Midland Mainline Electricification

[LNW-GW Joint]

Wouldnt they go Scotland - WCML - Bletchley - Oxford - Southampton?

Thus avoiding any pathing issues at Nuneaton/Coventry.

On the slow lines all the way to Bletchley then straight over the flyover onto the Varsity Line

Yes I'd forgotten that.
That's two electric routes through the south midlands, even before the MML is finished.

The TOCs must be scratching their heads about what it all means, and when anything useful will be available to them.
Network Rail's detailed plans will be fascinating when they turn up.

 

[swt_passenger]

Wouldnt they go Scotland - WCML - Bletchley - Oxford - Southampton?

Thus avoiding any pathing issues at Nuneaton/Coventry.

On the slow lines all the way to Bletchley then straight over the flyover onto the Varsity Line

The East West Rail prospectus I read a while ago implied that freight flows would not necessarily be in equal numbers in both directions, for example if the main aim was to remove a conflict southbound at Nuneaton a freight service might end up running via Bletchley southbound, but stay on the original Coventry - Nuneaton route northbound...

 

[cle]

Aren't Marston Vale clearances only W8? Quite a lot of work required to bring it up to W10 on such a rural route, I would have thought.

 

[hwl]

Aren't Marston Vale clearances only W8? Quite a lot of work required to bring it up to W10 on such a rural route, I would have thought.

From DfT's HLOS illustrative options document
"loading gauge enhancement to W12."
(Which is the aim for all major freight routes)

Should be fairly easy for Bicester to Bletchley at the moment though as it is mothballed or worse at the moment.

Wonder if electrifying the Wolvercote Tunnel will solve the bat issues.

 

[burty76]

They wouldnt go that way though, theyd only be on the "new" route from Bletchley to Oxford (if we're talkign about Scotland - Southampton freight)

 

[Kneedown]

I realise i've said in another thread that it would be a bit pointless to electrify the Matlock branch unless a couple of other local routes were also done, but i've just remembered that there is a good few miles worth of redundant OHLE on the closed Edwalton test track that was installed for Pendolino testing.
Any reason why this equipment couldn't be "re-cycled" on the Matlock branch?
Seems a bit daft to let it go rusty when it could be used as a cheaper solution to getting a few more miles wired, even though it would mean a bit of a micro-fleet on the Matlocks.

 

[WatcherZero]

The up line (or the down line?) was converted to 3rd rail for testing the new London underground stock. Still its a test track for hire and it might end up being used for new classes.

 

[Kettledrum]

I realise i've said in another thread that it would be a bit pointless to electrify the Matlock branch unless a couple of other local routes were also done, but i've just remembered that there is a good few miles worth of redundant OHLE on the closed Edwalton test track that was installed for Pendolino testing.
Any reason why this equipment couldn't be "re-cycled" on the Matlock branch?
Seems a bit daft to let it go rusty when it could be used as a cheaper solution to getting a few more miles wired, even though it would mean a bit of a micro-fleet on the Matlocks.

I don't think there's enough for the Matlock branch!

It's a shame the the Edwalton test track couldn't be turned into a re-opened alternative route for the MML to Nottingham.

 

[Kneedown]

I don't think there's enough for the Matlock branch.

I think there'd be some left over. It's not a long branch and enough of Edwalton was wired for the Pendo's to get a bit of speed up.

 

[Yew]

Could they install ERTMS? Some practice installation has been done on the High Marnham Test track. Or would yto think the ECML and WCML would be higher priority

 

[ainsworth74]

Isn't the GWML next in line for ERTMS (or at least the first of the big main lines to get it)? There's a document floating around somewhere that outlines the projected dates for ERTMS implementation on various lines. Not sure where it's gone mind.

 

[anthony263]

I think the plan was for the GWML to be fitted with ERTMS from 2020

 

[WatcherZero]

I think it was due for resignalling in 2020 but they decided to bring it forward to the same time as the electrification to get the economies of doing both at the same time. According to the HLOS next up is the southern ECML.

 

[The Ham]

Network rail's website gives some basic details on ERTMS, which says about it being installed on the GWML, but it is very basic details and how upto date the information is unknown:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/12275.aspx

 

[brianthegiant]

I realise i've said in another thread that it would be a bit pointless to electrify the Matlock branch unless a couple of other local routes were also done, but i've just remembered that there is a good few miles worth of redundant OHLE on the closed Edwalton test track that was installed for Pendolino testing.
Any reason why this equipment couldn't be "re-cycled" on the Matlock branch?
Seems a bit daft to let it go rusty when it could be used as a cheaper solution to getting a few more miles wired, even though it would mean a bit of a micro-fleet on the Matlocks.

Problem with engineering in highly developed economies, is that labour costs are very high and materials are relatively cheap. Especially with high levels of training & overhead attached to Labour
My guess is that buying new equipment is not much more expensive than reclaiming used equipment in good condition (which is more expensive than demolition..). So my guess is a large organisation like NR will just go for the new equipment....
One of many examples of how our economic and legal systems disensentivise re-use of valuable resources. In my organisation majority of used equipment just gets melted down by 'approved waste contractor' because the organisation is paranoid of falling foul of waste electrical regulations etc, if it sells (perfectly good) electrical equipment and it subesquently might get disposed of innapropriately...

 

[MCW]

Aint read the whole thing as its nine bloody pages and thats a lot.

just wanted to say I'm split. Great, we save 10 minutes.... Boo, we have higher fares, loads of disruption and a major mess with the infrastructure changes....... to me it's pointless..

If anything needs doing it's the widening of the line to four track instead of two.

 

[IanXC]

Aint read the whole thing as its nine bloody pages and thats a lot.

just wanted to say I'm split. Great, we save 10 minutes.... Boo, we have higher fares...

I should point out that in those nine pages it has been mentioned that the BCR of this project is so good that it is actually cheaper to electrify the line than do nothing. If the funding is done carefully (perhaps with a facility charge like Chiltern's Evergreen 3) there is no reason that fares should rise specifically to pay for the scheme.

 

[Hydro]

I realise i've said in another thread that it would be a bit pointless to electrify the Matlock branch unless a couple of other local routes were also done, but i've just remembered that there is a good few miles worth of redundant OHLE on the closed Edwalton test track that was installed for Pendolino testing.

The test track is not closed, and the OHLE is not redundant.

 

[swt_passenger]

I should point out that in those nine pages it has been mentioned that the BCR of this project is so good that it is actually cheaper to electrify the line than do nothing. If the funding is done carefully (perhaps with a facility charge like Chiltern's Evergreen 3) there is no reason that fares should rise specifically to pay for the scheme.

The fares issue is a bit of a red herring in my opinion. All the indications so far are that the next couple of annual national fare rises will be RPI+3% anyway, allegedly to pay for improvements 'nationally'.

If the MML wasn't being wired, it wouldn't follow that fares on the MML would be exempt from those normal increases.

Another interpretation is that at least MML customers are getting something done to their line in return for fare rises. There will as usual be places elsewhere in the country where they see no improvements at all...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think it was due for resignalling in 2020 but they decided to bring it forward to the same time as the electrification to get the economies of doing both at the same time. According to the HLOS next up is the southern ECML.

The difference between ETCS on GWML and ECML is that the GW implementation is as well as conventional resignalling, while on the the GN it is to be the sole signalling system (ie conventional signals removed).
The NR documentation calls it "tried and tested". We shall see!

I assume MML will just use the existing signalling, as it is mostly new.

 

[Kettledrum]

Aint read the whole thing as its nine bloody pages and thats a lot.

just wanted to say I'm split. Great, we save 10 minutes.... Boo, we have higher fares, loads of disruption and a major mess with the infrastructure changes....... to me it's pointless..

If anything needs doing it's the widening of the line to four track instead of two.

Much of the line is already 3 or 4 track, and the anouncement was for electrification and capacity enhancements. Surely this could include four tracking north of Kettering as an option.