Electrification to Swansea back on.... maybe?

[whole diary]

[John R]

As confirmed in a press release today by Network Rail

"Today, applications open for around 100 places for the 2012 scheme. With the company receiving the green light from government to electrify hundreds of miles of track on the Great Western main line from London to Swansea and in the north west of England"

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Press-Releases/NETWORK-RAIL-CHIEF-HOPES-ELECTRIFICATION-PLANS-WILL-SPARK-INTEREST-IN-ELECTRICAL-ENGINEERING-GRADUATES-188c/SearchCategoryID-2.aspx

[Electric train]

As confirmed in a press release today by Network Rail

"Today, applications open for around 100 places for the 2012 scheme. With the company receiving the green light from government to electrify hundreds of miles of track on the Great Western main line from London to Swansea and in the north west of England"

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Press-Releases/NETWORK-RAIL-CHIEF-HOPES-ELECTRIFICATION-PLANS-WILL-SPARK-INTEREST-IN-ELECTRICAL-ENGINEERING-GRADUATES-188c/SearchCategoryID-2.aspx

I think you have mis quoted it actually says

Today, applications open for around 100 places for the 2012 scheme. With the company receiving the green light from government to electrify hundreds of miles of track on the Great Western main line from London to Cardiff and in the north west of England, Network Rail^s chief executive David Higgins is hopeful that they can attract the very best young minds in this specialist field. A recent skills report by the Institution of Engineering and Technology found that 23% of British electrical engineering employers have experienced problems in recruiting engineering graduates.

Also this is a press release about graduate recruitment and not about any new electrification.

[JayMac]

It would appear that the press release was edited after John R quoted it. When I read it yesterday it said Swansea.

[John R]

Thanks BNM.

Yes, I was aware it was about graduate recruitment, hence the questioning title, as it was clearly an error. Though given the political sensitivity within the principality on the subject, a bit of a howler, (unless of course there is actually preparatory work going on behind the scenes on the assumption that approval will be forthcoming).

On a related subject, the current Southern tender for 130 emu vehicles is a short term stop gap measure (and probably a Bombardier gift as well), to fill the 2 yr gap until Thameslink stock is delivered. It will mean however that once that happens there will be 32 units needing to find some work somewhere, which could be on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme routes, or alternatively may need some further route miles electrified to enable an emu cascade to occur. This could include the South Wales main line and Valleys.   

[anthony215]

If the wires do get to Swansea,  and perhaps Cheltenham it could mean some orders for emu's from hitachi .

That would allow for further work at their new uk  plant, i know hitachi have taken out some adverts in the railway press showing a new AT-100 emu

[paul7575]

On a related subject, the current Southern tender for 130 emu vehicles is a short term stop gap measure (and probably a Bombardier gift as well), to fill the 2 yr gap until Thameslink stock is delivered. It will mean however that once that happens there will be 32 units needing to find some work somewhere, which could be on the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme routes, or alternatively may need some further route miles electrified to enable an emu cascade to occur. This could include the South Wales main line and Valleys.   

It's also suggested by Tony Miles elsewhere that these will actually be ordered as 26 x 5 car units, which fits in better with Southern's 10 car inner suburban platform lengthening timescales - but IMHO^▸ ('in my humble opinion') it is just as likely that the net extra units (either these or the returning 377/5s currently loaned to Thameslink) could just displace something older from SN, such as 455s, 456s or 313s.  It could kill two birds with one stone, because any of those other classes could provide carriages for SWT^▸ (South West Trains)'s 10 car expansion - them being the major user of 455s.

Paul