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TfL Rail: Early commencement of Thames Valley services

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kevin_roche

kevin_roche

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Occtraveller said:
My understanding is that the Reduced Length Units (7-cars) are running an older build of software that only supports TPWS+AWS - it does not implement ETCS so cannot run in Heathrow tunnels. TPWS+AWS are not installed there and aren't going to be.
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That is my belief too. Thank you for the confirmation.

Occtraveller said:
Heathrow's tunnels may still depend on getting Heathrow Express stock upgraded for ETCS. Siemens are working on a first-in-class install on the 387s.
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I believe Network rail are planning to install ETCS all the way to Paddington over the Easter 2020 holiday period. Although I saw some information to that effect, I also saw in reports that Crossrail are not confident that it will work any time soon after that. They are, I believe, planning to use TPWS between Paddington and Airport Junction.
To allow that a change request was raised to support the transition between TPWS and ETCS at Airport Junction.

Occtraveller said:
The third signalling system, used in the tunnel, is CBTC. This is actually a description, not a name - it stands for Communication-Based Train Control. I believe the system in use is Siemens Trainguard. I don't know whether this is their ETCS product running at Level 3 or a legacy one. To begin with, it was considered that ETCS L3 wasn't ready for this application, but Thameslink are now running that through their core.
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It is my understanding that Siemens Trainguard uses many similar components to the ETCS Level 2 Standard (eg: same Balise) and that the main difference is that it uses a Wi-Fi based system with a much higher data rate rather than GSM-R to connect the train signalling computer to the signalling system.
 
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rebmcr

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Occtraveller said:
To begin with, it was considered that ETCS L3 wasn't ready for this application, but Thameslink are now running that through their core.
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I don't believe there is a working L3 system anywhere in the world, it remains purely theoretical. Thameslink do indeed use ETCS through their core but it is L2.
 
kevin_roche

kevin_roche

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rebmcr said:
I don't believe there is a working L3 system anywhere in the world, it remains purely theoretical. Thameslink do indeed use ETCS through their core but it is L2.
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AFAIK The specifications for Level 3 are still being discussed or on hold.
 
paulravuslante

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Siemens Staines said:
The first working on a Saturday;
345009 9P18 0718 Reading - Paddington
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A 345 seems to be operating journeys all through the day today (Saturday 30th). For example the 1018 ex RDG, 1141 ex PAD, 1318 ex RDG have all been shown as TfL Rail operated services. I have seen nothing official over why this is happening? Covering GWR shortages at short notice?
 
306024

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No all pre-planned like the Monday to Friday trains. Just a few trips with one unit.
 
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JonathanH

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cactustwirly said:
How does that work? Don't the Reading stoppers interwork with Didcot services?
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Appears to have been achieved by sending GWR units to and from West Ealing Sidings and TfL Rail having a longer than normal turnaround.

Some GWR Reading stoppers also ran through to Newbury this morning.

Of course, the Reading / Didcot interworking is broken from 16 December.
 
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matt_world2004

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Who would be responsible for ppm failures with these reading services.I can't imagine GwR being too happy if they got fined for rolling stock faults with the 345s.
 
transmanche

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matt_world2004 said:
Who would be responsible for ppm failures with these reading services.I can't imagine GwR being too happy if they got fined for rolling stock faults with the 345s.
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Geoff Marshall's 'First Purple Train from Reading' video shows them displaying as a 'GWR service operated by TfL Rail'. So my guess is GWR would be penalised for any PPM failures, but they would charge that back to TfL Rail.

Screen Shot 2019-11-30 at 21.29.15.png
Screengrab showing the departure screen at Burnham station displaying TfL operated services as 'GWR service operated by TfL Rail'.

Link to the whole video:
 
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