Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 11:15 28 Mar 2024
- Man suffers life-threatening injuries after train stabbing
- How do I renew my UK passport and what is the 10-year rule?
* Easter travel warning as millions set to hit roads
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
28th Mar (1988)
Woman found murdered on Orpington to London train (*)

Train RunningCancelled
09:12 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
09:29 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
10:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
10:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
10:41 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
11:00 Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington
11:05 Swindon to Westbury
11:16 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
11:23 Weston-Super-Mare to London Paddington
11:30 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
11:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
12:15 London Paddington to Cardiff Central
12:17 Westbury to Swindon
12:30 London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
06:00 London Paddington to Penzance
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:28 Cardiff Central to Portsmouth Harbour
07:33 Weymouth to Gloucester
09:50 Cardiff Central to London Paddington
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
10:55 Paignton to London Paddington
11:12 Salisbury to Bristol Temple Meads
11:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
12:03 London Paddington to Penzance
Delayed
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:23 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff Central
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
08:48 London Paddington to Swansea
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
09:30 Weymouth to Gloucester
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
09:51 Warminster to Gloucester
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
10:23 London Paddington to Oxford
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
13:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 28, 2024, 11:20:04 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[171] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[97] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[66] Return of the BRUTE?
[56] If not HS2 to Manchester, how will traffic be carried?
[52] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[41] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: 1 ... 68 69 [70] 71 72 ... 78
  Print  
Author Topic: Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion  (Read 283343 times)
Oxonhutch
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1243



View Profile
« Reply #1035 on: June 12, 2020, 14:44:02 »

You obviously didn't look at the PDF linked to at the bottom of the article Tongue

The aerial work looked interestingShocked
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #1036 on: June 12, 2020, 16:49:15 »


You obviously didn't look at the PDF linked to at the bottom of the article Tongue

I didn't notice it, but have now read it - thanks! Good wiring is a thing of beauty, and it is clearly worth taking a very close look at.
Logged

Now, please!
Bmblbzzz
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4256


View Profile
« Reply #1037 on: June 12, 2020, 20:56:08 »

Tony K's photo is quite neat compared to some I saw when I was there. The process seems to be that 'legitimate' electricity and phone cables get used as support for a host of cable TV and broadband wiring, which is often simply draped from the existing stuff, wound round it or, for the neatest stuff, perhaps attached to the poles with zip ties, string and jubilee clips. Draped over trees and buildings at random too. Then (or actually before that) there are DIY wires pirating the electricity supply and quite possible the cables too. All at heights varying from head to tree top. Of course, quite a bit of it is no longer in use; the cable firm has gone bust, the broadband has switched to something else, the phone's been disconnected, and so on. But there are no records kept of which is which.
Logged

Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
Bmblbzzz
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4256


View Profile
« Reply #1038 on: June 12, 2020, 22:37:14 »

I'm also wondering about supply. I presume it must be relatively easy to ensure a reliable, dedicated high-voltage, 'high level' (pun not intended) supply, and the blackouts and 'load shedding' which plague Indian electricity must be down to problems and overloading further downstream.
Logged

Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4355


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #1039 on: June 13, 2020, 08:31:22 »

I'm also wondering about supply. I presume it must be relatively easy to ensure a reliable, dedicated high-voltage, 'high level' (pun not intended) supply, and the blackouts and 'load shedding' which plague Indian electricity must be down to problems and overloading further downstream.

I acted as a host for 2 groups of India State Railways electrification supervisors in the 1990's,  very interesting groups they were 2 very knowledgeable and keen.

The one thing I did learn about the Indian State Railway they also own and operate there own 132kV power lines to ensure they maintain the supply, in some remote areas they also act as the electricity provider to local communities.   At one time they even owned power stations
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 5190


There are some who call me... Tim


View Profile
« Reply #1040 on: December 08, 2020, 22:01:36 »

From time to time in this thread, someone has suggested that electrifying the railway through Bath would be difficult because Bath people would never wear it.

Now I know Bath people, and for the most part they're a reasonable bunch: A bit chippy, living as they do in the armpit of Bristol  Wink, but otherwise generally up for doing the Right Thing. So who could have been responsible for suggesting they'd rather stick with diesel power?

Quote
Grayling signals Bath rail electrification axe

Electrification of a key stretch of the Great Western route could be scrapped because unsightly overhead lines could spoil the appearance of the historic city of Bath.

In an interview in the Bristol Post last week, transport secretary Chris Grayling said that the new hybrid trains planned for the route will deliver significant cuts to journey times anyway, and questioned whether spending millions of pounds on electrifying some parts of the route was necessary.

...continues
Source: New Civil Engineer, 8 Feb 2017

« Last Edit: December 08, 2020, 22:23:19 by Red Squirrel » Logged

Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
MVR S&T
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 438


View Profile
« Reply #1041 on: December 08, 2020, 22:20:30 »

Let's get Bristol done next, and I supose with BI mode trains some bits could be wired up, I seem to recal the eastern approch is a bit run down and the station itself to cut diesel emissions in city centre, also 5 car 80x trains for Cardiff to Portsmouth. Looks like now cures for Covid has begun, climate is back on the medias agenda as the next 'click bait'.
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #1042 on: December 09, 2020, 20:40:11 »

Let's get Bristol done next, and I supose with BI mode trains some bits could be wired up, I seem to recal the eastern approch is a bit run down and the station itself to cut diesel emissions in city centre, also 5 car 80x trains for Cardiff to Portsmouth. Looks like now cures for Covid has begun, climate is back on the medias agenda as the next 'click bait'.

Chris Grayling and soon-to-be-ex-President Trump aside, I don't think the debate around climate, pollution and the environment is going to fade away any time soon. It's not a matter of if we should move away from fossil fuels, but when and how.

One of the big challenges is to sort out the wheat from the chaff , and find out what really is the best combination of solutions, because whenever the government comes up with an idea after a lot of lobbying, the clever people change their behaviour to fit the profile for money, rather than what is really a good idea. Nobody seems that bothered about doing that, though, so it's all piecemeal. As an example in transport, a university has found that tyre and brake particle pollution is significantly higher from electric cars than fossil fuel cars, and could pose a serious health risk. The reason is weight of batteries, something that wasn't really thought about a few years ago. A solution could be trams rather than buses on busy routes, but someone will have to crunch those numbers. In power generation, the idea of using wood waste instead of coal has become a juggernaut that is consuming forests, and calling it green, and there was the famous Northern Ireland scheme that made it worthwhile to burn electricity in places like car showrooms, seldom heated previously.

With diesel trains, there is a very obvious solution. Stick cables up - no more diesel fumes from trains. Steel wheels on steel rail cause particles to hit the atmosphere, but they quickly fall to the ground, unlike rubber. It can't be put off forever.
Logged

Now, please!
Bmblbzzz
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4256


View Profile
« Reply #1043 on: December 09, 2020, 21:06:30 »

Quote
?The arrival of hybrid technology means we don?t have to put up unsightly overhead lines in places where either you wouldn?t want them, like historic Bath, or through attractive country areas where you are not getting the speed gains,? Grayling told the Bristol newspaper.
Never mind 'historic Bath', I'm worried by the implications of the second part of his statement. All of a sudden it's not worth electrifying route sections in countryside; electrification becomes purely an urban and suburban project, suitable for metropolitan commuter routes only.

But supposing the electric string does reach Bristol down the Filton Bank, and as a result via Parkway becomes the default route to London. What will be the long-term effect on Bath? And on other towns between Bristol and Swindon, such as Chippenham or Keynesham?
Logged

Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
broadgage
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 5398



View Profile
« Reply #1044 on: December 09, 2020, 22:25:54 »

In view of the strong opposition in Bath to OHLE, I don't mind if "via Bath" becomes the secondary, or less preferred, or less used route between London and the West.
And if the people of Bath complain, they can be told  "We listened to the strongly held views that opposed electrification through Bath, and have therefore electrified the alternative route. The faster and greener electric trains use the main line, with the route via Bath being served by a more limited service of slower services"
Logged

A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
MVR S&T
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 438


View Profile
« Reply #1045 on: December 09, 2020, 22:42:58 »

What is the attraction with London anyway?
Logged
TonyK
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 6435


The artist formerly known as Four Track, Now!


View Profile
« Reply #1046 on: December 09, 2020, 23:03:15 »

What is the attraction with London anyway?

It has a railway leading out.
Logged

Now, please!
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40690



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #1047 on: December 09, 2020, 23:14:03 »

In view of the strong opposition in Bath to OHLE, I don't mind if "via Bath" becomes the secondary, or less preferred, or less used route between London and the West.

But ... Bristol to Bath and to the places beyond is, even excluding London, is [another] major flow. I'm not sure that the best / greenest / most efficient way for all those South Wales / WECA» (West of England Combined Authority - about) to Wiltshire / Dorset / Solent passengers should be compromised to the extent of marginalisation.

What is the attraction with London anyway?

Much less than it was!

And if the people of Bath complain, they can be told  "We listened to the strongly held views that opposed electrification through Bath, and have therefore electrified the alternative route. The faster and greener electric trains use the main line, with the route via Bath being served by a more limited service of slower services"

But ... have we heard from the people of Bath, or a noisy and unrepresentative section of the population of Bath?

What does it matter if any remaining "super fasts" that wouldn't call at Bath Spa anyway pass through there or not?

Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4355


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #1048 on: December 10, 2020, 06:02:18 »


And if the people of Bath complain, they can be told  "We listened to the strongly held views that opposed electrification through Bath, and have therefore electrified the alternative route. The faster and greener electric trains use the main line, with the route via Bath being served by a more limited service of slower services"

But ... have we heard from the people of Bath, or a noisy and unrepresentative section of the population of Bath?


I am guessing if you asked the average Bathonian there response would huh, meh, what  Undecided  Huh  in other words most would not have an opinion, some might not even knew Bath has a railway station
Logged

Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
CyclingSid
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1918


Hockley viaduct


View Profile
« Reply #1049 on: December 10, 2020, 06:55:00 »

They didn't like wind turbines in
Quote
attractive country areas
so they stuck them off-shore. Water wings for trains?
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 ... 68 69 [70] 71 72 ... 78
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page