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Author Topic: Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion  (Read 1053206 times)
DidcotPunter
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« Reply #2445 on: March 28, 2017, 11:23:06 »

Man in the know on WNXX (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) reports that there will be 12 car testing with 387s between Reading TCD and Didcot on the night of 7th/8th April and between Stockley and Maidenhead on the night of 8th/9th April. If this goes well they are apparently just about on schedule to introduce EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) working between Padd and Maidenhead in tome for the May timetable change.
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stuving
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« Reply #2446 on: March 28, 2017, 12:54:39 »

Lurking on the second page of the recent letter from Paul Maynard to Alok Sharma, about Theale's lifts (q.v.), is this:

"I believe the Office of Rail and Roads [sic] will shortly be issuing new guidance about electrical clearances which assist Network Rail in finalising the measures necessary to complete electrical design."

And no, I don't entirely follow that rather odd wording either.
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SandTEngineer
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« Reply #2447 on: March 28, 2017, 13:06:36 »

.....no more TSI compliant electrification then.... Wink Shocked
« Last Edit: March 28, 2017, 17:02:50 by SandTEngineer » Logged
TonyK
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« Reply #2448 on: March 28, 2017, 16:37:59 »

25mm it is, then.
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Now, please!
bradshaw
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« Reply #2449 on: March 28, 2017, 16:53:15 »

This was the ORR» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) position last year, which led to the increased clearances and cost involved. Roger Ford in Modern Railways discussed the implications and is well worth reading.


http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/23004/electrical-clearances-policy-statement.pdf

The date of the letter mentioned, March 2017, may indicate a change in these clearances to a lower tolerance.

British Rail did research it in the 1950/60s and allowed much lower clearances.

If a lower tolerance is allowed there could be significant cost reductions in the offing
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SandTEngineer
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« Reply #2450 on: March 28, 2017, 20:33:39 »

The answer to my question in another thread concerning the changes carried out at Maidenhead over xmas/new year 2016/2017 can be found if you play the video here: http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/new-trains-on-the-way-as-thames-valley-electrification-reaches-major-milestone
« Last Edit: March 28, 2017, 22:00:23 by SandTEngineer » Logged
stuving
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« Reply #2451 on: March 28, 2017, 23:38:40 »

Man in the know on WNXX (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) reports that there will be 12 car testing with 387s between Reading TCD and Didcot on the night of 7th/8th April and between Stockley and Maidenhead on the night of 8th/9th April. If this goes well they are apparently just about on schedule to introduce EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) working between Padd and Maidenhead in tome for the May timetable change.

Network rail have now put their collective neck on the block for that May date, as well a announcing the enlivening of those 12 miles of magic string:
Quote
New trains on the way as Thames Valley electrification reaches major milestone

Network Rail successfully electrifies 12 miles of railway from Maidenhead to Stockley Junction as part of the Crossrail project
New electric infrastructure in the Thames Valley allows for the introduction of new Great Western Railway (GWR (Great Western Railway)) trains in May and the Elizabeth line from 2019


Last weekend, Network Rail successfully electrified 12 miles of railway to the west of London between Stockley Junction and Maidenhead as part of the Crossrail project.

Electrification will allow GWR to extend new electric trains from London Paddington to Maidenhead from this May, and to Didcot in January 2018, delivering more seats for passengers. In January this year GWR began to run half-hourly new Electrostar trains from London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington, providing much needed extra capacity for passengers.

The work will also allow for the delivery of new Elizabeth line trains on this section of the railway from December 2019. Passengers in the Thames Valley will be able to catch new Elizabeth line trains all the way through central London without having to change onto the Underground at Paddington, making it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London and the South East.

Over three years, Network Rail has led an 800-strong workforce to successfully install more than 1,400 overhead structures and 140 miles of overhead wires that will power the new trains. The vast majority of this huge engineering project had to be undertaken in the early hours of the morning, at weekends and bank holidays to enable GWR and other operators to run normal services as much as possible.

Mark Langman, Route Managing Director, Network Rail, said: “This is a major milestone for Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan of which the delivery of an electrified Great Western Mainline and the Elizabeth line is a huge part. From May this year more passengers will see immediate benefits with brand new, cleaner, quieter electric trains operating between Maidenhead and Paddington. “On behalf of Network Rail I would like to thank passengers, local residents, businesses and local authorities for their patience and permission to deliver this huge programme of railway upgrade work at anti-social hours, weekends and every bank holiday for the last three years. Without their support it simply would not have been possible to electrify the Great Western Mainline to deliver new improved passenger services and pave the way for the Elizabeth line.”

Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said: “The Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK (United Kingdom).  We have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much needed additional capacity and more comfortable, quieter journeys. We started to run half hourly new electric trains in January, delivering over 10,000 more seats a day between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington. We look forward to being able to extend these services beyond Hayes to Maidenhead this coming May as Network Rail continues its work to upgrade the railway.”

Matthew White, Crossrail Surface Director, said: “The completion of this major piece of work paves the way for new, quicker, quieter trains right along this stretch of the railway. Once the Elizabeth line opens fully in 2019, passengers from the Thames Valley will be able to catch one train all the way through central London, providing a direct link to a range of destinations, including the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.”

ENDS
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Gordon the Blue Engine
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« Reply #2452 on: March 29, 2017, 11:43:13 »

“Electrification to …. Didcot in January 2018?” .  This is the first I’ve heard that they’re going to miss the December 2017 date which has been quoted for a long time and which I’d thought was pretty definite.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #2453 on: March 29, 2017, 11:50:39 »

Aren't the electric trains in the Dec17 timetable actually starting in very early January for some reason? I think that's the meaning of this reference
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IndustryInsider
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« Reply #2454 on: March 29, 2017, 13:30:39 »

I think it's always been that the infrastructure will be ready for use by December, but training, testing and fine tuning (such as making sure SDO (Selective Door Opening) works ok and that stopping points when turning back aren't over AWS (Automatic Warning System) magnets/TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System) grids and there's no problems with signal sighting/potential read across) means the public services are set to commence in January.
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To view my GWML (Great Western Main Line) Electrification cab video 'before and after' video comparison, as well as other videos of the new layout at Reading and 'before and after' comparisons of the Cotswold Line Redoubling scheme, see: http://www.dailymotion.com/user/IndustryInsider/
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« Reply #2455 on: March 29, 2017, 13:49:05 »

There've also been a couple of occasions over on the "Southern", mainly to do with London Bridge works, when the public timetable alterations were deferred slightly from mid December until after the Christmas & New Year break, especially when it coincided with major infrastructure changes. 

Indeed didn't the Hayes & Harlington all day EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) changes (and Greenford curtailment to West Ealing) only start on Jan 3rd this year to avoid various holiday period closures?

Paul
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Noggin
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« Reply #2456 on: March 29, 2017, 17:35:33 »

I think it's always been that the infrastructure will be ready for use by December, but training, testing and fine tuning (such as making sure SDO (Selective Door Opening) works ok and that stopping points when turning back aren't over AWS (Automatic Warning System) magnets/TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System) grids and there's no problems with signal sighting/potential read across) means the public services are set to commence in January.

Indeed, the Hendy dates are availability for public service, which is not the same as public services actually starting. That would allow plenty of time for a blockade of Reading to test everything, driver training etc. It presumably implies an energisation of September/October, which hardly seems challenging given how much of the ironmongery seems to be in place.

Is it still the case that Cardiff & Newbury are planned for Dec 2018?
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Electric train
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« Reply #2457 on: March 30, 2017, 07:08:55 »

Man in the know on WNXX (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) reports that there will be 12 car testing with 387s between Reading TCD and Didcot on the night of 7th/8th April and between Stockley and Maidenhead on the night of 8th/9th April. If this goes well they are apparently just about on schedule to introduce EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) working between Padd and Maidenhead in tome for the May timetable change.

Network rail have now put their collective neck on the block for that May date, as well a announcing the enlivening of those 12 miles of magic string:
Quote
New trains on the way as Thames Valley electrification reaches major milestone

Network Rail successfully electrifies 12 miles of railway from Maidenhead to Stockley Junction as part of the Crossrail project
New electric infrastructure in the Thames Valley allows for the introduction of new Great Western Railway (GWR (Great Western Railway)) trains in May and the Elizabeth line from 2019


Last weekend, Network Rail successfully electrified 12 miles of railway to the west of London between Stockley Junction and Maidenhead as part of the Crossrail project.

Electrification will allow GWR to extend new electric trains from London Paddington to Maidenhead from this May, and to Didcot in January 2018, delivering more seats for passengers. In January this year GWR began to run half-hourly new Electrostar trains from London Paddington to Hayes & Harlington, providing much needed extra capacity for passengers.

The work will also allow for the delivery of new Elizabeth line trains on this section of the railway from December 2019. Passengers in the Thames Valley will be able to catch new Elizabeth line trains all the way through central London without having to change onto the Underground at Paddington, making it quicker and easier to get to a range of destinations across London and the South East.

Over three years, Network Rail has led an 800-strong workforce to successfully install more than 1,400 overhead structures and 140 miles of overhead wires that will power the new trains. The vast majority of this huge engineering project had to be undertaken in the early hours of the morning, at weekends and bank holidays to enable GWR and other operators to run normal services as much as possible.

Mark Langman, Route Managing Director, Network Rail, said: “This is a major milestone for Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan of which the delivery of an electrified Great Western Mainline and the Elizabeth line is a huge part. From May this year more passengers will see immediate benefits with brand new, cleaner, quieter electric trains operating between Maidenhead and Paddington. “On behalf of Network Rail I would like to thank passengers, local residents, businesses and local authorities for their patience and permission to deliver this huge programme of railway upgrade work at anti-social hours, weekends and every bank holiday for the last three years. Without their support it simply would not have been possible to electrify the Great Western Mainline to deliver new improved passenger services and pave the way for the Elizabeth line.”

Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said: “The Thames Valley is one of the most popular rail corridors in the UK (United Kingdom).  We have promised the current fleet would be upgraded to provide much needed additional capacity and more comfortable, quieter journeys. We started to run half hourly new electric trains in January, delivering over 10,000 more seats a day between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington. We look forward to being able to extend these services beyond Hayes to Maidenhead this coming May as Network Rail continues its work to upgrade the railway.”

Matthew White, Crossrail Surface Director, said: “The completion of this major piece of work paves the way for new, quicker, quieter trains right along this stretch of the railway. Once the Elizabeth line opens fully in 2019, passengers from the Thames Valley will be able to catch one train all the way through central London, providing a direct link to a range of destinations, including the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.”

ENDS

Looking over the OLE (Overhead Line Equipment, more often "OHLE") install albeit from the limited view of a train yesterday afternoon, there are areas where for instance the ATF wire is yet to be completed, I do not believe Kensal Green ATFS is fully ready yet and the IATS at West Ealing, Slough do not seem to be connected; there are issues with SCADA (System Control And Data Acquisition,).

Except for a few places like Maidenhead platform 5 (I think could well be tied in with the Maidenhead Silco Drive sidings work, leaving the wire that is in platform 5 / branch separated to allow the work to be done without permits) the OLE contact wire is complete to allow an electric train service to operate to Maidenhead, the system will be operated in the "classic" mode ie 25kV with running rail / earth wire return.  There is no need for the full electrical sectioning for the limited initial electric train service and the existing Old Oak Common classic FS will be capable of feeding it.

 
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
chuffed
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« Reply #2458 on: March 31, 2017, 18:34:26 »

Mods...can we split off the more technical questions and answers of this thread, please ? The last posting was just words to me, with absolutely no level of comprehension whatsoever ! It might have helped if there had been a full stop in there somewhere.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2017, 18:47:35 by chuffed » Logged
Electric train
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« Reply #2459 on: April 01, 2017, 18:47:18 »

Mods...can we split off the more technical questions and answers of this thread, please ? The last posting was just words to me, with absolutely no level of comprehension whatsoever ! It might have helped if there had been a full stop in there somewhere.


Sorry about that, I typed it in a bit of a rush.   I try to explain some of the techie terms used in electrification as simply as I can, so that people can appreciate some of what is behind the system.  Smiley

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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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