Great Western Electrification Progress

JN114 said:

I don’t know of a Brickworks sidings, Brickyard Sidings is on the North side of the mainline immediately west of Cardiff station.

Ninian Park would at this stage fall under Valleys Electrification

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Tom Quinne said:

Brickyard Sidings are west of Cardiff Central on the mainline opposite Cardiff Canton Depot.

The Brickyard Siding, and Line A which are used to turn back stock will be wired along with line E which is the Line next to Canton Depot.

There will no electrification from Cardiff Central via Ninian Park now.

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Tom Quinne said:

Brickyard Sidings are west of Cardiff Central on the mainline opposite Cardiff Canton Depot.

The Brickyard Siding, and Line A which are used to turn back stock will be wired along with line E which is the Line next to Canton Depot.

There will no electrification from Cardiff Central via Ninian Park now.

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Mintona said:

Am I correct in saying that the ‘ladder’ junction from platforms 3 and 4 to the Brickyard sidings won’t be electrified, so terminating trains will need to switch to diesel to go down to the Brickyard sidings and then raise the pantograph again to come back into platform 1 or 2?

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Mintona said:

Am I correct in saying that the ‘ladder’ junction from platforms 3 and 4 to the Brickyard sidings won’t be electrified, so terminating trains will need to switch to diesel to go down to the Brickyard sidings and then raise the pantograph again to come back into platform 1 or 2?

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edwin_m said:

I can't answer this, but will point out that the platforms are now bi-directional with crossovers east of the station so the longstanding practice of arriving into 3 or 4 and shunting across is no longer essential. An electric train could terminate in 0, 1 or 2 then run into Brickyard Sidings and back into one of the same platforms.

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Tom Quinne said:

All West facing points from P4 across to Line A and the Brickyard will be juiced, along with Line E only.

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edwin_m said:

I can't answer this, but will point out that the platforms are now bi-directional with crossovers east of the station so the longstanding practice of arriving into 3 or 4 and shunting across is no longer essential. An electric train could terminate in 0, 1 or 2 then run into Brickyard Sidings and back into one of the same platforms.

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DaveHarries said:

I am given to understand that Ebbw Junction to Marshfield goes electric on Saturday 06th July.

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Richard Scott said:

Contact wire now up on up main through Magor, just the ATF wire on up line left to go.

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DaveHarries said:

What is ATF?

Dave

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Richard Scott said:

Contact wire now up on up main through Magor, just the ATF wire on up line left to go.

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oglord said:

The down main seems to be missing the contact wire at Magor too.

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Richard Scott said:

It's definitely there in my area but unsure how far that may go as can only see either way for 100m or so!

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chorx18 said:

Do we know when passenger trains will be using the wires west of Bristol Parkway?

I'm going on a journey next week which includes Bristol Parkway to Cardiff so would be good to know what to watch out for!

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uvarvu said:

On the 14th June I travelled on 1B91 to Bristol Parkway, between Reading the Didcot the train spent some time on the relief lines but when it was time to move back onto the fast lines it stopped dead, turned on the Diesel engines and then moved to the fast lines (I'm not sure which junction but it was somewhere east of Didcot). Once it was on the fast lines it went back to electric mode. Could it not coast across the points? At first I thought the train stopped to let something pass but nothing did so I'm not sure what happened.

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• All main line tracks wired as far as Wootton Bassett Jct, and are to be considered "live" as such. From Wootton Bassett Jct, the envelope of "live" wires continues along the South Wales Main Line to Filton Jct (inc. Bristol Parkway), and to the Limits of Wiring on the Berks & Hants line and Reading-Basingstoke Line; 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. These are part of the works for the Elizabeth Line.
• 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 (bar the goods lines north of P1, where provision is provided).

• 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.
• Parapet Work extended upwards at Southbury Lane Bridge, Ruscombe; the wing walls remain unfinished. Original Coping stones have now been replaced.
• Platforms all extended at Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Goring & Streatley and Cholsey; PIS systems still advertise them as being 7 coaches long.
• Platform extension at Didcot Parkway (P2 & P3) is visually complete but barriered off.
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of structures 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. Wires west of Causeway Crossing are only authorised for passenger service on 80x trains in both directions, however, 387s are allowed to run empty to/from Cocklebury sidings under AC. The appeal to demolish the bridge is due to occur in the autumn (of 2019). The discussion continues.
• Overruns through Swindon Jct (77m 36ch) onto the Golden Valley Line have also been wired.
• Swindon Cocklebury Sidings in operation for Class 387 stabling as of 2/1/19.

• Both lines are LIVE, signed off for passenger use, and in service from Wootton Bassett Jct to Christian Malford (93m 31ch) as of 0700 on 21/04/2019 (Easter Sunday).
• Catenary, contact & Earth wires are up over/adj. to both lines from Cocklebury Lane to Wootton Bassett Jct.
• Limit of AT Feeding: the Auto-Transformer at Christian Malford.

• 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 and is now in use after the removal of the old gantry in May 2019.
• 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.

• Wires from Wootton Bassett Jct to Bristol Parkway in passenger service since 30/12/18.
• All 6 through Lines at Bristol Parkway have been wired and are live.
• Live wires continue 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.
  • Limit of Live Wires on the Filton Lines (+ Down Bristol Parkway Relief): 112m 23ch.
  • Limit of Live Wires on the Charfield Lines (from Westerleigh Jct): 120m 59ch.
• Filton Bank bridge works (mileages all from Temple Meads):
  • Easton Rd Overbridge (1m 18ch) completely rebuilt.
  • Narroways FB (2m 12ch) & Ashley Hill FB (3m 11ch) replaced.
  • Bonnington Walk Overbridge (3m 62ch) - parapets raised.
  • FB south of Filton Abbey Wood (4m 18ch) will need work if wiring is to occur.

• Stoke Gifford IET Depot all wired and energised.
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail installed.
• Wires extend westwards from Filton Jct through Patchway and Pilning (across all lines) to the Severn Tunnel (on BOTH lines).
• Limit of Live Wires on the Tunnel Lines extended from Stoke Gifford Jct to Patchway Jct (112m 68ch) as of 0220 on 12/5/19.
• Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed since 18/3/18.

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place.
• Wires are now up over all lines (both Tunnel Lines, both Main Lines & the Down Relief) at STJ Station; this also includes the overruns on the mains towards Chepstow. Wires continue westwards to Magor Bridge (Redwick Rd?)
• The Up Tunnel Loop between STJ & the Tunnel is fully wired.
• Ground trunking currently being installed at STJ in preparation for the electrical feed.
• Feeder cables now hang from both the eastern set and western set of Switchgear Masts.
• Masts going up between the M4 Bridge & Bishton Flyover. These include:
  • Two opposing pairs of TTC masts have gone up between Church Rd Bridge & the Playing Fields Footbridge. These may now be bearing wires.
  • 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.
  • 4 TTCs are up west of "the ramp" bridge; at least 3 bear SPS. West of these, a Portal (due to take mid-point anchor terminations) has gone up.
  • 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.
  • Around the aforementioned doomed signal gantry, another MPA Portal and a 3-track portal have gone up, as well as more 4-track Portals & TTCs - the gap is closing!
  • 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). A "Slim" TTC is up over the centre pair of lines just east of Redwick Rd bridge. OTP is in place for a masting operation by Redwick Rd compound.
  • This area of Magor (the site of the old station) still has a few gaps.
  • NR are currently working on wiring all 4 lines between Magor & Bishton (as of week beginning 6/5/19). Up Relief Wired through Magor old station. Mains also wired but contact wire varies across all lines; the Up Relief is missing some elsewhere in Magor. ATF wires going in around Magor too, but only on the Down side.
  • Plenty of TTCs (all of them, perhaps?) and a 4-track portal are up between the A4810 and the bridge over the eastern end of Bishton Flyover. Steelwork (mainly TTCs) continues to a large Tensorex Anchor Portal at the eastern end of Bishton Flyover.
  • Over Bishton LC, ALL wires (2 Earths, 2 ATFs, and 4 C&C pairs) are now up. This continues to Somerton Rd Bridge on all lines.
• A run of Earth Wires & ATF wires have been strung up on the Relief side (adjacent to the DR) between Llanwern Works East Connection & Llanwern West Jct. The AEW on the Up side now continues to past Lliswerry Pond, where Bird Flight Deflectors have been installed.
• Just east of Somerton Rd Bridge, a Tensorex Anchor Portal has gone up.
• 6-track portals, probably 'Vierendeels', going up around 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).
• Both Up & Down Hereford Lines are wired between Maindee West Jct & Maindee North Jct (41m 03ch from the former Rotherwas Jct, just south of Hereford); the Limit of wires is just north of signal "NT 1559".
• The gap between the Maindee Triangle (Caerleon Rd Bridge) & East Usk Yard (Somerton Rd Bridge) is closing, with the erection of a number of back-to-back non-Series 1 TTCs in East Usk Yard.
• Caerleon Rd Bridge is now renewed.
• At the AT Feeder Station at the Maindee Triangle, the tall masts have now gained their spanwires in readiness for the C&C below.
• The first wire run has now gone up over the Usk Bridge; C&C is now up over the Down Relief from the Tensorex portal immediately east of the bridge, through P1 at Newport and up to Hillfield Tunnel.

• All canopies now cut back.
• All steelwork in Newport is complete. Remaining SPS and Registration Arms are also being installed.
• P1 and the Down Relief (Through) Line wired.

• 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.
• Almost all steelwork up from Ebbw Jct to Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch) east of Cardiff Central; most SPS is now up too.
• ATF wire installed on the Up Main between Lighthouse Rd & New Dairy Farm bridges. In the Up direction, the Earth Wire is in place until just before the bridge over the Ebbw River.
• Wires up through Duffryn on both Main lines between the Ebbw River Bridge & New Dairy Farm Bridge, after which it switches to both Relief Lines.
• Wires up across all 4 tracks between Pengam Jct (168m 40ch) & Marshfield.
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct; 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side.
• 1 run of C&C has gone up between Moorland Road Jct (168m 65ch) and Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch) over the Reliefs; this is assumed to be a crossover as it crosses from one Relief line to the other.
• At Long Dyke Jct, all masts are up, and the ATF wire is now up over the Relief Lines.
• In the Pellet St area, a Mid Point Anchor Portal Boom has now gone up.
• Just east of St. Mary's St Bridge, 2 hexagonal Tensorex Portals have been erected over all tracks.
• Over the bridge over St. Mary's Street in Cardiff (just east of Central), and immediately to the west of the bridge, 5 portal booms spanning all tracks have gone up.
• Similar bespoke mast foundations are going in just east of Bute St Bridge, near the junction with the line from Queen Street.
• Splott Rd Bridge upgrade work now complete.

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.
• An Anchor Portal (of the hexagonal "TGBU" variety) has gone up over P2/3, just east of the canopies.
• All large steelwork for P4 is now in position.
• Most (if not all) TTC masts for P2 & the Up Through Line, along with P3 & the Down Through Line have gone up at the station. Some already have SPS.
• 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. A number of these now appear to have masts on them, as seen from a westward-facing shot from Central. Portals next?
• Brickwork Sidings to be increased in length (and electrified) to accommodate GWR Class 387s; the first masts and cantilevers have now gone up, with around 2 boomed TTCs and 2 STCs in position.
• 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. SPS, such as Insulators, Switchgear and Cantilevers have all been taken down, leaving only bare masts/booms in situ.

• 6/7 to 3/12: Reduced capacity (2 lines only) for wiring work between Newport & Cardiff Ctl.
• 15/9 to 6/10, and 13/10 to 14/10: Bristol Parkway electrified.
• 27/10 to 18/11, 24-25/11, 1-2/12: Filton Bank 4-tracked.
• 11/11: Bristol TM to Bath Spa resignalled.
• December blockades at Bristol Parkway & Didcot Parkway done.
• Christmas-New Year Blockade at Severn Tunnel Jct done.

• 20/1/19, and 10/2/19: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work AT Cardiff Central; both done.
• 17/2/19: Bristol Parkway to Newport blockaded for electrification work over the Usk Bridge at Newport; done.
• 31/3/19: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work AT Cardiff Central; done.
• 19/4/19 to 22/4/19: Bristol Parkway to Newport blockaded for electrification work in the Severn Tunnel Junction area; done.
• 27/4/19 to 28/4/19: Bristol Parkway to Newport blockaded for electrification work in the Severn Tunnel Junction area; done.
• 9/6/19: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work; done.
• 16/6/19: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work; done.
• 27/7/19 to 28/7/19: Bristol Parkway to Cardiff Central blockaded for electrification work.
• 25/8/19 until 14:00: Bristol Parkway to Cardiff Central blockaded for electrification work.
• 8/9/19 until 14:00: Bristol Parkway to Cardiff Central blockaded for electrification work.
• 14/9/19 to 15/9/19: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work.
• 22/9/19 until 14:00: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work.
• 29/9/19 until 14:00: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work.
• 13/10/19 until 14:00: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work.
• 20/10/19 until 14:00: Newport to Bridgend blockaded (inc. Cardiff Central) for electrification work.
• Details of any further OLE-related blockades will be added as they are made available.

• Wires from Oxford Rd Jct are LIVE to the limits of electrification (53m 42ch on the Newbury Lines, 38m 07ch on the Basingstoke Lines) since 0650 on 21/10/18.
• Class 387s are now in service on Reading-Newbury services as of 31/12/18.
• 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.
• New stairs from Reading West's Down platform to Oxford Rd are now in use. Work is ongoing for a permanent footbridge replacement.
• Parapet work on Tilehurst Rd Overbridge has been completed on both sides, although Heras fencing was still in place at the end of April.
• Platforms extended at Reading West, Theale, Aldermaston and Thatcham.
• Newbury's new footbridge is now open; lifts in service as of 19/4/19.
• Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2. Bedwyn Turnback Siding now extended to accommodate 5-car IETs.

• Thames Valley Branches:
  • Windsor & Henley deferred to at least CP6. The first few yards of the Windsor branch (Not the Henley Branch) have been wired as an overrun.
  • Marlow removed from scope of current programme. The first few yards of the branch have been wired as an overrun.
  • Southcote Jct to Basingstoke deferred to at least CP6. The first few yards of the Basingstoke Lines have been wired as an overrun.
• 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 at least some point in CP6. All Large steelwork to remain, unless required elsewhere.
  
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling:
  • Taunton-Bristol Parkway completed over Easter 2018;
  • Bristol Temple Meads to Bath Spa completed in November 2018;
  • The WSM stretch from Flax Bourton Tunnel to Cogload Jct remains outstanding;
  • Track remodelling of Bristol East Jct remains outstanding;
  • Filton Bank 4-tracking completed Autumn 2018.
  • Further Signalling works due in 2019: Bath Spa due to be resignalled over the 11th/12th of May (done), and the 23rd of June. N.B. The Severn Beach Line will be closed for resignalling works on Sunday 7th of July.
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6 at the earliest, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.

Phil G said:

Waiting for train to Bristol this morning and delayed due to damage to overhead wires! Delay started just after Steventon.

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59CosG95 said:

Oh dear. Still, at least it's happened far fewer times on Series 1 equipment than the Mk3-era headspans on the ECML and the "London section" of the GWML!

Did GWR state where the fault was?

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Phil G said:

No but train on time at Steventon then 13 late at Wantage Road so presumably between the two. It didn't manage to make any time up so I was thinking it may have been on diesel after that. Of course the reason given may have been rubbish.

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JN114 said:

Which train? I may be able to do some digging...

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Chonner said:

1C03 I would guess - http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C20230/2019/06/25/advanced

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Phil G said:

Thanks for the info, hopefully it's not an infrastructure issue.

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