Uckfield line to be electrified?

[Neptune]

Maybe XC will get extra 170s for service expansion, as there are plans that the Welsh 170s will move to EMR in stages.

What service expansion?

 

[etr221]

Maybe, but that would require electrification to go ahead. There's been no word since March...

Looking at the news report at the beginning of the threa, time scale was 'sometime in the future'... optimisticly, that's before never.
I also noticed that it reported that the platform legthening provided for 12 car electric trains.

 

[JonathanH]

I also noticed that it reported that the platform legthening provided for 12 car electric trains.

...as in they made the platforms long enough for 240m trains. I doubt there is anything they did that provided for electric trains specifically.

 

[Aictos]

It wouldn’t surprise me if there are a few people at Selhurst who quite enjoy playing with Diesel engines, but they will be in a minority!

Probably even though it would make more sense to go for a fully electric fleet and do away with the diesels.

 

[zwk500]

Looking at the news report at the beginning of the threa, time scale was 'sometime in the future'... optimisticly, that's before never.

A fair bit of work has been done after that news report, so it may be sooner than that.

I also noticed that it reported that the platform legthening provided for 12 car electric trains.

...as in they made the platforms long enough for 240m trains. I doubt there is anything they did that provided for electric trains specifically.

As it happens, they didn't quite. the new platforms are 237m long. Long enough for 10x 23m Turbostar carriages, but not quite for 12x 20m Electrostar carriages.

 

[Stephen Lee]

What service expansion?

Like those:
from WMRE

https://www.wmre.org.uk/media/14057/upload-rach-wmris-route-service-patterns-final-version-corrected.pdf

http://wmre.org.uk/media/14045/west-midlands-rail-report-final-version-jan-2019.pdf

 

[Chrisgr31]

Looking at the news report at the beginning of the threa, time scale was 'sometime in the future'... optimisticly, that's before never.
I also noticed that it reported that the platform legthening provided for 12 car electric trains.

Steve White CEO at GTR has said that Network Rail and themselves have been looking at the business case. I have seen it reported on social media that Network Rail staff have carried out preliminary surveys. The RSSB advised me they were due to report on 3rd rail options (if any) in Spring 2022. I understand that after the RSSB report any options will need testing but I guess it’s possible we’ll know more in 9 months or so!

However I doubt the 171s are going anywhere soon!