Yes, but as of this morning it is now energised all the way from Bristol to St Bride's.So, is that from BPW (or thereabouts), through the Severn Tunnel, to Maindee Jct?
Yes, but as of this morning it is now energised all the way from Bristol to St Bride's.So, is that from BPW (or thereabouts), through the Severn Tunnel, to Maindee Jct?
South-west of Newport. The feeder is the Imperial Park substation here: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5457504,-3.0293724,711m/data=!3m1!1e3Where on earth is St. Bride's?
Where on earth is St. Bride's?
Spent an hour,or so,at Didcot this a.m. and all IET’s both ways were pan up other than the Oxford’s.Have just passed through Steventon on 1L14 on diesel, with them being stopped during the station stop at DID.
Yes, they did start, and some reasoning was given in a post a couple of years ago:I travelled between Didcot and Radley today and I was surprised to see lone masts up along the line between Didcot and Appleford.
Did NR start the process of putting up masts along the line to Oxford, but then had to abandon it when the wires to Oxford were cancelled?
I guess it makes sense to leave the masts in place in the hope sense is seen and the wires to Oxford are reinstated in future.
The majority of the piles are in place all the way to Oxford too.I travelled between Didcot and Radley today and I was surprised to see lone masts up along the line between Didcot and Appleford.
Did NR start the process of putting up masts along the line to Oxford, but then had to abandon it when the wires to Oxford were cancelled?
I guess it makes sense to leave the masts in place in the hope sense is seen and the wires to Oxford are reinstated in future.
The majority of the piles are in place all the way to Oxford too.
Possibly. I haven't seen any "driver's eye view" videos of Didcot to Oxford recently (if anyone knows of one I'd be glad to see them), but it wouldn't surprise me if they've got most of the plain line piling done before the wires to Oxford got put on ice.So... they've already done most of the trickier bits on the Oxford section...?
Possibly. I haven't seen any "driver's eye view" videos of Didcot to Oxford recently (if anyone knows of one I'd be glad to see them), but it wouldn't surprise me if they've got most of the plain line piling done before the wires to Oxford got put on ice.
The more complex areas (feeder locations, crossovers, and Oxford itself) don't seem to have been done touched at all, unsurprisingly.
Thanks for the info there WAO. That must be a Sectioning AT site, as it's considerably smaller than the massive AT Feeder Station at Didcot. I'm guessing that, if wires are un-paused, that Oxford will be "end-fed" pending any further wiring to the north.The ATS installation at Radley, just short of Oxford is complete, fenced and mothballed, visible just to the North West of the station, though no masts.
WAO
but then had to abandon it when the wires to Oxford were cancelled?
If I recall correctly, it was decided not to proceed with the Oxford electrification until the resignalling and change of layout were complete.I don't think it has been cancelled - just deferred?
So... they've already done most of the trickier bits on the Oxford section...?
Possibly. I haven't seen any "driver's eye view" videos of Didcot to Oxford recently (if anyone knows of one I'd be glad to see them), but it wouldn't surprise me if they've got most of the plain line piling done before the wires to Oxford got put on ice.
The more complex areas (feeder locations, crossovers, and Oxford itself) don't seem to have been done touched at all, unsurprisingly.
How much would you like to bet on that?When the time comes, they will at least know where all the signalling cables are located.
That's a very encouraging sign! Hope NR still have all the old piling records for the ones that might have refused...Piling work was carried out from the southern edge of Oxford down to Didcot at an early stage, as that was originally intended to be one of the first bits of the GW area to see electric trains, in the shape of emus on London services.
As the Oxford area was awaiting resignalling and associated changes to the trackwork and locations of points, along with the creation of the new junction for the Bicester line, no piling work was done through the city. When the time comes, they will at least know where all the signalling cables are located.
Whether it is a sign someone at Network Rail is optimistic about authorisation of wiring to Oxford being forthcoming shortly, I don't know, but a fresh round of lineside vegetation cutting has just been carried out between Didcot and the edge of Oxford, pretty much matching the section where piling is in place - though a fair few were not driven all the way into the ground a few years ago, so will need a further visit to finish the job.
How much would you like to bet on that?
That's a very encouraging sign! Hope NR still have all the old piling records for the ones that might have refused...
Don't think it is - it certainly seems to show signs of the programme getting underway once again, given that Chippenham - Bristol & Didcot - Oxford seem to be getting de-vegged at the same time.I assume it’s not a multi year de-vegging contract signed way back assuming the line would be electrified now!
Thanks.In this context C&C is Contact and Catenary, ie the two separate wires in the normal OHLE setup.
If you mean the through lines, yes they are wired also. There would be no reason to not do them at the same time as everything else as it would be much more expensive to wire at a later date. It also adds resilience to the station area.Thanks.
Just mapping the progress, I'll share some maps when done.
EDIT: Can somene confirm it's just the four platform tracks that are electrified at Newport and the two slow lines are not?