Where would you electrify next?

[najaB]

Some musings on your examples:

ECML
Newark to Lincoln - doesn't make sense for the one train a day that would take advantage of it, you'd have to electrify the line to Nottingham.
Doncaster to Hull - is (or at least was) getting wires - it's currently getting bi-modes instead.
Newcastle to Sunderland - could get interesting (in the sparky kind of way!)
Edinburgh Aberdeen/Inverness - are getting wired in the (very) long term.

WCML
Crewe to Chester - should be to Holyhead, no?

GWML
Cardiff to Fishguard - again, difficult to justify given the frequency of service.
Welsh Mainline up to Fishguard - As above

GEML
Norwich to Cromer - there's a strong case for this one, though somewhat diluted by GA getting bi-modes.

 

[Glenn1969]

Calder Valley. Both to improve service provision from Bradford and Halifax area and to maintain there being a Leeds to Manchester diversion route once TPE has been wired.

 

[Meerkat]

I would concentrate on freight as it unlikely to be able to use bi-mode or batteries any time soon.
West Midlands team would do Birmingham to Nuneaton and on to Leicester, then Birch Coppice and Tamworth, then head for Oxford.
East Midlands would get to Leicester and nearby quarries on the way to Nottingham, but would go East to Peterborough before other MML lines, in time to meet a team working from Felixstowe to Peterborough.
Western would go to Oxford and Basingstoke, then the Mendip quarries.
North East would connect Teesport and Tyne Dock.
Problem is all these schemes need major route and junction improvements........

 

[Bletchleyite]

If it hasn't already been said, Windermere. It would cost next to nothing (as it can just be strung up from the Oxenholme end with no extra infrastructure) and free up a number of Class 195s for other services.

 

[Glenn1969]

Windermere was going to be done but was cancelled by Grayling on cost grounds

 

[backontrack]

They have made you the fat controller of the UK rail network

They have chucked all plans for future electrification in the bin so you have a clean sheet

Where would you electrify next? And why

(Please play nicely and not just suggest your home line!)

You can assume that bi-modes are becoming available.

I would do Didcot-Oxford. Should be a simple job, its a busy line and its an extension to an electrified network
Also Leeds-York. get a start on trans pennine. No tunnels, hard bits at both ends done and a good chunk from Colton Jct to York already done. Additional benefit is electrified diversionary route from Doncaster to York.

- Leeds-York first, then Leeds-Huddersfield, then the rest of TransPennine.
- Didcot Parkway to Oxford.
- Oxenholme Lake District to Windermere.
- The GWML/SWML up to Llanelli.
- Haymarket to Dyce and the Fife Circle.
- Ladybank and Dunblane to Perth, and then onwards to Inverness.
- Crewe to Chester, then Chester-Llandudno, then Llandudno Junction-Bangor, then onwards to Holyhead.

 

[NoMorePacers]

The CLC route - Liverpool-Manchester via Warrington Central - and stick Class 323s on it. They would be well suited for the stopping services on that line.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Windermere was going to be done but was cancelled by Grayling on cost grounds

Despite being about the cheapest one there is due to requiring nothing other than wires and supports.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The CLC route - Liverpool-Manchester via Warrington Central - and stick Class 323s on it. They would be well suited for the stopping services on that line.

Completely agreed. The large number of stations means an EMU service would be a considerable speed-up.

 

[Adsy125]

Surely Oxford to Coventry is a good one, as it would release precious voyagers to other XC routes which could just be replaced by dual voltage EMUs, as well as getting rid of diesels from Southampton (which has air quality issues), Bournemouth, Oxford (again air quality issues) and some from Birmingham-Manchester.

 

[daodao]

The CLC route - Liverpool-Manchester via Warrington Central - and stick Class 323s on it. They would be well suited for the stopping services on that line.

An excellent suggestion, given the traffic levels. As the route is wired at both ends, only the relatively straightforward section between Liverpool South Parkway and Trafford Park requires electrification. The faster acceleration away from stops would facilitate elimination of the skip-stopping and enable more frequent services (hourly/half-hourly) at the lesser intermediate stations.

 

[Entertexthere]

Calder Valley. Both to improve service provision from Bradford and Halifax area and to maintain there being a Leeds to Manchester diversion route once TPE has been wired.

i would agree, however electrifying Rochdale to Leeds would be difficult due to the large amounts of tunnels, namely Summit tunnel. It does mean electrification of the Todmorden to Preston route (via Blackburn) means theres another route from Manchester to Preston (which Network Rail has an obsession with!)

 

[UP13]

If I had a small budget:
A bit left field but I would electrify short spurs such as Acton to Willesden Junction or Kew Bridge to South Acton as this would allow many diesel hauled freights to be converted to electric hauled.

If I had a large budget:
Keep London as an ultra low emision zone by banning all diesel traction and electrifying every route that has a service leading to London i.e. Uckfield to Oxted, Exeter St Davids to Basingstoke, Penzance to Newbury, Fishguard to Didcot, Hereford to Didcot, Holyhead to Crewe etc...

Infinite budget:
Convert all DC third rail to AC overhead and electrify every line.

 

[VT 390]

If I had a small budget:
A bit left field but I would electrify short spurs such as Acton to Willesden Junction or Kew Bridge to South Acton as this would allow many diesel hauled freights to be converted to electric hauled.

If I had a large budget:
Keep London as an ultra low emision zone by banning all diesel traction and electrifying every route that has a service leading to London i.e. Uckfield to Oxted, Exeter St Davids to Basingstoke, Penzance to Newbury, Fishguard to Didcot, Hereford to Didcot, Holyhead to Crewe etc...

Infinite budget:
Convert all DC third rail to AC overhead and electrify every line.

If you wanted to ban diesels from London you would not need to electrify Penzance to Newbury as this route now uses bi-modes and bi-modes could be ordered for some of the longer distant routes such as the South Western route to Exeter St Davids. However if you did want to do these sections then you would also need to do Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Dunblane to Inverness as these routes have direct services to London.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Despite being about the cheapest one there is due to requiring nothing other than wires and supports.

But Grayling has promised not to put wires up in the National Park.

 

[Yindee8191]

I would do three things: firstly, finish off all the extra bits that have been deferred etc, such as Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads and Swindon to Bristol via Bath Spa. Secondly, I would electrify any remaining parts of the main Cross Country Route, which would help other services, for example by electrifying the entirety of the Great Western line to Penzance. Finally, I would make a policy that any new passenger lines (major ones at least) be electrified from new, just because the main reason electrification is so slow is that it can only be done while lines are closed. This means we save time and money on electrification which will have to happen at some point in the future anyway.

 

[UP13]

If you wanted to ban diesels from London you would not need to electrify Penzance to Newbury as this route now uses bi-modes and bi-modes could be ordered for some of the longer distant routes such as the South Western route to Exeter St Davids. However if you did want to do these sections then you would also need to do Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Dunblane to Inverness as these routes have direct services to London.

I'd electrify Scotland and I'd get rid of bi-modes.

Electrification can only ever be a good thing. Eventually we'll run out of oil or we'll have an environmental crisis that forces it before then.

 

[alfo75]

Leeds-York.

 

[DANIELJWR]

But wouldn't overhead lines make the surrounding area quieter? that doesn't make sense to me

 

[IanXC]

I'd propose a Yorkshire equivalent to the North West Programme.

Neville Hill to Colton Junction
Micklefield to Selby
Selby to Temple Hirst
Gascoigne Wood to Church Fenton (via Sherburn in Elmet)
South Kirkby Junction to Sheffield (via Masborough and Rotherham Central)
Swinton to Doncaster

This would enable the following services to move to entirely electric operation:

Leeds - York stopper
Leeds - Selby stopper
Leeds - Sheffield stopper
Sheffield - Adwick stopper
Sheffield - Doncaster section of Sheffield - Hull stopper
Doncaster - Selby (new regular service being explored by Rail North)
Leeds - York for Transpennine Bimode services

Electrified diversionary routes:
Doncaster to York via Leeds
Multiple diversions for electric trains between Doncaster and York
Doncaster to Leeds via Garforth

With the exception of the sections through Moorthorpe and Sherburn in Elmet that gives 2tph of EMU service using the wires, and creates a meaningful increase in electric services that can make use of economies of scale and be resilient to disruption.

 

[NoMorePacers]

I'd agree with that - but also extending the wires from Selby to Hull in the not-too-distant future (possibly after the main bits are done); this isn't just personal bias, but doing that - and the route through Goole as well - would probably help to shift some more services to electric traction and make use of the bunches of EMUs coming off lease.

 

[The Ham]

I would electrify the lines between:

- Basingstoke and Yeovil

- Salisbury and Southampton

- Salisbury and Bath


This would allow:

- Cardiff to Portsmouth - EMU

- Waterloo to Bristol - EMU

- Waterloo to Yeovil - EMU 1.5tph with a diesel shuttle between Yeovil and Exeter 0.5tph and 0.5tph diesel Exeter to Waterloo

- the Salisbury 6 services (Salisbury to Romsey via Romsey & Southampton) - EMU


It could also improve train frequencies between Basingstoke and Salisbury by allowing the extension of the Basingstoke Stoppers (which would also remove flat crossings at Basingstoke).


Once more loops or a redoubling of way of Yeovil had happened there scope to extend the wires further.

 

[snookertam]

Dunblane north to Perth, then Inverness/Dundee/Aberdeen

Haymarket West Jn to Dundee and Perth via both Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Forth Bridge permitting...)

Glasgow Central to East Kilbride and Kilmarnock.

This would almost eliminate regular diesel workings at both Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley. Considerable cost involved though.

 

[DANIELJWR]

Glasgow Central to East Kilbride and Kilmarnock.

If you were to electrify to Kilmarnock then ScotRail would have to invest in Bi-Modes as most trains continue from Kilmarnock to Carlisle or the whole line would have to be electrified

 

[gingertom]

or the whole line would have to be electrified

I like the sound of that.

 

[daodao]

If you were to electrify to Kilmarnock then ScotRail would have to invest in Bi-Modes as most trains continue from Kilmarnock to Carlisle or the whole line would have to be electrified

Bimodes should be avoided if at all possible, as they are inherently slow and inefficient.

Barrhead to Kilmarnock should not be electrified. There should continue to be a half-hourly dmu service from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, with nearly all trains (not just some, as at present) extended alternately to Dumfries/Carlisle or Ayr/Girvan. Alternate trains to Girvan should continue to Stranraer every 2 hours (as at present), but the station there should be re-sited close to the town centre.

 

[03_179]

So tempted to say No. 10's doorbell.

BUT

Maybe the North Down line ?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I will go with Campaign to Electrify Britains Railways freight list - https://twitter.com/25kV/status/1122902409540460544

 

[59CosG95]

I will go with Campaign to Electrify Britains Railways freight list - https://twitter.com/25kV/status/1122902409540460544

Likewise. The men in charge at CEBR were joking that at that point in the presentation, all the phones flashed!

 

[Meerkat]

I will go with Campaign to Electrify Britains Railways freight list - https://twitter.com/25kV/status/1122902409540460544

Why wasn’t London Gateway electrified when built? Was it before Goblin was authorised? Surely it is a quick easy (it’s all relative) job and gets some diesels out of London.

If Basingstoke - Bletchley was electrified for the container trains would Oxford be able to cope with the northbound ones all turning right across the northern approach, or would this actually be easier than them turning right across Chiltern at Leamington?

Are any of those routes ‘simple’ electrification? Most seem to need major remodelling first - ie Leicester area, Soham/Ely, Oxford/EWR. Maybe Mendips-Newbury (but that is looong)???

My crayons say do Nuneaton/Brum/Tamworth triangle but that needs to account for HS2, a local electric service to Tamworth with new stations, and preferably remodelling Whitacre (straighter and maybe a triangle for Birch Coppice Access?)