Class 450 bimodes to Exeter?

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Heard battery fitted class's 350/2's were being looked at with them fitted with shoes to use 3rd rail.

The issue is the long gap from Bassingstoke to Exeter.  A push to extend 3rd rail at least to Salisbury was bring considered I've seen mentioned elsewhere

Significant expansion of conductor rail schemes whilst in theory just about permitted is de facto prohibited by the elfansafety industry.

Perhaps a case for 750 volt DC^▸ (Direct Current) overhead electrification ? To Salisbury ? The reduced power available at this lower voltage could be supplemented by power from the battery when needed, with he battery being charged whenever the train is stopped, coasting, or otherwise not needing full power.

[fullspeedahead]

I wonder if the Romsey-Southampton-Romsey-Salisbury rounders could be covered in this way. It would free up some stock. I'm not sure how much real-time charging would be possible on the Redbridge to Eastleigh section, but they do get a decent layover in Salisbury.

[PhilWakely]

Most, if not all, Waterloo services shunt out to New Yard at Exeter and layover for around half an hour, so any charging could be done there.   Whether that would be sufficient to get the unit back to Basingstoke, I don't know.

With current performance, sadly, many WAT-EXD^» (Exeter St Davids - next trains) services either terminate in the bay at EXC or turn straight around at EXD because of delays caused by single line operation - so there would be little or no time to recharge batteries 

[paul7575]

A push to extend 3rd rail at least to Salisbury was bring considered I've seen mentioned elsewhere

That is almost certainly out of date information. It was ever only a possible option in the 2009 electrification route utilisation strategy, but that document already stated a preference for OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) from Basingstoke to Exeter. The ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) decision to avoid any future DC^▸ (Direct Current) extensions came later.