Great Western Electrification Progress

Envoy said:

Electrification in the Bristol area will happen - it has just been postponed.

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JN114 said:

Nail hit on head regarding Reliefs Severn Tunnel - Cardiff.

While permitted for passenger use unlike true Goods lines, they’re “designed” for slow, heavy steel; ore and coal trains. The signalling is spaced out and geared towards that - to get more out of it for the presently very rare passenger trains using it would compromise that philosophy.

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stj said:

I think there was a Swansea-Bath stopper planned using EMUs.But thats not going to happen anytime soon.

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Envoy said:

I thought that the signalling was at the same spacing as the mains - on a common gantry? Surely, the ore & coal trains are long gone so it is mainly oil, container and steel coil trains as well as Ford engines from the soon to close works at Bridgend that appear on these tracks. My understanding is that these trains can travel at between 60 & 75mph. That being the case, it surely should not be a problem to fit in all stop electric commuter trains running between Cardiff & Bristol Temple Meads - and maybe on to Bath & Swindon? What about the Class 332 Heathrow Express trains that will soon be made redundant? Decent electric trains with no ‘home’ plus an electrified railway running through a fairly densely populated area. All seems to be a waste of resources to me when we could get more ‘value’ out of these electrified reliefs rather than let them go unused most of the time.

I also note that Mark Drakeford recently made the decision not to build a new M4 south of Newport to avoid the 2 lane each way tunnel that hinders the free movement of traffic in and out of south Wales. All the more reason therefore to use these relief lines for stopping electric trains that can accelerate quickly between the numerous stations that could be built on this section of line.

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Envoy said:

The trouble with the idea of a Swansea > Bath stopper is that much of the route is going to be under the wires. Therefore, in using diesels, we are not going to get greatest value out of the investment that has been made in the electrification project. Indeed, if the Portsmouth to Cardiff diesel service is to remain for the time being, then surely it would be preferable to operate that to Swansea and just have an all stops electric service running on the reliefs between Cardiff & Temple Meads with perhaps an extension to Bath or even Swindon? This would help shift commuters say between Bath & Filton Abbey Wood or between Cardiff East Parkway and Newport for connection to express services. So, not only does such a service on the reliefs tap into new business & hopefully reduce traffic on the M4, M48, M32 & M49 but it also benefits long distance passengers who will not be subject to trains making frequent stops such as Keynsham & Magor - should it ever be built.
The use of electric stoppers on this route would also of course mean lack of fumes.

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Linda smith said:

Just a quick update on the works in south Wales. As of this weekend ALL four roads are now fully wired from somerton iin newport to severn tunnel. Over the weekend, further wiring at Newport station has been put in place, with 3 of the 6 roads wired. I also believe that the down main over the Newport bridge may have also been wired. Will confirm this later on after work Monday morning

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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 Somerton Rd Bridge (East Usk Yard); all 4 lines have C&C, both ATF cables are up and continuous, and the Down side Earth Wire is also complete. (The Up side is yet to be clarified).
• The Up Tunnel Loop between STJ & the Tunnel is fully wired.
• Ground trunking installed at STJ in preparation for the electrical feed.
• Feeder cables now hang from both the eastern set and western set of Switchgear Masts.
• 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. SPS, cantilevers and Tensorex drums are now starting to go up here too.
• At the AT Feeder Station at the Maindee Triangle, the tall masts have now gained their spanwires in readiness for the C&C below.
• Wires are up over the Usk Bridge; C&C is now up over BOTH Relief lines from the Tensorex portal immediately east of the bridge, through P1 & the Through Lines at Newport and up to Hillfield Tunnel.

• All canopies now cut back.
• All steelwork in Newport is complete.
• P1 and both Relief (Through) Lines wired. The Down Side ATF is also up over the Through lines.

• 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, and 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, and 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.

HowardGWR said:

The Bristol Post s reporting a visit from Grayling and a promise to reform Bristol East Junction track and signalling by 2021. This contradicts that which MR was reporting in the current issue (not before 2024). Above, I was pessimistic. but perhaps there could be greater confidence about wiring from Parkway to TM in CP6, as the Bristol East project was stated as being required first?

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Dai Corner said:

Is Grayling in any position to make such a promise? He may not be Secretary of State for Transport in two months time, or indeed a Minister at all.

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HowardGWR said:

The Bristol Post s reporting a visit from Grayling and a promise to reform Bristol East Junction track and signalling by 2021. This contradicts that which MR was reporting in the current issue (not before 2024). Above, I was pessimistic. but perhaps there could be greater confidence about wiring from Parkway to TM in CP6, as the Bristol East project was stated as being required first?

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Linda smith said:

Today I had a look at the IP line thru magor &undy. As I suspected, the up majn is still lacking its earth & return. This us also still the same for a section of the down relief as well.

On the subject if Severn tunnel and the earth straps, I was beginning to wonder if they could be replaced with a rubber coated earth and return wire. Would this maybe reduce the risk of the shirts and drop outs thru the tunnel?

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387star said:

What's the Midland shed at bristol? More platforms to open?

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adrock1976 said:

The Midland shed is on the left hand side from the ticket office as you are viewing from the station forecourt. These platforms are planned to be brought back into use and specially dedicated for the London Paddington via Stoke Gifford/Bristol Parkway trains.

I believe it is presently a vehicle and bicycle parking space if somebody local could confirm?

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Meerkat said:

Putting the London trains in the Midland shed means they have to cross the local services to get to the Filton fast lines - is that not a performance risk?

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59CosG95 said:

Not really, as the crossovers at Horbury are capable of 75mph. My betting is that the timetable space for them will be allocated and thought through - there is only 1tph from BRI to PAD via that route!

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w1bbl3 said:

Temple meads is more complex than just the original Brunel building and the midland shed as the current station is actually three combined buildings. 1. Brunel original station now known as "the engine shed" & "Brunel's old Station". 2. The Digby Watt GWR / Bristol & Gloucester railway / Midland joint station 3. The post WW1 extension.

The plan is/was to take midland shed part of the Digby Watt station and reopen it as station rather than parking. As said by many the approaches to this part are currently blocked by Bristol PSB.

The original Brunel station is/was to remain in non railway usage, it is currently part event space and part start up incubator with ownership having transferred to Bristol City Council a few years ago. BR disposed of the space many, many years ago.

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HowardGWR said:

It's Horfield, I think you mean?

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adrock1976 said:

The Midland shed is on the left hand side from the ticket office as you are viewing from the station forecourt. These platforms are planned to be brought back into use and specially dedicated for the London Paddington via Stoke Gifford/Bristol Parkway trains.

I believe it is presently a vehicle and bicycle parking space if somebody local could confirm?

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HowardGWR said:

Yes, just going back to Digby Wyatt, I am sure that the extension to Brunel's shed came in 1870 and was designed by Sir Francis Fox, but I may be confusing that with the grand rebuilding of Temple Meads itself. I'll look that up unless someone can confirm in the meantime.
In any case, the issue for London trains via Badminton in future is that if they start from a reinstated train shed, they would probably stay on the relief line until beyond Narroways Junction and cross at Horfield, and trains via Bath would be faced with crossing the whole throat to get onto the Bath line. I have understood most of these will start from Weston or Taunton, so will call at the far eastern platforms, as at present, thus avoiding such a conflicting movement...

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HowardGWR said:

Yes, just going back to Digby Wyatt, I am sure that the extension to Brunel's shed came in 1870 and was designed by Sir Francis Fox, but I may be confusing that with the grand rebuilding of Temple Meads itself. I'll look that up unless someone can confirm in the meantime.
In any case, the issue for London trains via Badminton in future is that if they start from a reinstated train shed, they would probably stay on the relief line until beyond Narroways Junction and cross at Horfield, and trains via Bath would be faced with crossing the whole throat to get onto the Bath line. I have understood most of these will start from Weston or Taunton, so will call at the far eastern platforms, as at present, thus avoiding such a conflicting movement.

The outline plans I have seen for TM rebuilding involved a grand new entrance at the side of the train shed but who knows whether any of that will ever come about. As far as electrification is concerned, one could envisage a phase that only electrifies one side of TM, for the London trains via Badminton, but would one electrify just for those? I don't see any clear strategy for electrification to Bristol emerging at present.

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