be whether Network Rail is able to test and commission the ‘Series 1’ overhead line system between Tilehurst and Didcot by 20 September. This will provide evidence as to whether Network Rail will be able to successfully complete electrification to Wootton Bassett by December 2017.
Earlier this month, one of Great Western Railway’s Class 800 trains, one of a fleet of 57 designed and built by Hitachi, made its maiden voyage in a special trip from London to Paddington to mark 175 years since the opening of the GWML.
