Great Western Electrification Progress

[coppercapped]

Have heard word it's cancelled!!! No idea why!

Perhaps too late in the day to reconfigure the service back to normal.

As there are no trains at all running into, through or out of Reading at the moment - apart from the Southern service to Waterloo from Platforms 4 and 5 - it would seem that your contact is talking from where the sun doesn't shine.

Generally, information trumps gossip...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Network Rail have been criticised for using Portuguese Steel in stead of Welsh/British Steel in the new Splott Road Bridge.

To be truthful I can't see this being any different had there been a Labour government in Westminster so I think it's slightly opportunistic of them to complain.

That's a very slippery road.
Ban Portuguese steel and TAP won't buy Airbus planes (with Welsh wings).

NR will buy the best/cheapest bridge components they can.
Doubtless there were many other bridges needing steel for the GW electrification, and possibly there was a bulk deal.
Steel is a global commodity.

 

[Filton Bank]

As there are no trains at all running into, through or out of Reading at the moment - apart from the Southern service to Waterloo from Platforms 4 and 5 - it would seem that your contact is talking from where the sun doesn't shine.

Generally, information trumps gossip...

I don't know whether the full blockade is going ahead or not, but there was certainly some uncertainty yesterday pm. Which, if that genuinely was the case, would make it a bit late to reschedule everything to run through Reading, no?

 

[coppercapped]

I don't know whether the full blockade is going ahead or not, but there was certainly some uncertainty yesterday pm. Which, if that genuinely was the case, would make it a bit late to reschedule everything to run through Reading, no?

Does not 'no trains are running' = 'full blockade'?

And if no trains are running, why not do the work one can do? I can imagine part of the work being postponed, but not all of it.

 

[Filton Bank]

Does not 'no trains are running' = 'full blockade'?

Technically, no.

 

[coppercapped]

Technically, no.

I've had to go to both Tilehurst and Twyford this afternoon (which was mad - driving through Reading on a shopping day... ) and on the bits of the railway I could see as I passed the Orange Army was mobilised.

 

[3973EXL]

At Reading this afternoon only the main entrance giving access to 4 5 & 6 for Southern & N Downs services was open. Access to the rest of the station via 7 was blocked off.
Buses from the north side accessed outside the station via the old subway.

 

[Mintona]

Sounds like the intended work has definitely been postponed.

 

[Chris125]

Some good news from F&F's Noel Dolphin at around 11pm:

"Maidenhead to Reading is currently live and testing electric trains"

 

[Andrewlong]

At Reading this afternoon only the main entrance giving access to 4 5 & 6 for Southern & N Downs services was open. Access to the rest of the station via 7 was blocked off.
Buses from the north side accessed outside the station via the old subway.

I concur. Notices were displayed indicating services were disrupted today and tomorrow.

 

[FGW_DID]

As there are no trains at all running into, through or out of Reading at the moment - apart from the Southern service to Waterloo from Platforms 4 and 5 - it would seem that your contact is talking from where the sun doesn't shine.

Generally, information trumps gossip...

Really! Whilst the block may have been on and some work was certainly taking place, I can safely say that what we were expecting to happen and had planned for, certainly didn't happen, at least not to the timescales originally given. I had quite a long access list today and didn't see one person on it. I'll pass on to my line manager, (sorry 'contact') that he was obviously talking out his arse. :roll:

 

[coppercapped]

Really! Whilst the block may have been on and some work was certainly taking place, I can safely say that what we were expecting to happen and had planned for, certainly didn't happen, at least not to the timescales originally given. I had quite a long access list today and didn't see one person on it. I'll pass on to my line manager, (sorry 'contact') that he was obviously talking out his arse. :roll:

I apologise to unwittingly denigrating your line manager. But so many of the items posted here seem to originate from platform-end speculation and gossip it is difficult, in the absence of any other clues, to work out what is real and what is fantasy.

I understand that the SCADA telemetry systems have to be reconfigured to allow for the extended 'live' area of the overhead wiring, which was planned, and an auto transformer feeder wire somewhere in the Reading area which was not completed on time. This has to be done, so I understand, before the contact wire is energised. Is this what the issue is? On the other hand there have been the 'tweets' referred to above which claim that Maidenhead to Reading is now live.

So what is going on?

 

[3973EXL]

I understand that the SCADA telemetry systems have to be reconfigured to allow for the extended 'live' area of the overhead wiring, which was planned, and an auto transformer feeder wire somewhere in the Reading area which was not completed on time. This has to be done, so I understand, before the contact wire is energised.
So what is going on?

I don't know if this has any connection, two photos from the 12/7 of missing ATF wire.

In the first, the mast in the foreground, off the west end of platform 3/7, you can just see an ATF insulator with no wire in the bottom left area.

The second taken from the Up Westbury, again shows a mast next to the Festival line with the ATF wire missing.

This run was from the mast off the end of the platforms along side the Festival line on the downside.

 

[FGW_DID]

I apologise to unwittingly denigrating your line manager. But so many of the items posted here seem to originate from platform-end speculation and gossip it is difficult, in the absence of any other clues, to work out what is real and what is fantasy.

I understand that the SCADA telemetry systems have to be reconfigured to allow for the extended 'live' area of the overhead wiring, which was planned, and an auto transformer feeder wire somewhere in the Reading area which was not completed on time. This has to be done, so I understand, before the contact wire is energised. Is this what the issue is? On the other hand there have been the 'tweets' referred to above which claim that Maidenhead to Reading is now live.

So what is going on?

Sorry, a bit of a very tired overreaction on my behalf. I wish I knew That info is a lot more specific than we got :roll: All we heard was a generic "it ain't happening".

I've seen similar tweets and as you say, hard to differentiate between genuine info and misinformed wibble.

 

[jimm]

I don't know if this has any connection, two photos from the 12/7 of missing ATF wire.

In the first, the mast in the foreground, off the west end of platform 3/7, you can just see an ATF insulator with no wire in the bottom left area.

The second taken from the Up Westbury, again shows a mast next to the Festival line with the ATF wire missing.

This run was from the mast off the end of the platforms along side the Festival line on the downside.

The autotransformer system isn't needed for them to operate electric trains.

I'm sure someone with the necessary technical expertise can give a detailed technical explanation but my understanding is that ATF's key function is to reduce power losses and ensure a steady traction current reaches the trains.

My memory may be playing tricks but I'm pretty sure they were doing electric testing between Didcot and Tilehurst before the ATF cables were all fitted.

 

[spark001uk]

The autotransformer system isn't needed for them to operate electric trains.

I'm sure someone with the necessary technical expertise can give a detailed technical explanation but my understanding is that ATF's key function is to reduce power losses and ensure a steady traction current reaches the trains.

My memory may be playing tricks but I'm pretty sure they were doing electric testing between Didcot and Tilehurst before the ATF cables were all fitted.

Isn't another main advantage that less feeder stations are required, as the ATF feed is used instead?

 

[3973EXL]

The autotransformer system isn't needed for them to operate electric trains.

I'm sure someone with the necessary technical expertise can give a detailed technical explanation but my understanding is that ATF's key function is to reduce power losses and ensure a steady traction current reaches the trains.

My memory may be playing tricks but I'm pretty sure they were doing electric testing between Didcot and Tilehurst before the ATF cables were all fitted.

I wasn't making any reference to whether ATF is needed or not.

It was a response to the post I quoted about the possibility of an incomplete section.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Plenty of the Orange Army at work on the Reading West Curve, all other train movements stopped - Picture below is just before the Reading West Junction (On the West Curve). Taken at 15:20Hrs

Is that a new type of mast in that picture or one that's only used in certain situations/places?

 

[Groningen]

Am i correct in the view that the electrification is over budget and that is why some other lines do not get the electrification also.

 

[coppercapped]

Am i correct in the view that the electrification is over budget and that is why some other lines do not get the electrification also.

Yes, it's not only very over budget, it's about two years late as well. The National Audit Office has published a report here about the whole sorry story.

 

[coppercapped]

So, does anybody know whether the overhead was energised over the weekend?

(You can't tell by just looking and I don't intend to go and touch it with a wet finger... )

 

[swt_passenger]

Is that a new type of mast in that picture or one that's only used in certain situations/places?

The square bit on the mast supporting two adjacent sets of cantilevers and registration arms appears elsewhere through section overlaps.

It possibly looks a little unusual here because these are on single track masts, many of the overlaps completed so far are within areas with successive sets of four track portals.

 

[FGW_DID]

So, does anybody know whether the overhead was energised over the weekend?

(You can't tell by just looking and I don't intend to go and touch it with a wet finger... )

I'm looking at an email that says the OLE has been declared as 'Live'.

I think it was more the testing that was planned over the weekend that didnt happen, obviously they have done whatever outstanding work there was, to declare it live.

 

[gsnedders]

I'm looking at an email that says the OLE has been declared as 'Live'.

I think it was more the testing that was planned over the weekend that didnt happen, obviously they have done whatever outstanding work there was, to declare it live.

Do they actually have to do any outstanding work to declare it live? Surely the important point of declaring it live is the fact that it must now always be considered to be live and procedures followed assuming it is, not that it necessarily actually is!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Am i correct in the view that the electrification is over budget and that is why some other lines do not get the electrification also.

Actually ALL SIX current electrification projects are both late and over budget, although the GW one is much the worst performer.
Network Rail has cut/deferred many of its other projects as a result, not just electrification.
Another large factor is the reclassification of NR's debt as belonging to the public sector, which means it cannot borrow its way out of the budget problem as it has done in the past.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Actually ALL SIX current electrification projects are both late and over budget, although the GW one is much the worst performer.
Network Rail has cut/deferred many of its other projects as a result, not just electrification.
Another large factor is the reclassification of NR's debt as belonging to the public sector, which means it cannot borrow its way out of the budget problem as it has done in the past.

1. EGIP (includes via Shotts)
2. Manchester - Blackpool
3. GWML
4. Kettering - Corby
5. GOBLIN
6. Bromsgrove and Walsall - Rugely

Are these the 6 you mean

 

[deltic08]

Some good news from F&F's Noel Dolphin at around 11pm:

"Maidenhead to Reading is currently live and testing electric trains"

But which electric trains. If only 387s that doesn't count

 

[jimm]

So, does anybody know whether the overhead was energised over the weekend?

(You can't tell by just looking and I don't intend to go and touch it with a wet finger... )

Yes - two tweets from the weekend. One already noted up the thread from Noel Dolphin, plus one he retweeted

@NoelDolphin
Maidenhead to Reading is currently live and testing electric trains ��

Garry Keenor‏
@25kV
More GW progress... continuous live OLE from Paddington buffer stops to Didcot. Yass!

But which electric trains. If only 387s that doesn't count

Why not?

If the weekend's work only called for operation of 387s, that's all that was needed at this stage - operation on 25kv in passenger service is not projected until the end of the year anyway, so there's a week or two to send out some 800s... the fundamental aim was to test the overhead system itself, not instantly prove that you can run an IET off it.

 

[JN114]

Yes - two tweets from the weekend. One already noted up the thread from Noel Dolphin, plus one he retweeted







Why not?

If the weekend's work only called for operation of 387s, that's all that was needed at this stage - operation on 25kv in passenger service is not projected until the end of the year anyway, so there's a week or two to send out some 800s... the fundamental aim was to test the overhead system itself, not instantly prove that you can run an IET off it.

Was Noel Dolphin actually on site/involved? I know he's quite senior on F&F but they've only designed the system - they're not installing it or operating it.

I only ask as while his tweets match the timeline of what was meant to happen, reality seems somewhat different. From what I've been able to see at work no trains ran within the possession whatsoever- electric or otherwise. Similarly news coming out of the worksite into our office that work required to be completed before it going live hadn't been done, and thus the go live wasn't happening and will be rescheduled. They were also angling to give up the possession nearly 24 hours early on Sunday morning and run a "normal" train service on Sunday. As it was other works (not electrification) still needed until around 2100 but the last few trains that were meant to divert via the Chiltern went via Reading which reopened Sunday evening vice early hours of Monday.

The go live of Maidenhead had 387s running to Maidenhead on test from the word go; with NR PR machine in full force. Funny that there hasn't been any coverage this time around.

 

[Mag_seven]

I'm looking at an email that says the OLE has been declared as 'Live'.

There were posters up at Reading station today with words to that effect.