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Great Western Electrification Progress

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Peter Mugridge

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Not planning to travel myself, but just wondering if Waterloo - Salisbury - Bristol would be a viable alternative to access Bristol and South Wales while the blockade is in place?
 
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jimm

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For those of us who follow all things rail related I quite agree. However for those who don't and have booked advance tickets over the past few weeks for travel this weekend might be in for an unpleasant surprise when they turn up at the station.

Was my reply directed to "those who don't"?

I'm well aware it will muck up lots of people's weekend plans.

But I was responding to a specific post on this forum, by someone who appears to "follow all things rail-related" and repeated a link about what's happening this weekend that had been posted all of one page back up this thread, last Thursday afternoon...

Is it so hard to scan the previous page or two to see if a question has already been answered, or look on the relevant TOC's website?
 

59CosG95

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Not planning to travel myself, but just wondering if Waterloo - Salisbury - Bristol would be a viable alternative to access Bristol and South Wales while the blockade is in place?
I think so, in that a change at Salisbury would be required to access Bristol, a change at Bristol to reach Cheltenham/Gloucester, then ATW/XC to Newport/Cardiff from there.
I myself am heading from Brum to Wilts (Tisbury) on Saturday for a STP family social; in planning my route, I discovered that the Cardiff-Pompeys are terminating at Bristol Parkway on both days, and that bus services will be running from Parkway to Severn Tunnel Junction & Newport.

EDIT: GWR have changed a few of the planned closures up for the next period of work (beginning on the 14th); the latest publication is attached here.
 

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MikeWM

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Well, this destroys my plans for Saturday, which is/was the last day of a 3-day Thames Rover I'm starting tomorrow, and bought last week when none of this had been announced. :(

I suppose at least I don't really have to be anywhere specific, so I'm in a far better place than most of the people who will have part of their weekend unexpectedly ruined, but it is still rather irritating.

Abysmally late notice though, and trying to cover that up by calling it an 'emergency' irritates even further.
 

3973EXL

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Visited Twyford and Ruscombe to view any progress with associated works!

Ongoing work on platform extensions.
Station painting in progress from blue to green.
Twyford bridge parapets were completed, and then temporary fencing re-appeared on the south side.
Southbury Lane bridge works still to get underway.
Link to planning docs if interested:
http://planning.wokingham.gov.uk/FastWebPL/Documents/DocList.asp?AltRef=171066

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snowball

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Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...sation-of-the-south-wales-mainline-continues/

Network Rail engineers will begin demolishing Mardy Road bridge in Cardiff this weekend as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan to improve journeys for passengers.


The bridge, which connects Rumney and Newton, is currently too low to accommodate the overhead line equipment needed to power trains running on electricity. The 121-year-old bridge has reached the end of its lifespan and will now be replaced with a new and improved structure, designed to withstand modern city centre traffic.

Bill Kelly, chief operating officer for Network Rail in Wales, said: “We’re reconstructing Mardy Road bridge as part of our Railway Upgrade plan to prepare the railway for trains running on electricity.

“We care about the local community and I would like to thank residents for their patience and reassure them that we are doing all we can do keep noise and disruption to a minimum as we complete this essential upgrade work.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway and other partners to deliver a safe, reliable, affordable and growing railway for the people of Wales and the borders.”

The demolition phase of the work will run from 01.00 on Sunday 15 October until 03.00 on Monday 16 October, with the start of reconstruction work taking place from 01.00 on Sunday 22 October until 03.00 on Monday 23 October.

Preparatory works began on the bridge at the beginning of this year, with the bridge closing to traffic in late March.

This complex project involves ensuring the extensive number of utilities – including telecoms, electricity and water – are diverted from within the old structure and remain undisrupted throughout the duration of the upgrade work.

The existing footbridge located next to the bridge will remain open for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the duration of the work. The new bridge will be wider and will include footpaths, improving access on this busy pedestrian route. The reconstructed bridge is expected to reopen to motorists by autumn 2018.

For more information, please telephone our 24-Hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or email us at [email protected]
 

Chris125

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WalesOnline have reported the cause as follows:

Power was due to be switched on after a weekend closure at Reading in mid-September but Network Rail did not complete a review of electrical safety procedures in time, causing the scheduled work to be deferred.
 

snowball

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Is the OLE between Paddington and Maidenhead now all suitable for running at the speeds at which HSTs typically run there, or will the 800s have to run at lower speed on part of this section next week because of the current state of the OLE?
 

DidcotDickie

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Is the OLE between Paddington and Maidenhead now all suitable for running at the speeds at which HSTs typically run there, or will the 800s have to run at lower speed on part of this section next week because of the current state of the OLE?

Normal HST speeds according to a GWR insider involved with IET introduction posting elsewhere. Apparently westbound IETs running on AC reach 100mph by Acton and 125mph just after Hanwell (compared to HSTs which reach 125mph by Hayes). This is on the original BR OLE, which has been beefed up quite a bit over recent months.
 

59CosG95

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Normal HST speeds according to a GWR insider involved with IET introduction posting elsewhere. Apparently westbound IETs running on AC reach 100mph by Acton and 125mph just after Hanwell (compared to HSTs which reach 125mph by Hayes). This is on the original BR OLE, which has been beefed up quite a bit over recent months.

I assume the IETs have had the original diagrams adjusted to make use of their improved acceleration?
 

jyte

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Was the up working the one with the free onboard shower? :D

Did the 800 down run on AC around Didcot or is that information not available?
 

HowardGWR

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Was the up working the one with the free onboard shower? :D

Did the 800 down run on AC around Didcot or is that information not available?
Only AC from Pad to Maidenhead yet. You can find far more info on the other two forums (timetables and rolling stock).
 

jimm

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Was the up working the one with the free onboard shower? :D

Did the 800 down run on AC around Didcot or is that information not available?

All running west of Maidenhead is on diesel power. This won't change until the end of this year.
 

Domh245

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Sorry, what’s this about a shower?

One of the units developed an air con problem, and it began dripping into the passenger compartment.

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D6975

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I think so, in that a change at Salisbury would be required to access Bristol, a change at Bristol to reach Cheltenham/Gloucester, then ATW/XC to Newport/Cardiff from there.

There's a couple of through services from Waterloo to Bristol on a Sat. 09:20 off W'loo is the early one 12:20 is the next one. The evening one used to be a through service but is currently showing as a seperate service.
 

Trailfinder

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How much of the lines towards Reading West been completed and now turned on, or are these being completed as part of the next phase to Newbury?

I have noticed going in and out of Paddington from Ealing Broadway that there are still gaps in the ATF cable. The insulators are in place on the gantries but the cable has not appeared.

To the east of EB on the down side, a previously installed ATF cable seems to have been removed.
 

Mintona

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Overhead wiring installation work is now in progress around Uffington, seen in pictures taken yesterday by Martin Loader

http://hondawanderer.com/Recent_Additions.htm

I noticed yesterday that they have been busy the last couple of weeks, the contact wires are making their way further and further towards Swindon each night it seems. The gap between Uffington and Knighton has pretty much gone. There’s still an awful lot of steelwork to install between South Marston and Wootton Bassett however.
 

50031

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Further West, a significant section, it seems, more or less fully wired between Hullavington and Wootton Bassett (exclusive) last Monday when I travelled from Bristol Parkway to Swindon on 800008
 

3973EXL

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Didcot to Swindon - notes from 25/10, updated 26/10 with added photos of Swindon.

Current wires end East of the A34 bridge MP55 3/4.
Then masts stopping short of Steventon MP56 (there are some odd masts between here and Steventon bridge).
Masts start again after Stocks Lane MP56 3/4 to MP57 1/4.
Wires start after MP57 1/4 until East of Uffington MP65 3/4.
Masts through Uffington MP65 3/4 to MP67 1/2.
Wires start again West of Uffington, after MP67 1/2 to west of MP69.
Masts then to South Marston.
Masts continuing with some missing to MP75 3/4.

UP side from MP75 3/4 to MP78 West of Swindon station bases only.
DN side has masts adjacent to Transfer/HOPS depot and just after the station.

All the bases seem to have been completed through Swindon including the station. Covered bases on the island platforms with others located - up side cess and down side behind platform 4.

As already posted, there is a fully wired section on the Badminton line from West of Wootton Bassett west crossovers to East of Hullavington loops.

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3973EXL

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Bristol Parkway platform work - grabbed some quick shots, not the best.

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