Great Western Electrification Progress

swt_passenger said:

It was actually mentioned in post #7706, in a reply to your earlier post about getting to Southcote Jn.

Click to expand...

Mintona said:

Apologies, I’ve been away. I had a flick back a couple of pages but couldn’t see it on a quick glance.

Click to expand...

• All main line tracks wired as far as Wootton Bassett Jct, and are to be considered "live" as such. The envelope of "live" wires continues along the South Wales Main Line to Filton Jct (inc. Bristol Parkway); details are given below.
• TTCs have replaced/been replacing headspans at various locations within London - locations include Westway (beneath the A40), Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, and between Southall & H&H.
• Everything wired at Reading (bar P4-6 which were never in the plan). Includes the TCD & the curves, down to Reading West (see B&H section).
• West of Didcot Parkway, all lines are wired & live heading towards Swindon.
• Everything wired at Swindon; P1-4, and the Through Road. Switchgear at the Bristol end of P1-4 is now live.

• ATF wires in operation from Maidenhead to Wootton Bassett; Kensal Green to Maidenhead currently only using return conductors but will be AT-ready in the near future. Some AT wires up along this stretch now; whether they are live remains to be seen.
  • In preparation for the Elizabeth Line running to Maidenhead, Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead was closed off over the Early May Bank Holiday (5/5 to 7/5); this included renewals of S&C at West Drayton & Slough West Jct, alongside HOPS work at Langley. Paddington to H&H was also closed on May 6th, and encompassed final OLE works for Crossrail, alongside (presumably) ATF installation, finishing of Platform Extensions, lift shaft installation, passenger footbridge installation, and ticket hall foundation installation.
• At Ealing Broadway, the staircase to P2/3 is being demolished and replaced with a new structure as part of the Crossrail works. Access is via the footbridge at the London end from P4 - work started on 1/10 and should continue until late December.
• Parapet Work ongoing at Southbury Lane Bridge, Ruscombe.
• Parapet Work has yet to commence on Butts Hill Rd Bridge, Woodley.
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of wires for the time being.
• Oxford Lines west of Didcot Pkwy wired as far as the loco fuelling sdg; Down Oxford as far as 53m 31ch, Up Oxford as far as 53m 42ch. Didcot avoiding lines have sprouted masts (4 portals, 2 TTCs), with a wire pair over the Down Didcot Avoider.
• A note on Steventon: Wires up under the High St Bridge (aka the "Brunel Bridge"); however, the bridge may well be demolished in CP6. "Temporary" parapet work to protect passers-by from stray currents now complete; the discussion continues.
• Overruns through Swindon Jct (77m 36ch) onto the Golden Valley Line have also been wired.
• Another note on the OLE to Wootton Bassett - although testing with IETs is now underway (the first 2 IETs reached Swindon on AC over the night of 12th/13th September), entry of IETs in AC passenger service is unlikely before December.

• All masts and earth wires are now up between Wootton Bassett Jct & Cocklebury Lane Overbridge with the majority of SPS fitted.
• On the Up Line, there is a mile of catenary wire only west of WB Jct, followed by 2 miles of no wires until just west of Dauntsey Lock, where Catenary & Contact wires then reappear and remain in situ until Cocklebury Lane.
• Over Sutton Ln Bridge, Kellaways (between Christian Malford & Langley Burrell), catenary & contact wires have been erected over both lines; these extend eastwards as far as the eye can see, and westwards to Langley Burrell over both lines.

• No piles in Chippenham station, nor any masts affixed to the viaduct.
• All piles in and majority of masts (and cantilevers) up from the western end of the viaduct to Thingley Junction (where the feeder station will be). Most TTCs have booms from beyond the viaduct to Thingley East Junction. About 14 masts are up in the vicinity of Thingley Feeder Stn, 2 of which have TTC booms affixed. Another has an STC boom.
• Piles continue westwards to the next bridge.

• No wiring for the foreseeable future, but overbridges between Thingley Jct & Box Tunnel have all been rebuilt. Corsham Main Road Bridge needs its parapets raising. New aqueduct & footbridge at Corsham complete.
• Both Box & Middle Hill Tunnels have had track lowered.
• A new footbridge has been built at Ashley Box.
• Piles also in (and have been for over a year) at Ashley (beyond Box Tunnel) - these might well be trial piles.
• Bathampton Jct to beyond Sydney Gardens has had track lowered. A new signal gantry at Bathampton Jct was installed over Xmas 2017 but is not yet in use.
• Bath Spa platforms realigned & raised, with track also slewed.
• Track through Oldfield Park & Keynsham now lowered.
• A lot of piles are in along the embankment around Saltford and Keynsham in readiness for future wiring.

• All catenary & contact wires up from Wootton Bassett Jct, past Westerleigh Jct (107m 14ch) through Bristol Parkway and thence to Filton Jct & Stoke Gifford IEP Depot; Chipping Sodbury Goods Loop and the Cheltenham Curve overrun (as far as the limit of wiring) are also fully wired and live.
• BPW Platforms now fully wired; includes the Down Goods Loop & Up Passenger Loop.
  • A number of masts & booms (now all wired up) are up on the line towards Filton Abbey Wood, between Stoke Gifford Jct No.1 (111m 79ch) and Filton Jct No.1 (113m 01ch); these end just short of Filton Jct 1 and will presumably act as an overrun until electrification continues into Temple Meads.
  • Section Isolator Masts now installed immediately before Stoke Gifford Jct No. 1, for the proposed neutral section just west of Bristol Parkway; these now have their feeder wires.
• Filton Bank bridge works (mileages all from Temple Meads):
  • Easton Rd Overbridge (1m 18ch) completely rebuilt.
  • Narroways Footbridge (2m 12ch) replaced.
  • Ashley Hill Footbridge (3m 11ch) replaced.
  • Bonnington Walk Overbridge (3m 62ch) - parapets raised.
  • Footbridge south of Filton Abbey Wood (4m 18ch) will need work if wiring is to occur.

• The Patchway/Severn Tunnel Blockade is now complete.
• The 3-week Bristol Parkway Blockade and subsequent weekend blockade are also now complete.
• Stoke Gifford IEP Depot all wired.
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail installed.
• Masts, booms and SPS up through Patchway. No wires yet.
  • Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed as of 18/3/18.
• At Pilning, during the Summer Tunnels blockade, all portals and masts have now been erected, and wires have gone up.

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place. A number of masts on both sides of the line are now up at Caldicot, just before the Western tunnel mouth; these now extend westwards towards the eastern end of the platforms at STJ.
• Part of the central island platform at Severn Tunnel Junction has been fenced off - a possible mast location?
• All bridge rebuilding complete from Severn Tunnel Jct (149m 14ch) to Bishton Flyover (152m 30ch).
• Masts beginning to go up between Severn Tunnel Jct & Bishton Flyover, as of 3/4/18. These include:
  • At least 11 between Undy (Playing Fields Footbridge) and the M4 viaduct over the mains; one just east of the "white house" has a TTC boom. It can be assumed that its 8 comrades will be similarly adorned. Another mast over the Reliefs west of the "white house" has now gained a TTC boom with 1 SPS assembly; it has a twin over the Mains.
  • Two large uprights have gone up between Undy Playing Fields footbridge & "the ramp" bridge at Magor on opposite sides of the line; these may well take a portal boom.
  • Another 3 masts (two for a portal boom, one a TTC with boom up) have appeared east of "the ramp" bridge at Magor; these join the sole TTC on the Up side by the bridge.
  • The 3 TTCs west of "the ramp" bridge (2 on the Down, 1 on the Up) have gained SPS.
  • The signal gantry at Magor (west of the West End Footbridge) has been replaced by 4 signals on posts; this should mean its removal prior to electrification is imminent. A TTC with SPS is up over the Mains there too.
  • 1 mast is up to the west of Redwick Rd Bridge (by the Down Relief), and a mast due to bear a portal is up to the east of Whitewall Footbridge (by the Up Main). OTP is in place for a piling/masting operation by Redwick Rd compound.
  • Masts (with SPS fitted) up between Bishton Flyover (including over it) and Llanwern West Jct (156m 20ch). 5 masts are currently up on the curve down from the flyover at its eastern end.
  • Plenty single masts (with SPS fitted & folded) up along the Mains between the Flyover and Bishton LC.
• West of Bishton LC (153m 01ch), masts are around 90-95% up (all bar a few have booms and SPS), with the main gap at Llanwern Works East Connection (153m 05ch). This continues west towards Llanwern Works West Connection/Llanwern West Junction (156m 03ch to 156m 20ch).
• Some masts have sprouted near Lliswerry pond.
• 6-track portals, probably TGBUs (aka Thumpin' Great Big-Uns) going up aroung East Usk Yard (approx. MP157 1/2).
• Between the Maindee Jcts (157m 74ch to 158m 16ch), a cluster of piles is in beside the Down Relief; these are complemented by masted piles on the Main side (adjacent to the Up Main).
• Caerleon Rd Overbridge to be refurbished in 2 phases - 20/7 to 30/11, and then January ‘19 to March ‘19. Not sure what impact on wiring this will have.
• Some SPS has now gone up between Maindee West & Maindee East; between Maindee West Maindee North Jct (41m 03ch from the former Rotherwas Jct, just south of Hereford; the ELR for the southern part of the Marches Line), masts with TTCs on are also going up (as overruns) over the Marches Line; the termination mast & associated TTC are just north of signal "NT 1559".
• Fixings for masts have now been installed on the Usk Bridge.

• P1 Canopies all cut back; P2 & P3 canopies still in progress.
• Masts and portals now appearing at the western end of the station, some with SPS attached. More started to appear in mid-April; additionally, two at the Cardiff end & two through the P1 canopy on the weekend of April 28th/29th.
• 4-track portal now up over the southern 4 tracks, just east of the new station footbridge.
• Two six-track portals have now gone up over the western throat of the station, just short of a 4-track portal (uprights of) & a TTC (with SPS) adjacent to Clytha Park Rd.
• Old stn footbridge now removed; 4-track portal of the "TGBU" (Thumpin' Great Big 'Un) variety has been installed in its place.
• A new portal has gone up at the east end of Newport, with all the fixings for switchgear affixed at the top. Droptubes for registration arms are also on.

• Plenty masts up around Gaer Jct (159m 32ch) north of Cardiff Rd Bridge (the B4237):
  • one by the Down Relief;
  • two by the Up Main (one of which is a boomed TTC with SPS);
  • three by the Gaer Jct - Park Jct Chord.
• Around 6 piles are in adjacent to the Up Main between Gaer Jct and Ebbw Jct (160m 07ch); these will probably take masts for portal booms. One such boom appears to have gone in! Currently unknown if Alexandra Dock Jct Yard will be electrified.
• Lots of steelwork up immediately behind the signal gantry adjacent to the Up Main at Ebbw Jct; this includes a full portal boom and a TTC acting as an overrun mast on the Ebbw Vale branch.
• Over 100 masts from Ebbw Jct to Marshfield (163m 60ch). Booms & SPS starting to appear in the area too.
• Green Lane Bridge, nr Marshfield (164m 57ch) reopened to traffic after reconstruction. Masts (with SPS) up around here too.
• Lots of masts (with booms, SPS & ATF brackets) now up near Mardy Rd Bridge, Rumney.
• Two TTCs, one on each side of the tracks, have been erected by the bridge at Rhymney River Bridge Jct (167m 61ch).
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct (168m 40ch); 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side. Some of the portals now have booms, and bear SPS; one of these has all its registration arms up.
• First Welsh Wire Run: 1 run of C&C has gone up between Moorland Road Jct (168m 65ch) and Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch) over the Reliefs on the 15-16th September 2018; this is assumed to be a crossover as it crosses from one Relief line to the other.
• A handful of masts are also up around Long Dyke Jct; some have now gained TTC booms and SPS as well.
• Splott Rd Bridge upgrade work now complete.

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.
• Piling underway at the extreme ends of P1/2 & P3/4 for future masts. One can assume portals will bridge the gap between P2 & P3, over the Through lines.
• Canopy cut-back work now underway on P2.
• Brackets appear to be in place on the coping stones on the Taff Viaduct (at the western end of the station).
• Plenty piles up adjacent to Cardiff Canton.
• Brickwork Sidings to be increased in length (and electrified) to accommodate GWR Class 387s.
• Proposed Limit of Wiring: Leckwith Loop North Jct (171m 55ch) at a guess.

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.

• 6/7 to 3/12: Reduced capacity between Newport & Cardiff Central while electrification progresses; assume only 1 pair of lines open at a time.
• 15/9 to 6/10: Bristol Parkway blockaded to allow OLE to be installed within the station; done.
• 13/10 to 14/10: Bristol Parkway blockaded to allow OLE to be installed within the station; done.
• 27/10 to 18/11: Filton Bank blockaded for 4-tracking; worth posting on here as *some* OLE works might occur - not that I know for certain.
• 11/11: Bristol TM to Bath Spa blockaded until 13:00 while the resignalling work is completed on this stretch.
• 24/12/18 to 1/1/19: Bristol Parkway - Newport will be blockaded again for more OLE works.
• More Blockades will follow; details as they become available.

• Wires from Oxford Rd Jct are now LIVE as far as 37m 23ch (just short of Southcote Jct; 37m 62ch) as of 0005 on 14/10/18. The wires west of here are due to go LIVE to the limits of electrification (53m 42ch on the Newbury Lines, 38m 07ch on the Basingstoke Lines) at 0650 on 21/10/18.
• The mid-point anchor gantry at Oxford Rd now has permanent SPS installed; dropper adjustment just needs completion within Reading West.
• Within Reading West, piles for the new footbridge (under Murphy's remit) are in, but have been "decapitated" (i.e. shortened) and capped until a new footbridge solution is found.
• Both the Down Westbury & Up Westbury lines are fully wired through Reading West & Southcote Jct, past Theale and onwards to the Limit of Wiring. The gap in the contact wires around Theale East crossovers has now been wired up; with that done, wiring is now fully installed across the scheme.
• Both B'stoke lines and crossovers at Southcote Jct fully wired to the end of the overruns.
• Extension to Reading West Up platform nearly complete.
• Reading West & Theale East Crossovers now both fully wired.
• Parapet work now complete on the A4 (Bath Rd) overbridge; similar works for Tilehurst Rd overbridge are now underway.
• Theale Goods Loop is now fully wired, including over the pointwork at the Newbury end.
• Platform extension works complete (but not yet opened) at Theale, Aldermaston and Thatcham. Finishing work has been undertaken at Theale (the temporary fencing has gone), and at Thatcham, where tweaks to fencing/barriers etc. have taken place.
• The gap at Kennet Viaduct has now been wired up, with the removal of low-hanging 400kV power cables.
• All lines (Mains, crossovers and the DPL) are fully wired through Newbury Racecourse.
• The electrical substation/PSU at Boundary Rd looks roughly 90% complete; the feeder wires from the Substation to the railway have been installed.
• At Newbury, all lines (DW, UW, DPL, UPL, and the Bay platform) are fully wired, along with Newbury West Crossovers.
• Newbury's new footbridge is now open (not the lifts yet). The canopy has now been completely cut back, and all the facing boards have been replaced.

• Gives Ample room to reverse a 12-car 387 formation.
• Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2. Bedwyn Turnback Siding now extended to accommodate 5-car IETs.

• 12/3 to 15/3; done.
• 23/4 to 26/4; done.
• 14/5 to 17/5; done.
• 2/6 to 10/6; done.
• 9/7 to 12/7; done.
• 16/7 to 5/8; done.
• 28/8 to 30/8; done.
• 8/10 to 11/10; done.

• Thames Valley Branches: Windsor & Henley deferred to CP6. Marlow removed from scope of current programme. The first few yards of each branch (bar the Henley Branch) have been wired as an overrun.
• Southcote Jct to Basingstoke has also been deferred to CP6.
• Appleford LC to Oxford paused; if CP6 accounts allow for wiring to be extended to Oxford, it would be very likely to happen now that Oxford has been remodelled.
• Catenary & Contact wires between Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Overbridge) & Thingley Jct have been deferred until (presumably) CP6; presumably this will wait until Bath-Bristol resignalling is complete. All Large steelwork to remain, unless required elsewhere.
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling (Taunton-Parkway over Easter 2018; Temple Meads to Bath in November 2018), track remodelling and Filton Bank 4-tracking (to be completed by December 2018).
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.

Thatcham Xing said:

Passing through Midgham a few hours ago, looks like there was work underway just west of the up platform to connect some (supply?) cables to gantries over the top of the OHLE. Assume they come from the feeder station that was built a while back just across the car park from the up platform?

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, as Bristol Parkway to Paddington is now fully wired, why are the trains still running on diesel west of Didcot?

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, as Bristol Parkway to Paddington is now fully wired, why are the trains still running on diesel west of Didcot?

Click to expand...

Dai Corner said:

Because the wiring still has to be tested and approved for use by all parties.

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, as Bristol Parkway to Paddington is now fully wired, why are the trains still running on diesel west of Didcot?

Click to expand...

JN114 said:

There’s no additional driver training requirement - I’m not sure where you’ve gotten that from 59CosG95 - once a driver is AC competent on 80X they can drive it on AC anywhere their route knowledge and Electrification limits allow.

Click to expand...

hwl said:

Signalling interference issues awaiting a solution

Click to expand...

FGW_DID said:

As far as I’m aware non have been identified on that part of the GWML yet and how will they find out until the 80x runs on the juice? The issue previously was cabling on an axle counter on the Down Main at Cholsey which didn’t show up until the 800s ran a few times.

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, the majority of drivers are now trained to drive in electric mode and the wires are up as far as Bristol Parkway yet it is going to possibly take until December until the new trains can run this section off the wires. Hmm... Mention has been made of the possibility of interference with the signalling systems. How can that be when a massive new signal box has recently opened at Didcot - along with new signalling? This project seems to be taking forever. How many years late are we now in getting the GWML electrified to Cardiff? Wonder what Brunel would make of all this - and his name on the side of a Japanese train?

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, the majority of drivers are now trained to drive in electric mode and the wires are up as far as Bristol Parkway yet it is going to possibly take until December until the new trains can run this section off the wires. Hmm... Mention has been made of the possibility of interference with the signalling systems. How can that be when a massive new signal box has recently opened at Didcot - along with new signalling? This project seems to be taking forever. How many years late are we now in getting the GWML electrified to Cardiff? Wonder what Brunel would make of all this - and his name on the side of a Japanese train?

Click to expand...

Envoy said:

So, as Bristol Parkway to Paddington is now fully wired, why are the trains still running on diesel west of Didcot?

Click to expand...

ArchieWoodbine said:

Regarding signalling interference, I believe the main issue holding up electric services to Swindon are the pan-up/down beleizes around Steventon, and interference between these and the axle coutners. To be fair to the resignalling project, I don't think the system was originally designed with automatic, on-the-move pan-up/down of the 800s in mind (note I'm not a signalling engineer, so may be talking rubbish).

Click to expand...

JN114 said:

They’re spelt “Balises” - the train was designed for automagic pan up/down on the move but you’re right that the configuration at Steventon wasn’t in the original infrastructure design.

Click to expand...

JN114 said:

They’re spelt “Balises”

Click to expand...

JN114 said:

Until the safety validation is completed by the ORR, the OHLE can only be switched on under controlled test conditions. The wording is “the OHLE must be considered live at all times from xyz date” - that doesn’t mean its on 24/7. Those that need to know it’s isolated will do so, everyone else should treat it as live.

Once it’s signed off by the ORR it will switch to being normally live as it is east of Didcot. Until it is normally live no train operators will be running AC trains on it, except under controlled test conditions.

These safety validations have happened under every electrification project since the 1950s (at least).

There are no inherent interference issues on the GW electrified routes - as FGW_DID mentions there have been a couple of minor installation issues with Axle Counter cabling that have induced interference, but that’s equipment that’s not been installed per design - the equipment when installed properly is fully AC immune.

The delays to the electrification programme are down to financing and costing issues - Lack of money has caused overruns in immunisation works which slowed installation which protracted to programme. The lack of money at Network Rail can be solely laid at their financier - central government. Brunel was a visionary privateer who saw the railway as a great way of catalysing the new technologies in development. He also had his fair share of cost and time overruns on the construction of the Great Western and by all accounts was pragmatic about it convincing stakeholders that the overruns were worth the short term pain. I think Brunel would be quite content with how his railway is advancing technology; and certainly wasn’t afraid to use foreign contractors to get work done.

I’m not sure why people think everyone in Victorian times was a bristling nationalist...

Click to expand...

gsnedders said:

And note, like the TASS (Tilt Authorisation and Speed Supervision) system on the WCML, these are standard ETCS balises sending national extension messages, for the sake of compatibility with ETCS once rolled out.

Click to expand...

GodAtum said:

Why can't a brand new system with brand new parts work is beyond me

Click to expand...

Thatcham Xing said:

As has been said many times on many threads today, this incident has occurred under the "old" (1990's) OHLE that is still mostly in place between Paddington and Airport Junction. The "new" heavily-constructed OHLE west of there *should* be much more resilient (as each wire is suspended individually, rather than by other wires that cross the spans).

Click to expand...

RichardGore said:

Really? I wonder what the rationale for this was rather than using the standard ETCS functionality (Packet 68).

Click to expand...

GodAtum said:

Ah I see. how reliable has the "new" OHLE infrastructure been since it's been put in?

Click to expand...

GodAtum said:

Ah I see. how reliable has the "new" OHLE infrastructure been since it's been put in?

Click to expand...