Great Western Main Line electrification - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[mjones]

What will the time penalty be for this?

[ellendune]

What will happen ar Steventon given that the bridge can't be  be raised? (Until sense prevails...)

Trains can go through pan-up at up to 60 m.p.h. I understand

That is the long term plan as well! 

I thought Network Rail (NR^» (Network Rail - home page)) said they were were appealing

Edit: VickiS - Clarifying Acronym

[Lee]

I thought they said that too, but apparently you have to leave out the "e", and add an extra "l".

[grahame]

What will happen ar Steventon given that the bridge can't be  be raised? (Until sense prevails...)

Trains can go through pan-up at up to 60 m.p.h. I understand

That is the long term plan as well! 

I thought NR^» (Network Rail - home page) said they were were appealing

A speed limit of 60 m.p.h. on a 125 m.p.h. railway is hardly likely to be seen as a good long term plan (time taken and loss of line capacity) so Network Rail and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are keen for a solution to be found.   Having said which some unfortunate speed restrictions (Westbury avoider, Temple Meads station) which we the travelling public feel should be sorted out quite quickly seem to drag on for an age.

[CMRail]

What will happen ar Steventon given that the bridge can't be  be raised? (Until sense prevails...)

Trains can go through pan-up at up to 60 m.p.h. I understand

That is the long term plan as well! 

I thought NR^» (Network Rail - home page) said they were were appealing

A speed limit of 60 m.p.h. on a 125 m.p.h. railway is hardly likely to be seen as a good long term plan (time taken and loss of line capacity) so Network Rail and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are keen for a solution to be found.   Having said which some unfortunate speed restrictions (Westbury avoider, Temple Meads station) which we the travelling public feel should be sorted out quite quickly seem to drag on for an age.

It’s a couple of thousand people vs hundreds of thousands when it comes to the bridge situation. Unfortunately one day it will need to be replaced but 8 months felt long and it could go faster.

[paul7575]

I’m pretty sure from recent posts elsewhere that IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) will switch to diesel mode well before Steventon, drop the pan and go through at line speed.  So down trains during a Didcot call, or if non stopping at Moreton Cutting as now.

The much discussed 60 mph limit will apply to the 387s, and then only a small number of ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from/to Swindon.

Paul

[onthecushions]

Presumably trains calling at Didcot Pwy/Jn would not need to change to diesel as they would be braking/accelerating near Steventon anyway.

Steventon is just 3m30c from Didcot, so time lost by observing 60mph there would be small.

Good news, all the same.

OTC

[Timmer]

I’m pretty sure from recent posts elsewhere that IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) will switch to diesel mode well before Steventon, drop the pan and go through at line speed.  So down trains during a Didcot call, or if non stopping at Moreton Cutting as now.

The much discussed 60 mph limit will apply to the 387s, and then only a small number of ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from/to Swindon.

Paul

But surely all this dropping and raising the pan at speed has the element of risk attached to it. I know technology has improved since the early days of electrification but even so.

[IndustryInsider]

It's certainly a far from ideal solution, but should not impact on journey times too much.  Changeover is still done manually on IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)), so until that changes there is an element of risk that concerns me.

[Adrian]

What will happen ar Steventon given that the bridge can't be  be raised? (Until sense prevails...)

Trains can go through pan-up at up to 60 m.p.h. I understand

That is the long term plan as well! 

I thought NR^» (Network Rail - home page) said they were were appealing

A speed limit of 60 m.p.h. on a 125 m.p.h. railway is hardly likely to be seen as a good long term plan (time taken and loss of line capacity) so Network Rail and GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are keen for a solution to be found.   Having said which some unfortunate speed restrictions (Westbury avoider, Temple Meads station) which we the travelling public feel should be sorted out quite quickly seem to drag on for an age.

It’s a couple of thousand people vs hundreds of thousands when it comes to the bridge situation. Unfortunately one day it will need to be replaced but 8 months felt long and it could go faster.

I read somewhere about a novel scheme to jack the existing bridge up.  Shorter closure period, cheaper, and the listed structure can be preserved, so would perhaps be acceptable to the local council and residents.  Apparently it's been done previously on a single-span brick bridge before, but never before on a double span.

[stuving]

I read somewhere about a novel scheme to jack the existing bridge up.  Shorter closure period, cheaper, and the listed structure can be preserved, so would perhaps be acceptable to the local council and residents.  Apparently it's been done previously on a single-span brick bridge before, but never before on a double span.

There was one done experimentally two years ago, with claimed success. But there's been no rush to do loads of them since, so you do wonder about that. Note this is about masonry arch bridges - ones with steel or concrete decks or beams, if not routine, should be a known option.

There is a piece in Railway Gazette about that ElevArch demonstration, and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have a video (or say they do, I can't get it to run).

[Wizard]

Presumably trains calling at Didcot Pwy/Jn would not need to change to diesel as they would be braking/accelerating near Steventon anyway.

Steventon is just 3m30c from Didcot, so time lost by observing 60mph there would be small.

Good news, all the same.

OTC

Many up trains calling at Didcot will still be doing 125 until past the Jaguar/Vauxhall/Volkswagen dealerships at Milton, and only apply the brake when passing the old Daily Mail building at Foxhall. So it will be quite a time penalty for those as well

At present, there are signs up just by Causeway Crossing saying ‘no access to electric trains’. No mention of a speed restriction, just straight out no access until you get to Didcot Parkway.

[RA]

Reports of OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) damage in the Ladbroke Grove area. All trains on stop in the area.

[a-driver]

Reports of OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) damage in the Ladbroke Grove area. All trains on stop in the area.

Contact wire confirmed as down on Line 4

Reports of passengers self de-training in the Ladbroke Grove area as well

[IndustryInsider]

Contact wire down on Line 4 at Ladbroke Grove.  Three controlled evacuations arranged.  Again, appreciating it makes no difference in terms of the disruption, this is in the 'old' electrification area from the late 90s.