As mentioned above, dealing with Christleton tunnel is not going to come cheap. Nor the many low over bridges, or resignalling Beeston Castle. Suddenly it doesn't seem all that sensible.
From what I recall, there are about 20ish bridges I think and about 16 of them would be easy to deal with, with 4 being more difficult. As much as it might be difficult and non-sensical to do, in the long run it would be very much worth the struggle and will make wiring up North Wales and other lines like Chester-Shrewsbury, Crewe-Shrewsbury etc a lot easier and benefit with the Welsh border being electrified.
This is the real issue. We do not have any long-term strategy, with clearly defined priorities, for the electrification of the majority of the national network, though the Scots are at least trying. Instead we are shifting towards less efficient bi-modes (which to be clear are still likely to better than continuing with pure diesel operation) and the hope of some technological solution to allow for IPMUs which don't use diesel but don't rely on expensive resource depleting batteries. Hydrogen seems unlikely to provide the answer which brings us back to bionic duckweed ie nothing.
I really hope we can get some sort of government in place or a rail body to try and set us some plans. I always thought the point of the network rail control groups were for this purpose but so far all their promised intentions are a load of nonsense and nothing is ever done via them. Really disappointing considering how important rail transport is in this country.
To be fair, Crewe to Chester is a shuttle most of the time but TfW would need to order some EMUs if it were wired. The Euston trains are bi-mode so they could use the OHL or straight EMUs could be used for trains which terminate at Chester.
Or some 777s could be dual voltage and run through to Crewe.
With the long term goal to connect Wrexham and Crewe that seems unlikely.
At what level of expense does it become no longer worth the struggle? The other lines are not likely to be electrified any time soon - and again, it's not just the bridges you're dealing with (as awkward as they are), it's a very problematic and potentially expensive tunnel.
Not to mention the logistical challenges (and inefficiencies) of separating out the Crewe - Chester shuttle from TfW, an idea often put forward by posters who think the service shouldn't be run by a Welsh based TOC regardless of any other logic. Granted electrification would remove the largest hurdle, but not the only one.
It used to be worked by First North Western, when anything from a 101 to a 158 could turn up on it. No Idea where the crew were based. Probably similar to now.
I would assume under FNW it was Chester, Llandudno Junction and Holyhead. Today it is all of those depots plus Crewe and Shrewsbury, and for guards only Cardiff.
The same goes for many places.
Best trains in your (and mine, admittedly, and I preferred them to the MK4s too) opinion, but it's not objective.
The line runs right past the Crewe Grid Bulk supply point at Middlwich Toad
The NW mainline announcement was desperate back of a fag packet stuff by Sunak. HS2 was (rather shockingly) designated as an England and Wales scheme by the treasury. There was no way they could get away with that for Network North unless at least some money was promised to Wales.
Is there enough juice to cover the extra services though? you would assume so if it was just the 2tph, but considering how close to the limit a lot of the network is its not guaranteed.
Of course, that's not to say the ratio was correctly calculated or that governments have set the correct priorities...
Possibly, Crewe isn't shown as an existing problematic power supply area.
North Wales is well-provisioned for electricity supply, with two 400kV power lines from Deeside to Bangor (one via the coast and one via Trawsfynydd) and then on to Wylfa on Anglesey.
That isn't the issue, its the existing power supplies to the railway. If the feeds cannot cope with extra electric traction then you need a new one.
North Wales electrification is politics only, its long and not that busy. Within Wales Swansea electrification should rank much more highly. If you treat Great Britain as a whole then North Wales is a long way down the list.
It is political, you are right, but it figured in the Hendy Connectivity Review about improving links between the four UK nations (and to ROI).
