Why did the St albans - Watford Abbey line not get electrified until 1988?

[Ladder23]

An interesting line to say the least. Any idea why they took the time to electrify if? It’s never really been a priority line has it.. reason I ask is the likes of the vale line (Bletchley Bedford) isn’t

 

[John Webb]

An interesting line to say the least. Any idea why they took the time to electrify if? It’s never really been a priority line has it.. reason I ask is the likes of the vale line (Bletchley Bedford) isn’t

Stanley C Jenkins's book "The Watford to St Albans Branch" (Oakwood Press, 2nd Ed, 2008) comments that while the Hatfield - St Albans branch closed to passengers in 1951, there was still a significant flow of commuters and shoppers on the Watford-St Albans line. Steam faded out early 1960s and DMUs came in. (The branch had seen trials of early DMUs in 1952 and 1956.) The development of new commuter homes around Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood and elsewhere encouraged traffic, and it was this continuing growth that encouraged BR in 1987 to decide to electrify the line. The passing loop at Bricket Wood had gone well before electrification; it had only been used in the peak periods for a considerable while before it was removed.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The Abbey line was a remarkable example of a line that was saved by (a) the need to service the gasworks with coal to the tune of about 100 wagons a day - 6 days a week (b) by hard cost cutting to strip out manning (there were 20+ staff based at the Abbey station , and reducing it to a basic railway with paytrains and minimal signalling.

The "closure" options depended on a very heavy bus replacement plan , which could not be resourced at the time - so some very proactive timetabllng was done to align with the newly electrified WCML - giving decent connections and a very cheap station at Garston was an immediate success. Post rationalisation - patronage rose to decent levels.

Resourcing the line with diesels became increasingly awkward (stock came from Bletchley) and it was a clear NSE policy to remove pockets of branch line diesel working where possible (think Romford -Upminster , Witham - Braintree and Wickford - Southminster) , - the Abbey also got another new station at How Wood.

The line had some lean years - even in the later diesel era , - and is now awaiting another rebirth.

 

[pdeaves]

Bedford-Bletchley is rather longer. I would think it would not work as a 'simple add on' to existing schemes each end but my require additional power upgrades, new substation, that kind of thing that would push the cost out of the 'cheap' category. Even East-West Rail does not intend to electrify from day 1.

Edit: added missing word

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Bedford-Bletchley is rather longer. I would it would not work as a 'simple add on' to existing schemes each end but my require additional power upgrades, new substation, that kind of thing that would push the cost out of the 'cheap' category. Even East-West Rail does not intend to electrify from day 1.

NSE had a look at Bedford - BY before the hard times came in around 1990 , the costs were seriously high for what would have been a complete rebuild of a (dare I say it) - "Victorian" railway with not very high traffic levels. A few years later , for example, the operational costs of the train service alone (never mind infrastructure etc) , exceeded the revenue even using class 2 x 117 units.

The Abbey line was very easy - no extra feeding , a simple wired spur off the WCML , available surplus 313's at the time. The actual wiring was done on Mondays to Fridays after 1000 and before 1600 or so , plus a few weekends. Sort of lesson that Regional suggested for Windermere , before "someone" stopped it.

 

[AM9]

NSE had a look at Bedford - BY before the hard times came in around 1990 , the costs were seriously high for what would have been a complete rebuild of a (dare I say it) - "Victorian" railway with not very high traffic levels. A few years later , for example, the operational costs of the train service alone (never mind infrastructure etc) , exceeded the revenue even using class 2 x 117 units.

The Abbey line was very easy - no extra feeding , a simple wired spur off the WCML , available surplus 313's at the time. The actual wiring was done on Mondays to Fridays after 1000 and before 1600 or so , plus a few weekends. Sort of lesson that Regional suggested for Windermere , before "someone" stopped it.

- and of course as has been mentioned several times here before, no signalling* other than its connection to the main line at Watford Junction. As far as the WCML is concerned, the whole branch is just a plstform with a six and a bit run off beyond.
* The level crossing at Watford North is operated by the approaching train.