Great Western Electrification Progress

[jyte]

Fantastic bit of work. Makes the whole thing come alive. Should have done this for the North West Threads!

Thank you!

In my defence, I wasn't around when the North-West threads were being done, but if there's any electrification they're still bothering with in this country and I can get the mapping data, I'll give it a shot.

The GWEP will personally impact me (in a positive way), so there's a little bit of selfishness in trying to calculate and represent its progress. In all honesty I care less about the TPEP and the MMLEP.

 

[HowardGWR]

In fairness, the 'north west threads' have been very much enlivened by the posse of photographers who have graced these pages with their albums. 'A picture is worth....etc' but your diagrams and that of the other poster have been much appreciated by me, thanks.

 

[D1009]

In fairness, the 'north west threads' have been very much enlivened by the posse of photographers who have graced these pages with their albums. 'A picture is worth....etc' but your diagrams and that of the other poster have been much appreciated by me, thanks.

I totally concur with that, a brilliant piece of work. We need to get the detail west of Swindon in next, there are certainly masts up at various places between Swindon and Badminton, and east of Pilning.

 

[JN114]

As a correction to your diagram - all 4 lines through Didcot station should be shown as complete and energised as far as Milton, and the existing energised section should be extended towards Reading as follows: Up Relief (only) as far as Scours Lane, whence the Up Pass Loop and Reading TCD connection A are electrified as far as T1732 signal

 

[Dixie]

Thank you!

In my defence, I wasn't around when the North-West threads were being done, but if there's any electrification they're still bothering with in this country and I can get the mapping data, I'll give it a shot.

The GWEP will personally impact me (in a positive way), so there's a little bit of selfishness in trying to calculate and represent its progress. In all honesty I care less about the TPEP and the MMLEP.

Ah, sorry jyte, it wasn't really clear but my comment was to myself and the many others who have been active on that thread not to yourself. But, yes, if you could source a similar type of map showing the routes from Stalybridge through to Blackpool North via both the routes through Victoria to Preston and to Wigan, including, if available, the details of the new Ordsall Chord (but don't worry if you can't) I would be quite happy to colour it up as progress is made.

 

[jyte]

As a correction to your diagram - all 4 lines through Didcot station should be shown as complete and energised as far as Milton, and the existing energised section should be extended towards Reading as follows: Up Relief (only) as far as Scours Lane, whence the Up Pass Loop and Reading TCD connection A are electrified as far as T1732 signal

I don't fully understand the wiring around Didcot, but I'll give it a shot!

 

[jyte]

Version 1.4, everbody.

As ever, please tell me what's wrong with this. I expect...many things.



Hope everyone had a great day.

Edit:And I can see a spelling mistake..... I should proof-read better.

 

[Ploughman]

Is the limit of the Eastern end boundary to existing OHLE known?
Any changes Paddington to Airport?

Proposals for Western end?
Bristol, Swansea and Oxford lines etc?

 

[jyte]

Is the limit of the Eastern end boundary to existing OHLE known?
Any changes Paddington to Airport?

As part of the crossrail project, a few (like only 3-4) headspans in the Westbourne Park were replaced with portals.

Inside Paddington itself, platform 1&2 are still unwired, the works on platforms 12-14 continue.

The pedestrian overbridge over 1&2 has has a rather fetching small (probably 6inch) high glass barrier added.

 

[4973]

The pedestrian overbridge over 1&2 has has a rather fetching small (probably 6inch) high glass barrier added.

Had a trip from Padd to Hayes today and can add the following:

Platform extensions at Hayes & Harlington are still not finished, indeed there doesn't seem to have been much progress since I was there a month or so back. The 8-car 387s are announcing 'due to a short platform the doors on car 8 will not open', but the whole of the train was comfortably in the platform. It may be due to incomplete works of course but the bay platform does look complete.

The new foot bridge at Ealing Broadway seems almost ready for use,

The platform extensions at Acton Main line have now been started, indeed the base for the extended down platform is almost complete. As far as the up platform is concerned some materials have been dumped ready but that seems to be it.

 

[JN114]

The SDO on the 387s can't tel what platform it is in, therefore will only open 7 coaches at Hayes as that's currently the length of the shortest platform

 

[coppercapped]

The portals are up in Reading station and have been since it was rebuilt. They go out as far east as the Main/Relief crossovers at Kennet Bridge.

Of course there are none over Platforms 4 to 6 as these are 3rd rail only.

 

[Melancholia]

The switching on of wires between Hayes & Harlington and Maidenhead has been amended to Sunday 26th of March. An all-line possession will be in place on Sunday 00:01 - 13:00 between Hayes & Harlington and Twyford.

 

[jyte]

The switching on of wires between Hayes & Harlington and Maidenhead has been amended to Sunday 26th of March. An all-line possession will be in place on Sunday 00:01 - 13:00 between Hayes & Harlington and Twyford.

All lines? So no services?
Crap, I was planning on making an escape that weekend!
Best of luck to all NR, GWR and contractor personnel.

 

[itfcfan]

The new foot bridge at Ealing Broadway seems almost ready for use,

That's the bridge at the East/London-end of the platforms? To confirm, that's an emergency exit bridge I believe. Sadly, given the crowding at Ealing Broadway it won't be in general public use.

 

[Melancholia]

All lines? So no services?
Crap, I was planning on making an escape that weekend!
Best of luck to all NR, GWR and contractor personnel.

Unfortunately yes.

HSS services will terminate at Reading. Shuttle service Hayes & Harlington - Paddington. RRS between Paddington - Reading (Fast), and Hayes & Harlington - Reading (Local).

The only ticket acceptance in place is with ATW (Swansea - Hereford), VTWC (Birmingham New Street - London Euston), LM (Hereford - London Euston) and TFL services between London Euston and Paddington.

 

[ANP1990]

Hi - just some points for the map regarding the Berks and Hants!
Between Newbury and Theale- there is a mix of masts and portals going up (far less work between Theale and Reading West).
The wires are up from about the Triangle Sidings to Reading West

 

[jyte]

Hi - just some points for the map regarding the Berks and Hants!
Between Newbury and Theale- there is a mix of masts and portals going up (far less work between Theale and Reading West).
The wires are up from about the Triangle Sidings to Reading West

Okay that's great.

I'm busy again for a few days but I've made a note. I expect I'll update the map on Thursday and definitely by Friday when the other members of this forum doing Padd-Reading trips can report on the status of the electrification between Maidenhead and Reading.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

When the section between Hayes & Harlington and Maidenhead is energised, do they do one track at a time or the whole lot in one go?

 

[Minstral25]

I travelled to Paddington to Reading for the first time in years on Saturday and was watching the slow lines between Maidenhead and Reading. I would estimate a very large % of registration arms were up on the portals.

Reading Station itself which I haven't seen since being a regular in the 90's is an exceptional rebuild. Lot's of wide open spaces so you can pass easily between platforms - was very impressed.

 

[Siemens Staines]

The switching on of wires between Hayes & Harlington and Maidenhead has been amended to Sunday 26th of March. An all-line possession will be in place on Sunday 00:01 - 13:00 between Hayes & Harlington and Twyford.

While unrelated to this topic, it is worth noting that Reading - Virginia Water and Reading - Guildford are shut on the same day (for the extra inconvenience)

 

[II]

That's the bridge at the East/London-end of the platforms? To confirm, that's an emergency exit bridge I believe. Sadly, given the crowding at Ealing Broadway it won't be in general public use.

It is already available for use if required, for example it was used during the Christmas blockade between Ealing and Paddington, with arriving passengers on trains terminating on the Up Main platform directed over it and along the Up Relief platform to gain access to the Central and District lines.

 

[jochta]

Not sure if mentioned elsewhere in thread (couldn't find it if it was) but masts and (some) portals are installed at Twyford and towards Reading as far as I can see on all lines. No registration arms yet. Here's a typical view towards Reading from the slow platforms.

 

[Melancholia]

While unrelated to this topic, it is worth noting that Reading - Virginia Water and Reading - Guildford are shut on the same day (for the extra inconvenience)

Yeah, and Chiltern's got a closure Bicester - Warwick, so passengers cannot rely on them getting into London.

Crosscountry will be running an amended service due to the closure.

 

[HowardGWR]

Not sure if mentioned elsewhere in thread (couldn't find it if it was) but masts and (some) portals are installed at Twyford and towards Reading as far as I can see on all lines. No registration arms yet. Here's a typical view towards Reading from the slow platforms.

Brilliant, keep 'em coming please. May we assume that at least all piling is completed to Reading so that we are only talking about putting masts and wiring up on the readied bases?

 

[Unclepete]

Hi,
picture here taken yesterday of the site next to the Stirling cables tower. It's coming down soon and somewhere next to it is where the feeder station is being built.

 

[3973EXL]

Brilliant, keep 'em coming please. May we assume that at least all piling is completed to Reading so that we are only talking about putting masts and wiring up on the readied bases?

As far as I could see last week, the only large steel work missing to Reading are three portals/booms.

One can be seen in the Twyford picture, Reading end just off the platforms.
There is another four track one between Twyford and Ruscombe, and a two track one just off the London end relief platforms, hidden from the platforms by the road bridge.

Two main areas missing the small fittings, Ruscombe crossovers to Twyford West and the Kennet loop/ bridge areas.

 

[NickBucks]

Please excuse my ignorance so don't all shout back as I am not a railway or electrical engineer. Am I wrong or has no attempt been made to pre-assemble much of the steel work to the top of the masts before installation or is this not physically possible ? I would have thought that some stretches needed very similar installations leaving only bespoke formats around stations and bridges. Just seems a way of avoiding constant visits to the same place to pile, then put the masts up then visit again to put up the hangers ( or whatever the technical term is) before adding the wiring. Thanks.

 

[dmncf]

Unfortunately yes.

HSS services will terminate at Reading. Shuttle service Hayes & Harlington - Paddington. RRS between Paddington - Reading (Fast), and Hayes & Harlington - Reading (Local).

The only ticket acceptance in place is with ATW (Swansea - Hereford), VTWC (Birmingham New Street - London Euston), LM (Hereford - London Euston) and TFL services between London Euston and Paddington.

Sorry for going slightly off topic, but how do rail replacement buses access Paddington Station; where do they park?

 

[spark001uk]

Sorry for going slightly off topic, but how do rail replacement buses access Paddington Station; where do they park?

There's a big taxi rank and stuff on an access road above p12-14, so I would assume there?