Great Western Electrification Progress

[snowball]

Now live more than half way from Paddington to Bristol (Parkway or TM) or Severn Tunnel East.

 

[59CosG95]

Now live more than half way from Paddington to Bristol (Parkway or TM) or Severn Tunnel East.

*cranks up the Bon Jovi*

That is great news to hear! I await further pictures of Swindon to Parkway/Chippenham with interest, now that wires are over halfway there. Next big thing to watch will of course be the Patchway blockade to get the conductor rails all installed in the tunnels around there...while I think the progress on the English side of the Severn Tunnel has been fantastic, I'm still waiting for a big spurt of work between Newport & Severn Tunnel West.

 

[oglord]

Some new six-track portals have appeared at the west end of Newport High Street, in addition to the new four-track and TTC the other side of the bridge.

 

[59CosG95]

Some new six-track portals have appeared at the west end of Newport High Street, in addition to the new four-track and TTC the other side of the bridge.

Very informative shot there @oglord! Couple of questions; is that gantry with the bagged-up signals due to be removed at some point? It looks like it poses an obstacle to wiring.
A quick search on Flickr also showed that a 4-track portal has gone up east of the new footbridge as well.

 

[JN114]

Very informative shot there @oglord! Couple of questions; is that gantry with the bagged-up signals due to be removed at some point? It looks like it poses an obstacle to wiring.
A quick search on Flickr also showed that a 4-track portal has gone up east of the new footbridge as well.

I suspect it will go, that’s the “old” gantry with new signals on posts.

 

[59CosG95]

I suspect it will go, that’s the “old” gantry with new signals on posts.

I thought as much, but not being overly familiar with Newport, I wasn't 100% sure.

 

[oglord]

Very informative shot there @oglord! Couple of questions; is that gantry with the bagged-up signals due to be removed at some point? It looks like it poses an obstacle to wiring.

Yes, it is already replaced by the signal poles in front. See the attached picture for when it was brand-new in September 2010, before resignalling. I thought then that it was electrification-proof. It seems rather a waste of money for less than eight years' service.

A quick search on Flickr also showed that a 4-track portal has gone up east of the new footbridge as well.

Yes, that is what I meant by "new four-track" the other side of the bridge.

 

[JN114]

Yes, it is already replaced by the signal poles in front. See the attached picture for when it was brand-new in September 2010, before resignalling. I thought then that it was electrification-proof. It seems rather a waste of money for less than eight years' service.

A lot of the more recent (90s-onward) resignalling schemes on the Western were made “Electrification Proof” - unfortunately that Electrification proofing was done against existing OHLE designs, and didn’t account for a whole new system with new clearance minima and so on being installed.

Didcot - Swindon has also seen a number of Electrification-proof gantries torn down and replaced by lightweight post signals.

 

[snowball]

The only signal gantries I ever remember seeing in electrified areas are those where the signals hang down from the gantry. I'm surprised that a different one would be considered electrification-proof.

 

[3973EXL]

Work at Theale today.
Wires went up in the last block, checking and adjusting.


Most SPS is up from MP38 1/4 west to Theale (no SPS up east of this).
Odd mast to be fitted, including two at Calcot Mill FP crossing and around point work Theale east. One mast not up east of the M4, up side (close to overhead electric cables).
M4 bridge, registration arms fitted to brackets on the down side wall. Up side just brackets fitted so far.

Could be around four masts to go up west of Southcote J, down side.

Swindon road.
Steventon down loop wired.
Bourton down wired.
Swindon looks all complete.

Wires run nearly to Alderton Tunnel, up line same as before but the down now looks closer to the tunnel.
Some wired sections on both lines between Alderton & Chipping Sodbury tunnels. Section just before Sodbury Tunnel still to be fitted with SPS on both roads.
Wires from west portal of the tunnel for a short distance then various gaps on both roads to Westerleigh. Down stops just short of the junction. Sodbury up loop wired.

Shouldn't take much to finish the wires to Westerleigh!

 

[59CosG95]

Work at Theale today.
Wires went up in the last block, checking and adjusting.
View attachment 47894 View attachment 47895 View attachment 47896 View attachment 47897 View attachment 47898 View attachment 47899 View attachment 47900 View attachment 47901

Most SPS is up from MP38 1/4 west to Theale (no SPS up east of this).
Odd mast to be fitted, including two at Calcot Mill FP crossing and around point work Theale east. One mast not up east of the M4, up side (close to overhead electric cables).
M4 bridge, registration arms fitted to brackets on the down side wall. Up side just brackets fitted so far.

Could be around four masts to go up west of Southcote J, down side.

Swindon road.
Steventon down loop wired.
Bourton down wired.
Swindon looks all complete.

Wires run nearly to Alderton Tunnel, up line same as before but the down now looks closer to the tunnel.
Some wired sections on both lines between Alderton & Chipping Sodbury tunnels. Section just before Sodbury Tunnel still to be fitted with SPS on both roads.
Wires from west portal of the tunnel for a short distance then various gaps on both roads to Westerleigh. Down stops just short of the junction. Sodbury up loop wired.

Shouldn't take much to finish the wires to Westerleigh!

Indeed, that "go live" date of 7/6/18 to Wootton Bassett Jct looks very possible! Has anything to that regard changed, @Mintona?

 

[Phil G]

Contact wire and catenary on down line extend to Langley Burrel crossing and into distance towards chippenham so I assume it reaches cocklebury road bridge which is the end of the wires. Langley Burrel compound looks pretty deserted with a few masts and booms lying on the ground.

 

[Mintona]

Indeed, that "go live" date of 7/6/18 to Wootton Bassett Jct looks very possible! Has anything to that regard changed, @Mintona?

The latest weekly operating notice (WON) still lists that as the go live date. I have no further information than that.

 

[superkev]

The latest weekly operating notice (WON) still lists that as the go live date. I have no further information than that.

Sorry I've lost track. Currently how far from Paddington do the trains use electric power and will this change when Wooton Bassett goes live?
Thanks

 

[JN114]

Sorry I've lost track. Currently how far from Paddington do the trains use electric power and will this change when Wooton Bassett goes live?
Thanks

Didcot and No.

Energisation =\= In Passenger use.

 

[FGW_DID]

Indeed, that "go live" date of 7/6/18 to Wootton Bassett Jct looks very possible! Has anything to that regard changed, @Mintona?

The latest weekly operating notice (WON) still lists that as the go live date. I have no further information than that.

Energisation notice sent out this morning:

Wires to Wooton Bassett Junction to be considered live from 22:50 hrs Friday 8th June 2018.

 

[Mintona]

Sorry I've lost track. Currently how far from Paddington do the trains use electric power and will this change when Wooton Bassett goes live?
Thanks

It is confusing! The wires are cleared for passenger use to Didcot Parkway. stopping trains on the Up changeover whilst at the station to electric, all others (up non-stopping and down stopping and non-stopping) changeover at Moreton Cutting*.

The wires and associated equipment from Didcot Parkway to Wantage Road were energised last weekend (or at least were supposed to be, I’ve not heard this hasn’t happened). And this weekend they will be energised from Wantage Road through to Wootton Bassett Junction. None of the wires west Didcot Parkway are cleared for passenger operation yet, and so will now be subject to a test phase. I imagine they are currently being turned on as and when required, but they are to be treated as live now at all times. I’m certainly not touching them to find out. Hopefully by about September they will be signed off by the ORR and cleared for passenger use.

*Whilst down trains can changeover at Moreton Cutting, there is currently an instruction that if only one person is in the cab, the changeover should take place whilst stopped at Reading. This is to ensure the driver doesn’t forget and end up passing through Didcot still on electric and onto a currently unenergised or unauthorised section of electric track.

 

[Jimini]

*Whilst down trains can changeover at Moreton Cutting, there is currently an instruction that if only one person is in the cab, the changeover should take place whilst stopped at Reading. This is to ensure the driver doesn’t forget and end up passing through Didcot still on electric and onto a currently unenergised or unauthorised section of electric track.

Interesting stuff, thanks Mintona.

Appreciate this is a rare one, but yesterday I caught the delayed 0700 from Paddington to Swindon (final destination Bristol Temple Meads). As it was 29mins late leaving PAD it ran fast from there to SWI. Pretty sure it didn’t stop at Chippenham or Bath Spa either because of the late running.

I’d not passed through Reading non-stop before so that was first! But my somewhat circuitous route to my question is: where would this service have changed traction given that it didn’t stop between Paddington and Swindon (if it was single-manned)? Cheers.

 

[D1009]

ctio

It is confusing! The wires are cleared for passenger use to Didcot Parkway. stopping trains on the Up changeover whilst at the station to electric, all others (up non-stopping and down stopping and non-stopping) changeover at Moreton Cutting*.

The wires and associated equipment from Didcot Parkway to Wantage Road were energised last weekend (or at least were supposed to be, I’ve not heard this hasn’t happened). And this weekend they will be energised from Wantage Road through to Wootton Bassett Junction. None of the wires west Didcot Parkway are cleared for passenger operation yet, and so will now be subject to a test phase. I imagine they are currently being turned on as and when required, but they are to be treated as live now at all times. I’m certainly not touching them to find out. Hopefully by about September they will be signed off by the ORR and cleared for passenger use.

*Whilst down trains can changeover at Moreton Cutting, there is currently an instruction that if only one person is in the cab, the changeover should take place whilst stopped at Reading. This is to ensure the driver doesn’t forget and end up passing through Didcot still on electric and onto a currently unenergised or unauthorised section of electric track.

It certainly is confusing, and someone up thread posted that (assuming all goes well) authority for passenger use of the wires west of Didcot from the ORR will come in December, and actual use by passenger trains will not happen before the big timetable change in Jan 2019.

Are we to imply from your last paragraph that 800s normally have more than one person in the cab, or trains not calling at Didcot normally change traction mode at Reading?

 

[Mintona]

Sincere apologies. I’ve just realised I missed a line out of my previous post. It should have read:

“*Whilst down trains can changeover at Moreton Cutting, there is currently an instruction that if only one person is in the cab, and the train is being driven with a generic headcode rather than the correct service headcode, the changeover should take place whilst stopped at Reading. This is to ensure the driver doesn’t forget and end up passing through Didcot still on electric and onto a currently unenergised or unauthorised section of electric track.”

If the correct service headcode is being used the above doesn’t apply as there is balise protection at Moreton Crossovers to ensure a train that hasn’t changed from electric to diesel will have the pantograph dropped automatically.

 

[Non Multi]

Looking forward to the next GWEP authorisation announcement being another somewhat unspecific message on the ORR's twitter feed.

 

[JN114]

Sincere apologies. I’ve just realised I missed a line out of my previous post. It should have read:

“*Whilst down trains can changeover at Moreton Cutting, there is currently an instruction that if only one person is in the cab, and the train is being driven with a generic headcode rather than the correct service headcode, the changeover should take place whilst stopped at Reading. This is to ensure the driver doesn’t forget and end up passing through Didcot still on electric and onto a currently unenergised or unauthorised section of electric track.”

If the correct service headcode is being used the above doesn’t apply as there is balise protection at Moreton Crossovers to ensure a train that hasn’t changed from electric to diesel will have the pantograph dropped automatically.

To expand for the lay-person - when setting up the train the crew have to enter the services’ headcode into the TMS - this enables features like the reservations; auto-announcements; and the auto traction changeover.

There have been issues with the database; so while these are resolved a series of “generic” headcodes are provided for the crew to use in the event the train doesn’t accept their normal headcode. Due to other database issues a train running on a generic headcode cannot currently be relied upon to initiate an auto-changeover itself.

Software updates were pushed to the TMS last weekend to theoretically resolve all the above; but either they haven’t actually resolved the issue, or there’s not enough confidence they’ve resolved the issue for them to rescind the instruction to drivers yet.

 

[D1009]

To expand for the lay-person - when setting up the train the crew have to enter the services’ headcode into the TMS - this enables features like the reservations; auto-announcements; and the auto traction changeover.

There have been issues with the database; so while these are resolved a series of “generic” headcodes are provided for the crew to use in the event the train doesn’t accept their normal headcode. Due to other database issues a train running on a generic headcode cannot currently be relied upon to initiate an auto-changeover itself.

Software updates were pushed to the TMS last weekend to theoretically resolve all the above; but either they haven’t actually resolved the issue, or there’s not enough confidence they’ve resolved the issue for them to rescind the instruction to drivers yet.

Given the trains have been in service now for over seven months, that is rather worrying.

 

[59CosG95]

SPS currently going up within Newbury. https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1004675926817247232

 

[3973EXL]

B&H Wires

Both lines are wired from east of Theale (between platform ends and the crossover) to MP51 1/4 east of the Kennet Viaduct.
Theale Loop is wired from MP41 1/2 west, including point work at the Wigmore lane end.

Both lines are then wired from just east of the Racecourse bridge, off the Hambridge Rd roundabout, to just east of Racecouse station. This includes the pointwork and down passenger loop east of Racecourse station.

Masts
West of Theale I can see just two masts missing. These are at Newbury station.
The mast on plat 2 will have to go through the canopy roof. Plat 1 will be car park side of the canopy.

Booms/Portals
West of Theale I counted three missing. One east of Newbury and two in the station, includes one with no masts yet.

There are brackets on the underside of the bridge at the east end of Newbury station. SPS to be fitted here and on the missing steelwork when it goes up.
SPS also required on one structure just west of Newbury station and masts east of Rockingham Rd.


Other views west of Newbury.

 

[3973EXL]

Reading West access work.

Down side, looks like the asbestos waste has been removed.

 

[The_Engineer]

Thanks for the update 3973EXL. It seems to be on course for the planned electric operation of Newbury trains.

 

[3973EXL]

Newbury Station

 

[alxndr]

Do we know if they successfully went live to Wootton Bassett last night?

 

[Mag_seven]

Do we know if they successfully went live to Wootton Bassett last night?

Was wondering that myself given that there are more weeknight evening blocks through Swindon this week coming.