Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ray951]

Apparently electricification to Cardiff isn't going to be completed until June/July 2019, the last estimated date was, I believe, Dec 2018.

[SandTEngineer]

Cross posted from the May/December 2018 timetable topic...

There is no doubt this has bought Network Rail extra time to get the infrastructure works completed but no one will talk about how late they are running with these just that its better to delay the introduction of the new timetable.

Think this confirms my thoughts above:

Modern Railways Roger Ford on Twitter:

Electrification to Cardiff has been delayed to June/July 2019.

So don’t be surprised if the May 19 timetable change comes and goes with no major timetable change on the GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) network.

A quote on the WNXX^▸ (Stored Unserviceable, Mainline Locos HQ All Classes) Forum yesterday (11/07/2018) from a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) employee:

Mark Hopwood informed us this afternoon that electrification through to Cardiff has been put back, possibly to June/July 2019. The IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) and 802 delivery plan will stay on schedule with considerably more diesel mileage than planned.

...so expect many announcements ".....train service has been cancelled due to shortage of fuel."

[CMRail]

Is it likely that electrifying Swindon to Bristol, Didcot to Oxford and Parkway to Meads will happen in CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024)

[SandTEngineer]

Does anybody local know how the electrification work between Southcote Junction and Newbury is progressing in the current blockade?

[Thatcham Crossing]

There's a very detailed thread running on this on the RailUK Forum:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/great-western-electrification-progress.83452/page-248#post-3560132

From my local observations, wires have been going up over the last week between the two Newbury stations, and between Southcote Junction and Theale. The thread linked above suggests they are also going up between Reading West and Southcote.

Barring a few short gaps (eg, to the east of the new Racecourse Bridge in Newbury), the wires were already pretty much up between Newbury Racecourse and Theale.

There has also been work going on in Newbury Station itself, with alterations to the platform canopies, for example. The old footbridge came down during one of the previous blocks.

[grahame]

From my local observations, wires have been going up over the last week between the two Newbury stations, and between Southcote Junction and Theale. The thread linked above suggests they are also going up between Reading West and Southcote.

Barring a few short gaps (eg, to the east of the new Racecourse Bridge in Newbury), the wires were already pretty much up between Newbury Racecourse and Theale.

There has also been work going on in Newbury Station itself, with alterations to the platform canopies, for example. The old footbridge came down during one of the previous blocks.

Many thanks for that update - sounds like it's making good progress.  Is there a measure of "where they are" versus "where they should be" - i.e. ahead or behind program?   At the start of this month they were said to be very well ahead - indeed they were unsure if the final 4 day closure in November would be needed, but I have no current intelligence on that - whether they've continued to surge ahead of plan, kept plodding along evenly, or had to use up some of the gain if any element shave taken unexpectedly long.

[SandTEngineer]

Thanks for that update TC^▸ (Train Crew, or Travelling Chef, depending on context).  I'll have a look at the website you have mentioned.

[johnneyw]

Can anybody help? I was asked about how for trains now run from Paddington to Temple Meads on wires before switching. Got to admit I was not sure. Anybody know the latest?

[grahame]

Can anybody help? I was asked about how for trains now run from Paddington to Temple Meads on wires before switching. Got to admit I was not sure. Anybody know the latest?

Currently around the Didcot area?   Have been switched on and tested to just beyond Swindon.  From there on to Thingley there's still a lot of work to do in places, and I think it will be electric to Bristol Parkway before to Chippenham.

[johnneyw]

Yes, I should have said Parkway, not Temple Meads. Didcot was certainly not running electric trains mid April but that was some time ago, even allowing for the slow progress that the electrification is making.

[DidcotPunter]

Yes, I should have said Parkway, not Temple Meads. Didcot was certainly not running electric trains mid April but that was some time ago, even allowing for the slow progress that the electrification is making.

Electric trains have been running from Didcot since the beginning of the year. I had my first run on a GW^» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about) class 387 on 1P20 Didcot to Padd on 5th January. IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) were also running on AC^▸ (Alternating Current, or can mean Air Conditioning, depending on context. The second meaning is often used in a railway context and more generally) from Didcot from the beginning of January - up trains stopping at Didcot usually switch from diesel to AC in platform 2, non-stoppers switch over on the move east of Moreton Cutting. All down IETs switch from AC to diesel east of Moreton Cutting.

As previously mentioned the wiring from Milton Junction to Wootton Bassett was energised earlier this month. I've seen entry into service in September suggested in numerous places but no actual date mentioned. Presumably then the diesel/AC changeover point will move to Swindon as most services stop there.

[johnneyw]

Thanks for the information. My IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) from Didcot to Bristol definitely had the pantographs down as it came into Didcot and that is what my assumption was based on. This was mid April so I guess there was some other reason for it's diesel running.

[patch38]

Possibly related to my question about diesel-only here? (Which bobm kindly answered...)

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=18792.msg243135#msg243135

[CMRail]

Swindon will be some what of a milestone in this project, as the first trip that was planned as such can run - the Cheltenham Spa services are now ready for timetabled IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) services, under 1 year early.

[Wizard]

Thanks for the information. My IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) from Didcot to Bristol definitely had the pantographs down as it came into Didcot and that is what my assumption was based on. This was mid April so I guess there was some other reason for it's diesel running.

IETs never arrive at Didcot with the pantograph raised, they are lowered at Moreton Cutting around 2 miles to the east of the station to prevent any electrical overrunning.