Great Western Electrification Progress

[steevp]

Thanks for the explanation. I've been wondering what TTC and SPS stood for. I must admit small part steelwork still doesn't mean much to me but I can live with that.

My wife calls them "dangly bits" - works for me

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thanks for the explanation. I've been wondering what TTC and SPS stood for. I must admit small part steelwork still doesn't mean much to me but I can live with that.

Actually, this is a project I could commit to. A list - probably a separate thread with all known railway acronyms, jargon etc., listed and explained.

 

[Jensen]

I know this is a bit off topic but, back in the late 90's I was involved with the creation of various Virtual Quarry sites around the midlands. The project manager from Railtrack HQ was not a railway man but would insist on calling these sites the VQ's. We got a bit fed up with this and created our own name, a BPOS.......a big pile of stone. Happy days

 

[HowardGWR]

I actually went to the trouble of adding SPS explanation to Wikipedia, so that should come up eventually in Google searches. I suppose we could do that for TTC. Wasn't that nice of me?

 

[oglord]

While I know what you mean, perhaps for the sake of others not familiar with the jargon, how about spelling out twin-track cantilevers and small part steelwork in full?

Sorry! Was quickly typing on a mobile phone!

 

[Dai Corner]

A couple of minor points.

Under Severn Tunnel - Newport: I think Llanishen Pond should read Lliswerry Pond. Llanishen is near Cardiff and a few miles from the main line.

Under Newport: I've seen a picture taken yesterday which shows the cutting back of the canopy on Platform 1 still in progress. The photographer confirms Platforms 2 and 3 have been completed.

 

[Unclepete]

Hi,
Been reported in the local paper that the new footbridge at Newbury is now open, although there is of course a blockade this week!
Will try to get a look around this week and report back.

 

[59CosG95]

Update time again! @Unclepete, your latest change has been noted.

GWML Electrification: State of Play, week beginning 23/4/2018. B&H Blockade 2 underway.

Paddington to Didcot - LIVE

• All main line tracks wired within the M25.
• TTCs near Ealing Broadway over the Down Main to replace headspans.
• 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).
• Current live wires end at 54m 51ch on the Mains (just short of Milton Jct; 55m 19ch). The Didcot Relief OLE ends at Foxhall Jct (53m 55ch).

Small Points

• First few yards of Windsor and Marlow branches wired.
• AT wires in operation from Maidenhead to Didcot; Kensal Green to Maidenhead currently only using return conductors but will be AT-ready in the near future.
  • Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead to be closed off over the May Bank Holiday; to prepare for the Elizabeth Line running to Maidenhead. Paddington to H&H will also be closed on May 6th, presumably for the ATF installation and finishing of Platform Extensions.
• On May 20th, all lines between Paddington and H&H will be closed until 0800.
• Twyford platform, canopy and bridge parapet works in progress.
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of wires for the time being.
• Oxford Lines west of Didcot Pkwy wired as far as the loco fuelling sdg; Down Oxford as far as 53m31ch, Up Oxford as far as 53m42ch. Didcot avoiding lines have sprouted masts (4 portals, 2 TTCs), with a wire pair over the Down Didcot Avoider.

Didcot to Swindon - due to go live August 2018
All steelwork (including SPS) looks to be complete from Didcot to Swindon.
A note on Steventon: Wires up over the Level Crossings & under the High St Bridge (aka the "Brunel Bridge"); however, the bridge may well be demolished in CP6. The discussion continues.

Steventon-Uffington-Swindon

• In the Steventon area (between MP55 3/4 and MP57 1/4), all wires over the Mains up, with just the gap between the existing live section & the A34 left to wire.
• The Mains are wired from signals SB963/SB965 (just west of the A34) to the existing wires west of Causeway Crossing, going under *that* bridge at Steventon.
• The Didcot Relief Line (Did.RL; 55m 00ch to 56m 32ch) and the Down Steventon Goods Loop (DSGL; 55m 19ch to 56m 32ch) remain unwired. As the A34 straddles all 4 of the Did.RL, DM, UM & DSGL, it can be said that all 4 lines under and east of the A34 still need to be wired.
• Wires over the Mains continue to approx MP72 1/4, where a small gap just east of Bourton X-overs remains. Both Bourton & Uffington X-overs wired.
• West of Bourton the wires resume and continue, to the western end of Swindon Station (see below).
  • The USGL at Stratton (Swindon Up Goods Loop) is also wired. However, the ATF wires appear to stop west of Stratton Green.
  • East of County Rd underbridge, the USR (Up Swindon Reception) & DSG (Down Swindon Goods) are also wired.

Swindon Station

• SPS up through P3 but not (from internet observations) at the eastern end of P1; some still to go up around the London end of the approaches, and some over the pointwork at the Bristol end.
• Wires up through P4 (Down Main) & the through Road (Up Main); these terminate in the Tensorex drums at the western end of the station.
• All large steelwork now up in the station area.
• The gaggle of tall masts at the Bristol end of the Main lines now have cables over them; this must be for ATF purposes.

Swindon-Wootton Bassett Jct

• Wootton Bassett Jct (83m 07ch) was wired over the weekend of 24/25th March. The western half of the Up Wootton Bassett Goods Loop (UWBGL) has also been wired.
• Wires on both DM (Down Main) & UM (Up Main) resume around MP 77 3/4; these continue to MP96, just west of Hullavington (see below). A gap on the DM also exists over Wootton Bassett Jct.
• Rushey Platt (78m 36ch) has a single wire run from the UM onto the loop (only as far as approx MP78 1/4).
• The UM gap at Hay Lane between MP79 1/2 and MP 80 1/4 has not yet been filled in.

The "Main Line"; Wootton Bassett Jct - Chippenham - Thingley Jct

• In the Down Cess just west of Wootton Bassett Jct, a lot of SPS is stored on pallets, ready to be installed.
• Update: the DM past Wootton Bassett Ground Frame has wires over it; the UM does not.
• Track lowering and drainage work at Dauntsey completed.
• Nr Tockenham Wick, pretty much all the masts are up, TTCs, STCs and portals alike; most have SPS fitted now.
• First few headspans (?) erected over 25/6th of Feb '17 at Dauntsey Bank (87m ish), and some (not all) of the missing masts have gone up too, plus brackets for fittings.
• Langley Burrell (east of Chippenham)
  • In the Crossing Rd area, all TTC-bearing masts appear to be up with their booms on. These masts have extended east towards Christian Malford too.
  • Most STCs here have their SPS up, folded out of the way; these masts also have ATF wire brackets fixed at the top.
  • Some of the thicker STC masts, which have TTC-style tubular booms fitted, aren't yet dressed with SPS. The TTC "Tensorex" portals at Langley Burrell don't yet bear the Tensorex drums which will eventually go up there.
  • Works compound established at Langley Green L.C.
  • Single run of earth wire on the Up (not Down) side between Langley Burrell & Christian Malford.
  • Masts also up (with booms) south of Langley Burrell to Cocklebury Lane Bridge (last bridge east of Chippenham), but no SPS up on them yet.
  • As yet, no masts west of the bridge but piles are in. Some mast components are in the Down side cess just west of Cocklebury Ln.
• 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). About 6 masts are up in the vicinity of Thingley Feeder Stn, one of which has a TTC boom affixed.

• Piles continue westwards to the next bridge.
• Piles also in (and have been for over a year) at Ashley (beyond Box Tunnel).

Thingley Jct - Bath
No wiring for the foreseeable future, but overbridges between Thingley Jct & Corsham have all had clearance works, along with Box Tunnel (track lowering) and Sydney Gardens (track lowering).

Bath to Bristol
Piles in, particularly around Saltford. Not due to see use for a while after the wiring delay. Track lowered through Bath Spa, Oldfield Park & Keynsham in readiness for future wiring.

South Wales Main Line (Wootton Bassett Jct-Bristol Parkway-Severn Tunnel-Newport-Cardiff)

Wootton Bassett Jct - Bristol Parkway; apparently set to go live in September 2018.

• 11 odd miles worth of wires up from Wootton Bassett (MP 83 1/2) to around MP96, just west of (and including) Hullavington Loops & crossovers.
  • All masts and most SPS appear to be up around Acton Turnville.
  • Retaining walls drilled & bars inserted, ready to fix masts, at the eastern portals of Alderton Tunnel (97m 34ch) and Chipping Sodbury Tunnel (101m 06ch).
  • O/H Conductor rail installed in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel (MP101 to MP103 1/2).
• Progress as well around Chipping Sodbury/Old Sodbury:
  • many masts up, some with booms attached.
  • SPS now appearing too. Still a lot left to install.
• From Westerleigh Jct to Bristol Parkway; fewer than 20 bases are mastless now. Most SPS is concentrated at the Westerleigh end; the central part between there still needs masts, unbelievably.
  • A run of masts (all boomed) has sprouted on the curve towards Cheltenham Spa.
• The "Blue Viaduct" over the M4 just east of BPW now has SPS up on the masts along it.
• Winterbourne Viaduct is currently mastless.

• BPW Platforms extensions complete.
  • TTCs up over all platforms as of 20/3, along with the Down Bristol Goods Loop (opposite P1).
  • Portal now up at the eastern end over all lines through the station. Nowt more up further east on the approach though.

Bristol Parkway - Pilning

• Stoke Gifford IEP Depot all wired.
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail to be installed, 18/6/18 to 8/7/18. Track-lowering and drainage work to be undertaken in the "old" tunnel (on the Cardiff-bound line) in the same time period.
• Masts, booms and SPS up through Patchway. When the conductor rail is being installed (18/6 to 8/7), wires will also be strung up through Patchway.
  • Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed as of 18/3/18.
• At Pilning, piling and masts appearing towards both Cattybrook & Severn Tunnel, Platform 2 now closed. SPS going up on some portals and masts too.

Approx. 70% masts now up between BPW and Severn Tunnel.

Severn Tunnel - Newport

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place .
• All bridge rebuilding complete from Severn Tunnel Jct (149m 14ch) to Bishton Flyover (152m 30ch).
• Masts beginning to go up between Severn Tunnel Jct & Bishton Flyover, as of 3/4/18. These include:
  • About 3 west of "the ramp" bridge at Magor; 2 on the Down side, 1 on the Up side. https://flic.kr/p/2333VJs Another can be found on the Up Side, west of the W End/Main Rd footbridge.
  • Masts (with SPS fitted) up between Bishton Flyover (including over it) and Llanwern West Jct (156m 20ch). 5 masts are currently up on the curve down from the flyover at its eastern end.
    https://flic.kr/p/23NSDKD and https://flic.kr/p/23NSCRp.
• Some masts have sprouted near Lliswerry pond.
• 6-track portals, probably TGBUs (aka Thumpin' Great Big-Uns) going up aroung 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). Thanks to Oglord for the confirmation.

Newport

• P2 & P3 Canopies all cut back; P1 canopies still in progress.
• Masts and portals now appearing at the western end of the station, some with SPS attached. More of them up in mid-April; again, thanks to Oglord for the confirmation.
• Some concrete bases in between stn & tunnels, perhaps for portals.
• Old stn footbridge still in situ.

Newport - Cardiff

• Approx. 97 masts from Ebbw Jct (160m 7ch) to Marshfield (163m 60ch). Booms & SPS starting to appear in the area too.
• Green Lane Bridge (Marshfield) reopened to traffic after reconstruction.
• Some of the masts near Duffryn have SPS affixed.
• Two TTCs, one on each side of the tracks, have been erected by the bridge at Rhymney River Bridge Jct (167m 61ch).
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct (168m 40ch); 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side.

Cardiff Central

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.

Swansea IEP Depot

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.

Berks & Hants Line (Reading-Newbury)
Reading-Newbury set to go live from December 2018; electric trains in service from January 2019.
Reading West-Southcote Junction

• Through Reading West to Southcote Jct, perhaps 60% (up from 50%) of masts at best up.
  • These are mainly between Tilehurst Rd Bridge and the A4 (Bath Road) Bridge south of Reading West; a cluster of about 6 (5 on the Down side, one on the Up) are also up just short of Southcote Jct (37m 62ch).
  • 4 additional masts on the Up (Reading) side parallel to Southcote Jct.
  • Long-standing mast at Southcote Jct by the Up line from Newbury has recently had a support added.

Southcote Junction - Theale - Aldermaston

• From Southcote Jct past Calcot Mill FP crossing to Theale, most masts are now up (less than 10% left to erect). Still some portals and cantilevers to go up.
  • First SPS up in this area at around MP 38 1/2; SPS work complete from there west to Theale, but some still to go up from there to Wigmore Lane, at the western end of Theale Goods Loop (42m 8ch).
• Masts have gone up on the Loop Platform at Theale; only bases so far on the Down side platform. These should be taking TTCs in that case.
• From Theale Goods Loop to Ufton Lane Bridge, steelwork looks pretty complete; only 3 booms are missing - which should all be installed in the April Blockade (see below). Ready for wires with those errors excepted.
• At Ufton (Towney) Loop (42m08ch to 44m11ch), all the missing masts over the Up Line opposite and over the western end of the loop are now in place.
  • SPS continues part way down the loop, with a gap at the Aldermaston end.
• The gap on the loop excepted, the majority of SPS is now up between Wigmore Rd & Aldermaston. Some patches still here and there where it does need to go up, mainly between Aldermaston & Ufton.

Aldermaston - Midgham - Thatcham - Newbury Racecourse

• The Down platform extension at Aldermaston is mostly in, unlike at Thatcham (where work is likely to take longer than the next blockade). The missing concrete panel is now on site awaiting fitment.
• From Aldermaston to east of Midgham LC, all steelwork appears to be up; masts and SPS have gone up in Aldermaston Station alongside the platform extensions.
• Both lines are fully wired from east of Midgham LC, through Thatcham, to just east of Kennet Viaduct (nr Newbury Racecourse).
  • All 3 level crossings (Midgham, Colthrop, Thatcham) are now wired.
  • A short wire run from just east of Racecourse to just east of the overbridge linking the RC to Hambridge Lane has appeared on the Up line;
  • there is still a gap between this section and the main wired "Thatcham Section" over Kennet Viaduct.
• RC east X-overs still need wiring.

Newbury Racecourse - Newbury

• Piles almost all in, masts down to single figures. Furthest west is just west of Boundary Rd Bridge.
• No masts within Racecourse Station, but Piles for the DPL are all now in, and trial bores for the Down Platform have also been dug.
• At Newbury, the new footbridge is now OPEN; piling also taking place within the station, on the platforms. Old footbridge not yet removed.
• The electrical substation/PSU at Boundary Rd is now under construction.

Proposed Limit of Wiring: 53m 51ch.
Gives ample room to reverse even a 12-car 387 formation.
Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2.

B&H Blockades:

• 12/3 to 15/3; done.
• 23/4 to 26/4; underway.
• 4/6 to 7/6,
• 9/7 to 12/7,
• 16/7 to 5/8,
• 28/8 to 30/8,
• 8/10 to 11/10,
• 19/11 to 22/11.

Project Postponements

• Appleford LC to Oxford paused, pending track realignment and resignalling of Oxford (due summer 2018); if CP6 accounts allow for wiring to be extended to Oxford, it would be very likely to happen.
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling (Taunton-Parkway over Easter 2018; Temple Meads to Both in October 2018), track remodelling and Filton Bank 4-tracking (to be completed by December 2018).
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.

As always, do let me know if I've missed anything!
(apologies to anyone who saw it in a state of source code chaos too)

 

[Thatcham Xing]

The Railcam Newbury camera (actually located between Newbury and the Racecourse) shows lots of orange army and machines on the tracks this morning, and new OHLE uprights going up. The area around Newbury itself is probably the one that needs the most work (along with Reading W to Southcote Jct).

 

[59CosG95]

The Railcam Newbury camera (actually located between Newbury and the Racecourse) shows lots of orange army and machines on the tracks this morning, and new OHLE uprights going up. The area around Newbury itself is probably the one that needs the most work (along with Reading W to Southcote Jct).

Encouraging signs of progress! I suspect the focus on Newbury with this week's blockade is due to the fact that the route to Basingstoke is still open, hence not much work (if any) can be done between Reading W & Southcote Jct this time around.
Looking forward to seeing the fruits of the Orange Army's endeavours on Friday after the blockade concludes.

 

[Domh245]

Cardiff-Swansea wires ‘not sensible’

Electrifying the railway between Cardiff and Swansea was not a sensible thing to do, according to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling.

In a House of Commons debate on Great Western electrification on April 19, Grayling said: “Spending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and causing massive disruption to passengers to enable the same trains to travel on the same route at the same speed to the same timetable as they do today was not actually a sensible thing to do.”

...

Grayling responded: “We made the decisions about electrification on the Midland Main Line and the line between Cardiff and Swansea on the simple basis that spending hundreds of millions or billions of pounds to achieve the same journey times in the same trains was not sensible.”
On bi-mode trains, he said: “The trains on the Great Western route are already in operation, delivering services to people in Swansea, for whom it is a great and important investment.”

 

[59CosG95]

Cardiff-Swansea wires ‘not sensible’

Electrifying the railway between Cardiff and Swansea was not a sensible thing to do, according to Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling.

In a House of Commons debate on Great Western electrification on April 19, Grayling said: “Spending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and causing massive disruption to passengers to enable the same trains to travel on the same route at the same speed to the same timetable as they do today was not actually a sensible thing to do.”

...

Grayling responded: “We made the decisions about electrification on the Midland Main Line and the line between Cardiff and Swansea on the simple basis that spending hundreds of millions or billions of pounds to achieve the same journey times in the same trains was not sensible.”
On bi-mode trains, he said: “The trains on the Great Western route are already in operation, delivering services to people in Swansea, for whom it is a great and important investment.”

Honestly, I'm lost for words that Grayling can say that was "insensible".
If the work was still going ahead, yes, disruption would be inevitable, but it would be better in the long run to get the disruption over with more quickly, and give the Valleys electric services sooner.
It certainly hasn't helped that the Senedd still have their collective heads in the sand regarding funding for electrifying the Valleys, but BR managed to electrify Newcastle - a city in which the only electrified heavy rail services are the intercity ones.

 

[Dai Corner]

Honestly, I'm lost for words that Grayling can say that was "insensible".
If the work was still going ahead, yes, disruption would be inevitable, but it would be better in the long run to get the disruption over with more quickly, and give the Valleys electric services sooner.
It certainly hasn't helped that the Senedd still have their collective heads in the sand regarding funding for electrifying the Valleys, but BR managed to electrify Newcastle - a city in which the only electrified heavy rail services are the intercity ones.

Cardiff-Swansea and the Cardiff Valleys are different projects, funded by different Governments and almost certainly on different systems. See the South Wales Metro thread for more about the Valleys.

 

[Dai Corner]

Cutting back the canopies at Newport

Photos by Tim Dowd (posted with his permission).

 

[Elecman]

While I know what you mean, perhaps for the sake of others not familiar with the jargon, how about spelling out twin-track cantilevers and small part steelwork in full?

Or TGBU - Thundering Great Big Uns ( see the North West Electrification threads for details)

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Wires going up between Midgham and Aldermaston whilst passing by road earlier this evening.

 

[59CosG95]

Wires going up between Midgham and Aldermaston whilst passing by road earlier this evening.

Indeed - NR have also tweeted that wires are now appearing within Aldermaston stn. https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/988803575030669312

 

[Unclepete]

Steelwork going up around Newbury station now

 

[59CosG95]

Couple more tweets from NR about wiring work.
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/989155639573303296 - shows wires being strung up in the Aldermaston area.
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/989165894415904768 - a video explaining that a massive portal boom (in the vein of a SBU, or "Somewhat Big 'Un") is due, either tonight or tomorrow, to go up in the Newbury Racecourse area.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

The crane shown in the video linked above was positioned south of the tracks just east of the new Racecourse bridge when I had a drive around this evening.

Most of the heavy metalwork is now up through the Racecourse Station area.

At Newbury itself, a lot of metalwork has gone up in the last few days in the Station area (with quite a bit still to do) and west of the Station, the uprights extend at least to Rockingham Road Bridge, a distance of about 200m beyond the platforms/4-track section (that was as far as I could see).

 

[mathmo]

There is major engineering work between Paddington and Maidenhead over bank holiday weekend: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx?TravelDate=05/05/2018&TOC=gw. Does anyone know what this is for? Could it be bringing the auto-transformer system into use (if it isn't already)?

 

[steverailer]

Couple more tweets from NR about wiring work.
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/989155639573303296 - shows wires being strung up in the Aldermaston area.
https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/989165894415904768 - a video explaining that a massive portal boom (in the vein of a SBU, or "Somewhat Big 'Un") is due, either tonight or tomorrow, to go up in the Newbury Racecourse area.

Just to put a bit of flesh on this, that was filmed on Tuesday and the boom was installed on Tuesday night.

The reason for the big crane isn't to install the actual piece, its to lift it from the Temp storage yard in the coach park for the racecourse onto trailers on track. All the booms that are going in through that area are capable of being installed by they usual rail mounted cranes. Normally these are loaded by forklifts in the usual yards but the access to track here is too steep so the use of this crane is required as it need lifting to the UP to allow the install.

 

[59CosG95]

Just to put a bit of flesh on this, that was filmed on Tuesday and the boom was installed on Tuesday night.

The reason for the big crane isn't to install the actual piece, its to lift it from the Temp storage yard in the coach park for the racecourse onto trailers on track. All the booms that are going in through that area are capable of being installed by they usual rail mounted cranes. Normally these are loaded by forklifts in the usual yards but the access to track here is too steep so the use of this crane is required as it need lifting to the UP to allow the install.

Ahh I see. I'll probably add the details in over the weekend.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

On bustitution from Thatcham to Theale earlier....wiring units at work around Ufton Nervet/Towney Loop area and looks like wires going up as far east as Theale, from what I could see. The wires between Midgham and Aldermaston appear to only be up on the down side at present.

 

[Unclepete]

Latest updates from this week at Newbury
These show further progress on boundary road feeder station.

 

[59CosG95]

View attachment 45969 View attachment 45970 Latest updates from this week at Newbury
These show further progress on boundary road feeder station.

Looks excellent!

 

[Unclepete]

These show steelwork up at the racecourse

 

[Unclepete]

At Newbury station

 

[Unclepete]

Finally taken from Rockingham road looking back towards Newbury & out towards Emborne, quite a distance I think.

Also, I believe the next blockade is Mon 14th-17th May

 

[59CosG95]

View attachment 45975 View attachment 45976 Finally taken from Rockingham road looking back towards Newbury & out towards Emborne, quite a distance I think.

Also, I believe the next blockade is Mon 14th-17th May

All looks very encouraging. The next blockade is indeed May 14th-17th; I just checked GWR's website.