Study launched into Bristol Temple Meads electrification plan

[YorkRailFan]

New plans to electrify railway lines in the West Country, starting with tracks from Bristol Temple Meads station, have been announced by the region's metro mayor.

Under Dan Norris's scheme the lines from Temple Meads from the north via Bristol Parkway and Filton Bank will be electrified during the first phase, with the mayor then planning move on to the section of railway that runs from Bristol to Bath Spa and Chippenham in Wiltshire.
Plans to electrify Bristol’s mainline rail services - including from the city to London - were first announced in 2009, but were scrapped in 2016 despite millions of pounds of work being carried out.

Mr Norris said on Thursday (February 1), a detailed study would take place, aimed at reducing the unit cost of electrification. In 2016, it was around £3.5m per single track km and the aim is to slash that to £1.5m, he said.

According to the Office of Rail Regulation, just 38% of the UK’s rail network is currently electrified. That compares to 60% on average in the European Union.

Mr Norris said: "It's the right thing to do for people and the planet. I was proud to vote for electrification under the last Labour government, and today, we're finally heading in the right direction again.

“If we’d stuck to the original plans, our local lines would have been electrified by 2017. Now, in the context of a serious climate emergency, it’s even more important.”
Mr Norris said one option was to use some of the £100m earmarked for regional transport on delivering the plans. Last year Rishi Sunak's government pledged the funding for a mass transit system in Bristol, our sister site BristolLive reported.

Mr Norris added: "I would very much urge colleagues to support this.”

In October, the Great Western Partnership - an alliance of public, private and third-sector stakeholders across South Wales and the South West of England - set out its cross-border rail investment priorities in the wake of prime minister's decision to pull the plug on the Birmingham to Manchester leg of high speed two.

In its 2050 rail vision document, the partnership called for investment on the South Wales mainline and across into the West Country, to allow up to four trains per hour. At the moment, there is around one train every 40 minutes from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff.

MSN

Bristol Temple Meads definitely needs to have an electrified line that at least links up to Chippenham and Filton Abbey Wood, I'll be keen to see the cost estimate (which does need to be taken with a pinch of salt) but Mr Norris is likely hoping for it to be under £100m (as mentioned in the article, there is £100m available for regional transport development).

 

[CdBrux]

Is this within the local mayor remit or with National Government?
Also I suspect had the budget for electrification been broken even more it may have reached Temple Meads some years ago before being almost immediately modified for other works not in the original plans

 

[YorkRailFan]

Is this within the local mayor remit or with National Government?
Also I suspect had the budget for electrification been broken even more it may have reached Temple Meads some years ago before being almost immediately modified for other works not in the original plans

I suspect it would have been cheaper overall to continue to Temple Meads during the GWML upgrades, as supply lines were already flowing and momentum was going, compared to restarting supply lines to reach Temple Meads.

I'm unsure about whether it's within Local Mayor remit or National Government.

 

[lachlan]

MSN

Bristol Temple Meads definitely needs to have an electrified line that at least links up to Chippenham and Filton Abbey Wood, I'll be keen to see the cost estimate (which does need to be taken with a pinch of salt) but Mr Norris is likely hoping for it to be under £100m (as mentioned in the article, there is £100m available for regional transport development).

This £100m was supposed to be for a mass transit system in Bristol I thought

 

[The exile]

Is this within the local mayor remit or with National Government?
Also I suspect had the budget for electrification been broken even more it may have reached Temple Meads some years ago before being almost immediately modified for other works not in the original plans

According to the post-HS2 cancellation documents,Bristol area electrification was effectively “up to WECA”. Problem is that phase 1 on its own is going to be of little use to local services - particularly if the IETs get displaced back off the Cardiff / Worcester local runs.

Bristol Temple Meads definitely needs to have an electrified line that at least links up to Chippenham and Filton Abbey Wood, I'll be keen to see the cost estimate (which does need to be taken with a pinch of salt) but Mr Norris is likely hoping for it to be under £100m (as mentioned in the article, there is £100m available for regional transport development).

Seems optimistic for 30-odd route miles - even if a lot of the work has already been done.

 

[mangyiscute]

This £100m was supposed to be for a mass transit system in Bristol I thought

The way it reads it sounds like they're considering using some of this money for electrification instead - whether this is better or worse is likely different for each person.
The aim should be electrification from Chippenham to Temple Meads, plus electrification from Temple Meads to Bristol Parkway and to Patchway.

 

[Jurassicjewel]

As aforementioned a lot of the enabling work has already been done such as track lowering and a few piles and masts are already in place from Chippenham to Bristol TM. There may be some opposition in the Bath section for wiring and masts as I recall there was some local concern about it spoiling the architecture along the approaches to the station and viaduct, however its far better having electric traction that is far less noisy and greener than the IEP's operating on diesel. It would be good to see 387's used for local stoppers if that could be done and electrics from Cardiff to Bristol via Filton. Its a no brainer to me but cant see £100million covering the full cost.

 

[Verulamius]

This would enable the proposed additional slow Cardiff - Bristol services to be provided by electric trains.

 

[cle]

This would enable the proposed additional slow Cardiff - Bristol services to be provided by electric trains.

Yep that would be a good thing. Those are in theory meant to run to Swansea (or in the old world, it was speculated thus) - and so might marginally help the case for that scheme too.

This is logical for many reasons. And the quadding is done, plus other works, so the time is right. I don't think reactivating the other 'shed' feels needed right now, with the current death of the 'super fast' 2tph to London.

 

[Energy]

This would enable the proposed additional slow Cardiff - Bristol services to be provided by electric trains.

Yes, the proposal is electrification both ways. Cardiff - Portsmouth should be doable on battery as well.

There may be some opposition in the Bath section for wiring and masts as I recall there was some local concern about it spoiling the architecture along the approaches to the station and viaduct

Here's the design F&F / Atkins did for Bath. IIRC Bath & North East Somerset Council accepted electrification on the condition that all trains through Bath must be electric (no diesel under wires)*. This should be doable.

EDIT * The only source I can find is this forum post, take with the appropriate amount of grains of salt.

From Bath Preservation Trust:

The Trust has worked closely with the Council, Historic England, the Georgian Group and indeed Network Rail… During the stakeholder meetings the Trust insisted that solutions which involved less intervention and harm should be pursued. As a result the Sydney Gardens proposals (subject to listed building consent) are now much improved. BPT submitted strong objections to the listed building applications for Pixash Lane and the Clay Lane bridges which proposed a harmful and standardised model to Brunel’s bridges. These applications have now been withdrawn. Other overbridge proposals are also being reconsidered in light of our objections.

They aren't against electrification here, they just insist that it should be done as least intrusively as possible and it looks like by 2015 they had agreed.

The objections to ugly wires actually came from a previous transport minister who cancelled GWEP, Chris Grayling.

The arrival of hybrid technology means we don’t have to put up unsightly overhead lines in places where either you wouldn’t want them, like historic Bath, or through attractive country areas where you are not getting the speed gains…

…do we really want to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money putting unsightly overhead cables through Bath? The new trains allow us to think differently about these projects.

This £100m was supposed to be for a mass transit system in Bristol I thought

Supposedly it was but this was never detailed. £100m isn't going to get you particularly far, Bristol's scheme for trams in the early 2000s was £200m (£323m adjusted for inflation).

Seems optimistic for 30-odd route miles - even if a lot of the work has already been done.

Civils are all done and a few masts east of Chippenham. The feeder near Bristol wasn't canceled (the grid connection should be nearly done by now).

 

[cle]

Here's the design F&F / Atkins did for Bath. IIRC Bath & North East Somerset Council accepted electrification on the condition that all trains through Bath must be electric (no diesel under wires). This should be doable.

Does this still stand? Feels a little weird. There are quite a few diesel services which don't have a plan to be electric - there are no other wires in the region beyond those to Paddington.

 

[anthony263]

I think their main priority is wiring Filton Bank. If that's done the Filton shuttles if they just ran between Filton Abbey wood zbd Bristol TM you could use a cheap emu or even a bi mode such as the 769s to run to Henbury etc

 

[Class 317]

Then BCR (Benefits to cost ratio) could be much higher than previously if appropriate consideration is given to the potential for BEMU'S to be used on Bristol local services and Cardiff to Portsmouth route services.

Maybe this might unlock additional funding?

 

[anthony263]

Then BCR (Benefits to cost ratio) could be much higher than previously if appropriate consideration is given to the potential for BEMU'S to be used on Bristol local services and Cardiff to Portsmouth route services.

Maybe this might unlock additional funding?

Gwr want to use BEMUs on the Cardiff to Portsmouth hbr but have said both routes into Bristol TM will need to be wired

 

[The exile]

Does this still stand? Feels a little weird. There are quite a few diesel services which don't have a plan to be electric - there are no other wires in the region beyond those to Paddington.

It "simply" requires a fleet of bi-modes for passenger services to Westbury and beyond . The fly in the ointment might be freight.

 

[Energy]

It "simply" requires a fleet of bi-modes for passenger services to Westbury and beyond . The fly in the ointment might be freight.

Possibly. Rest of the services should be doable on battery.

 

[cslusarc]

Gwr want to use BEMUs on the Cardiff to Portsmouth hbr but have said both routes into Bristol TM will need to be wired

Personally, I think a Regional Express dual-voltage electro-deisel bi-mode make the best sense for Cardiff to Portsmouth if the Bristol and Bath area is electrified.

 

[AlastairFraser]

It would be good to see 387's used for local stoppers

There is a scarcity of 387s at the moment, so I find that unlikely, but there are plenty of spare EMUs to be leased.

 

[YorkRailFan]

There is a scarcity of 387s at the moment, so I find that unlikely, but there are plenty of spare EMUs to be leased.

Could be a use for the 379s?

 

[59CosG95]

Could be a use for the 379s?

I thought GTR was as good as agreed for those.
Perhaps 387s could be coming back towards GWR in that instance?

 

[zwk500]

I thought GTR was as good as agreed for those.
Perhaps 387s could be coming back towards GWR in that instance?

Any electrification will take several years to deliver (This study is to produce an SOBC) so questions of exactly which units to lease do not need to be answered in full any time soon.

 

[Pat31]

Any electrification will take several years to deliver (This study is to produce an SOBC) so questions of exactly which units to lease do not need to be answered in full any time soon.

Yeah presumably all enabling works that are left to do i.e Bristol west junction remodelling and temple meads enhancements are completed by the time electrification is ready to start. I do remember somewhere that Network rail are due to come back in 2-3 years time to do the Bristol west full remodelling this would also align with Portishead line.

 

[YorkRailFan]

I thought GTR was as good as agreed for those.
Perhaps 387s could be coming back towards GWR in that instance?

Thought that was only Speculation for GN to get more trains for Peterborough services.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Could be a use for the 379s?

Perhaps, although I thought they had relatively high leasing costs.
Some 321s would be a lower cost option.

 

[BrianW]

MSN

Bristol Temple Meads definitely needs to have an electrified line that at least links up to Chippenham and Filton Abbey Wood, I'll be keen to see the cost estimate (which does need to be taken with a pinch of salt) but Mr Norris is likely hoping for it to be under £100m (as mentioned in the article, there is £100m available for regional transport development).

Surely a mere £100 million is hardly worth getting out of bed for any consultants worthy of hire.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Perhaps, although I thought they had relatively high leasing costs.
Some 321s would be a lower cost option.

321s don't have commonality with other GWR stock, unlike the 379s and 387s though.

 

[brad465]

How many existing services would actually utilise OHLE on an electrified Filton Bank? The only service I can think of that will are Cardiff-Taunton/Penzance ones now they are almost exclusively IETs, but the disappearance of London trains from that section, except during engineering work diversions, limits the potential without the electrification going to other lines in the area.

 

[zwk500]

How many existing services would actually utilise OHLE on an electrified Filton Bank? The only service I can think of that will are Cardiff-Taunton/Penzance ones now they are almost exclusively IETs, but the disappearance of London trains from that section, except during engineering work diversions, limits the potential without the certification going to other lines in the area.

The Filton Abbey Wood terminator could, if the chord was also wired enough for the shunt move. Although that would then complicate the Henbury loop reopening proposal.
Any IET would obviously benefit, and there's a fair about of early and late empties that would be able to use it although that's obviously relatively marginal in the scheme of things.
For big benefits, you'd need to split the Cardiff-Portsmouths (possibly impacting the revenue) or change their stock to a bi-mode (expensive tender process...).
However, if viewed within the framing as 'phase 1' of a wider Bristol area decarbonising programme, there's a lot more benefits as it deals with the difficult bits to make later phases easier, especially with air quality being a big focus right now.

 

[anthony263]

Gwr could always get some the class 769/9's again for the Filton shuttle

 

[Snow1964]

There is a by-election (Kingswood) in area 15th February. Which has allowed few people to raise it with candidates. Who wins rather depends on how Lib Dem's and Greens split the vote.

Not that it will make much difference longer term as the constituency is being carved up and most of it becomes Bristol North East at General Election, so is likely to become Labour area (not that Labour have delivered much rail electrification in recent years)