Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

7.33  non-stop arriving at 08.06

It appears for just Monday this week this will be a turbo and not a 387.

[johoare]

7.33  non-stop arriving at 08.06

It appears for just Monday this week this ill be a turbo and not a 387.

That link takes you to a empty train running from Reading to Maidenhead which is a little suspicious.. Here is the 7.33 Maidenhead to Paddington EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) still hopefully 

[johoare]

7.33  non-stop arriving at 08.06

It appears for just Monday this week this ill be a turbo and not a 387.

That link takes you to a empty train running from Reading to Maidenhead which is a little suspicious.. Here is the 7.33 Maidenhead to Paddington EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) still hopefully 

However the service from West Ealing EMU sidings which forms this service cancelled  says "cancelled" on it.. Could this be the start of a recurring  theme I wonder

[Adelante_CCT]

Yes, that empty train will form the 07:33

The electric coaching stock for the 07:33 has also been cancelled


Likewise the 18:42 from Paddington looks as if it will also be a turbo

Here is the empty electric coaching stock going back to West Ealing which has been cancelled for tomorrow

Whilst here is the turbo running back to Reading empty.

[johoare]

I wonder how many carriages they'll manage to put on for these two trains then.. Not sure it's worth the risk of finding out it's a whole two carriages 

[Adelante_CCT]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Twitter

Hi, some electric trains will be Turbos tomorrow because of an electricity supply issue. Network Rail are working to fix

[Adelante_CCT]

This should also lead to the same turbo unit doing the 08:42 from Maidenhead and the 16:42 from Paddington tomorrow instead of a 387.

[ChrisB]

Why would this issue cause just two changes to turbos & not all of the 387 services?

[stuving]

Why would this issue cause just two changes to turbos & not all of the 387 services?

Because enough power can be supplied for the existing Heathrow services plus so many 387s, but not the full timetabled number. No doubt that judgement was based on examining the power drawn with the trains running to far, and extrapolating to the new timetable, with allowance for varying relative timing of trains accelerating etc. The peak power draw predicted is over what's available, hence the change.

[John R]

Although I'm not an engineer, that sounds like a fairly basic thing to have established prior to announcing the new services (and certainly not to have discovered less than 48 hours before the services were due to commence).  It doesn't inspire confidence in the whole project.

[IndustryInsider]

Perhaps they're just playing it safe tomorrow, and, all being well, will have the full service commencing on Tuesday when they can monitor tomorrow's power draw?

Better that than something going bang and nothing being able to operate.

[stuving]

Although I'm not an engineer, that sounds like a fairly basic thing to have established prior to announcing the new services (and certainly not to have discovered less than 48 hours before the services were due to commence).  It doesn't inspire confidence in the whole project.

Sorry - I'd forgotten that this subject is (not unreasonably) split over two threads. If you refer to Electric train's post there you'll see that power is still coming from the old feeder station, designed just for the Heathrow services. I'm not sure how long (or short) the wait will be until the new, more powerful, one's on line.

[John R]

Although I'm not an engineer, that sounds like a fairly basic thing to have established prior to announcing the new services (and certainly not to have discovered less than 48 hours before the services were due to commence).  It doesn't inspire confidence in the whole project.

Sorry - I'd forgotten that this subject is (not unreasonably) split over two threads. If you refer to Electric train's post there you'll see that power is still coming from the old feeder station, designed just for the Heathrow services. I'm not sure how long (or short) the wait will be until the new, more powerful, one's on line.

Thanks for the signpost to that. I did recall that post, but still thought that it's incredibly late in the day to pull some of the new services. Hopefully II is right, and it is just a case of being cautious on day 1.  That I would be completely in favour of, as the bad publicity that would result if it went "bang" stopping everything is something to be avoided at all cost. 

[grahame]

From ITV

The first of the new electric trains to ease congestion for passengers on the First Great Western Railway enter into service today.

The Electrostars will increase capacity by forty per cent and have cost £200 million.

They will start running from Maidenhead.

Looks like ITV doesn't consider Hayes and Harlington to Paddington to have been much of a service 

[johoare]

Realtime trains suggests the 6.56 departure only made it as far as Taplow before there was an issue with the doors..aLso they were handing out leaflets at Maidenhead this morning about the increased capacity.. Let's hope they get the service sorted for tomorrow..