Great Western Electrification Progress

[linuxlad7]

Electric services to Newport due to start from 15 Dec according to brief I was at today.

n new government might then feel optimistic enough to announce extension to Swansea...(And Bromsgrove to Worcester)

 

[59CosG95]

What about the Wotton Bassett to Filton electrification. Will we be seeing that next year??

If you mean Chippenham (east of) to Bristol Temple Meads along with the Filton Triangle area (north of Filton AW) to Bristol Temple Meads...

Chance would be a fine thing!

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Electric services to Newport due to start from 15 Dec according to brief I was at today.

Last thing I heard a week ago was Pilning on 15 December and Newport 2 January as more testing is needed in the Severn Tunnel?

 

[Tom Quinne]

Newport Station - pan up/down 15/12, full service to Cardiff early January 2020.

Severn Tunnel is to become its own electrical section vice a portion of longer one as now.

 

[ATW158Xpress]

Newport Station - pan up/down 15/12, full service to Cardiff early January 2020.

Severn Tunnel is to become its own electrical section vice a portion of longer one as now.

Thanks for the info pan down signs are being put up on the west side of P3/P4 at Severn Tunnel Jn for trains going though the tunnel.

 

[JonasB]

I looked at a map where it looked like the north-south tracks through the Stoke Gifford junction will not be electrified, is that correct? It seems a bit silly to not electrify that short gap that would allow electric trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Wales.

 

[hwl]

I looked at a map where it looked like the north-south tracks through the Stoke Gifford junction will not be electrified, is that correct? It seems a bit silly to not electrify that short gap that would allow electric trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Wales.

The bit between Stoke Gifford and Temple Meads isn't electrified so slightly academic!

 

[JonasB]

The bit between Stoke Gifford and Temple Meads isn't electrified so slightly academic!

But isn't the plan to electrify to Temple Meads?

 

[hwl]

But isn't the plan to electrify to Temple Meads?

Theoretically but who knows at the moment...

 

[Optom1]

Bristol East remodelling must take place before any thoughts of further electrification

 

[YourMum666]

Will temple meads station be rebuilt to fit electrification??. And will wires go east of Oxford

 

[Bald Rick]

Will temple meads station be rebuilt to fit electrification??. And will wires go east of Oxford

Yes Temple Meads is being remodelled with electrification in mind.

The wires are already east of Oxford! (Depending which line you mean )

 

[Optom1]

Temple meads main train shed to be reroofed with no significantchange in appearance,and supposedly two new platforms on the west side of the station in the old (now a car park/exibition centre) train shed

 

[Bald Rick]

Temple meads main train shed to be reroofed with no significantchange in appearance,and supposedly two new platforms on the west side of the station in the old (now a car park/exibition centre) train shed

Those platforms aren’t happening.

 

[Optom1]

Thank goodness,Weston Super Mare track doubling needed more,but who knows!

 

[Brissle Girl]

Those platforms aren’t happening.

The old train shed is now planned to be a passenger area, to replace the current crowded ticket hall. There is still a proposal for new shorter platforms 0 and 1 roughly where the signal box is. (I’m not sure whether that means there are two new platforms or that one is a replacement for the current platform 1.)

However the platforms need the decommissioning of the SB, and I’ve not seen a date set for that. Bristol East remodelling is due for Dec 20, but as the SB only controls the lines south of Flax Bourton now, the two are not linked, as intuitively you might imagine they would be given the box is situated within sight of the junction.

 

[59CosG95]

This might be a gross over-simplification of how electrification to Temple Meads might go, but the situation seems to be as above in my eyes.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Looks good! The only thing I’d say is that approval for the work can come earlier in the process, and indeed probably ought to, given the lead time before on site work would be needed at Bristol East. Indeed, I would have thought the work teams could worth westwards from Chippenham and south from Parkway, with the work at Bristol East and Temple Meads the final piece in the jigsaw.

 

[Mintona]

I believe the work at Bristol East Jn is pencilled in for summer 2021.

 

[Brissle Girl]

I believe the work at Bristol East Jn is pencilled in for summer 2021.

Yes, sorry I was incorrect in saying end of 2020. Checking back it was shown as 84 days between June and Sep 21. Though that is far enough in advance that the timescales could yet slip.

 

[swt_passenger]

I believe the work at Bristol East Jn is pencilled in for summer 2021.

Wasn’t there a planning application going through for an access and lay down site immediately next to the junction, on some NR land currently used as a small park?

 

[edwin_m]

The Bristol East re-modelling doesn't necessarily need the power box decommissioning. They could design the junction layout to allow access to the lengthened and additional platform where the box now is, but the platform tracks themselves could be added at a later date.

 

[Ploughman]

It has been done before.
Leeds North West Electrification back in 1993 - 4.
The Platform 1 line at Skipton was installed either side of Skipton South Signal box.
Once the Signal box was decommissioned and demolished the missing 2 lengths of track was installed and the line was tamped, commissioned and opened for traffic.

 

[Hellzapoppin]

The completion blockade for Bristol East is 2021 but some works will be done next year. The Panel will be staying and it doesn't affect the remodelling.
Electrification down Filton bank has one major stumbling block and that's the bridge at Lawrence Hill, major traffic disruption and expensive to do.
The planned access suggested by SWT isn't happening.

 

[swt_passenger]

The planned access suggested by SWT isn't happening.

Interesting, it seemed it would be quite a useful facility. Do you know if NR abandoned the plan or was it turned down by the local authority? Saves the time looking it up again, if you’re already aware of the reasoning...

 

[deltic08]

Yes Temple Meads is being remodelled with electrification in mind.

The wires are already east of Oxford! (Depending which line you mean )

I think he means towards Bicester?

 

[Envoy]

When they eventually electrify Temple Meads, will the electric trains be using platforms under the canopy in order to reduce air pollution? (It clearly would be undesirable to have the diesel trains under the canopy with the electric trains at ‘open air’ platforms).

If they could get the Filton Bank electrified, then surely that would open up the way for an all electric stopping service between Cardiff & Temple Meads?

 

[Brissle Girl]

The London terminators via Bath use 13/15, which minimises conflicting moves at Bristol East. I wouldn’t imagine this would change. As for the services via Hullavington, that’s less certain. Anyway, given the electrification hasn’t even been approved yet, this detail is all somewhat off topic to the progress of the existing scheme.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Why is it generally a bad idea? The prevailing preference on theses forums is total electrification as the only way forward, which used to be accomplished with loco haulage back in the 20th century and traction changes at temporary wiring limits en route (Note railway temporary; i.e sometimes for decades). With multiple unit trains some form of dual power source on board is essential, whether that is diesel engines for off wire branches, or batteries to cover shorter neutral sections. My preference is for most mileage to be electrified but realistically if some particularly difficult or expensive short sections of wiring can be omitted, then that could drastically improve the business case for the whole scheme, diffuse some local opposition to schemes and get more train miles decarbonised as well as improve air quality in urban areas. Having the gaps in large stations in urban areas like Bristol Temple Meads where train have to use diesel is clearly not the long term answer. There will always be some far flung lines where electrification will never be justified. In the medium term the sparse service on these can continue using diesel, with little overall carbon output, although electric transmission and some batteries on board can still be beneficial for working in the very few more populated areas theses rural routes pass through. In the longer term these lines, often too long realistically for battery throughout, are the best candidates for hydrogen fuel cell operation.

Its easy. The lines where electrification cannot be justified will get closed. Gets rid of nasty diesel trains. Problem solved !.

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of other electrification work available at the moment or in the near future. Many have already been paid off with plenty more to follow after Christmas.

Linemen are leaving the country for overhead work or going into non-electrification or non-railway work. Individuals may come back to the work if things pick up again, however the experienced teams will have been broken up and lost.

That is bonkers - to have a delay and not get the guys who are expert at putting up the catenary transferred straight over to Didcot to Oxford along with the Filton bank and then the route through Bath. Perhaps the Welsh Government/Amey could get them straight to work on wiring the valleys north of Cardiff - or are we STILL waiting for them to be transferred from Network Rail?

Its just history repeating itself. Short term thinking is always the default position. Technical skills have never been valued by people who are not technical. All they can cope with is cheapness and now. Problem is that it is those kind of people who run the country. And a certain amount of truth stretching is standard practice.

 

[Linda smith]

Whe it comes to the bridge at Lawrence hill, would it not be easier, cheaper & ultimately quicker to lower the track? As ultimately it takes up to a year to remove and raise a bridge to the required height for powered cables. Mind you, as they have done in london and cardiff, they could always just use attachments pinned directly to the underside of the existing bridge. I have seen this both oustide cardiff central & at London paddington, with both stations having bridges that would be too costly to replace.