Great Western Electrification Progress

[pt_mad]

It seems to me that if Network Rail are removing bits of electrification paraphernalia between Chippenham and Thingley Junction, they aren’t particularly confident of stringing up Bristol Temple Meads anytime in the short/medium term.

I was going to ask about this. I watched a YouTube video and there appeared to be some half masts between Bath and Chippenham. Closer to Chippenham. And I since thought it couldn't be as electrification has been deferred.

Are there a few masts in that area? And if so, why was the project started and then put on hold afterwards?


Also, re the above post with the current state of 'live' play. Did Swindon go live at the weekend and are they running in electric mode all the way between Wooten Basset and Paddington now? Took an 800 last Saturday and it was still diesel between Didcot and Bristol Parkway.

 

[Mintona]

I was going to ask about this. I watched a YouTube video and there appeared to be some half masts between Bath and Chippenham. Closer to Chippenham. And I since thought it couldn't be as electrification has been deferred.

Are there a few masts in that area? And if so, why was the project started and then put on hold afterwards?


Also, re the above post with the current state of 'live' play. Did Swindon go live at the weekend and are they running in electric mode all the way between Wooten Basset and Paddington now? Took an 800 last Saturday and it was still diesel between Didcot and Bristol Parkway.

Electric only available for passenger trains between Didcot and London. Up to Wootton Bassett is ‘live’ but not signed off for passenger use yet. Going through various testing phases I believe, hopefully be ready by about September.

There are a few masts up between Chippenham and Thingley Jn but there’s been no progress there for many months, and most of the masts are now hidden amongst foliage. There is a very definite ‘end’ to where the work has stopped just by the Cocklebury Lane bridge. London side of that bridge is almost ready to go, country side there is a gap of around a mile of no progress at all through Chippenham station and then a few sporadic masts hidden by trees up towards Thingley Jn.

 

[pt_mad]

Electric only available for passenger trains between Didcot and London. Up to Wootton Bassett is ‘live’ but not signed off for passenger use yet. Going through various testing phases I believe, hopefully be ready by about September.

There are a few masts up between Chippenham and Thingley Jn but there’s been no progress there for many months, and most of the masts are now hidden amongst foliage. There is a very definite ‘end’ to where the work has stopped just by the Cocklebury Lane bridge. London side of that bridge is almost ready to go, country side there is a gap of around a mile of no progress at all through Chippenham station and then a few sporadic masts hidden by trees up towards Thingley Jn.

This seems crazy why did they start putting masts up in that area? Especially if Temple Meads required remodelling before electrification could even reach there?

 

[Phil G]

It was done before the deferment, then just recently they made a decision not to go to Thingley but stop at cocklebury road. I'd say there are more than a few masts up, without counting I'd say 70% are up.

 

[pt_mad]

It was done before the deferment, then just recently they made a decision not to go to Thingley but stop at cocklebury road. I'd say there are more than a few masts up, without counting I'd say 70% are up.

Wow didn't realise this.

Would it not make sense to just carry on while the teams are working on the project rather than abandon what was well underway?

I'm guessing if it was put off for years and they returned to it in say 10 years then a lot of the work would need to be redone?

 

[Phil G]

Given that all bridges between Thingley and Bath have been rebuilt, the track lowered in box tunnel, a new aquaduct built at corsham and bathampton junction to bath spa lowered all at huge expense and disruption to the service the decision to defer made little sense. Wires could have gone to Bath even if Bristol was deferred until after remodeling.

 

[swt_passenger]

This seems crazy why did they start putting masts up in that area? Especially if Temple Meads required remodelling before electrification could even reach there?

It probably made a lot of sense to plan to wire as far as Thingley Junction given there’s a grid supply point there that feeds both the Bath route and the main line is via Wootton Bassett. All discussed in detail earlier in the thread.

 

[pt_mad]

It probably made a lot of sense to plan to wire as far as Thingley Junction given there’s a grid supply point there that feeds both the Bath route and the main line is via Wootton Bassett. All discussed in detail earlier in the thread.

Ok thanks for that info. Wouldn't it have made sense to wire all the way to Bath though as a poster above suggests given the amount of work that's been done? The cost is only going to increase later if it's deferred surely?

Apologies I didn't have enough time to go through two and a half hundred pages following the discussion so I've just asked questions and received answers. Thanks.

 

[D1009]

Presumably not electrifying west of Chippenham will avoid the need for a strengthened stretch of OHLE to enable pantographs being raised at speed, assuming there will continue to be no regular trains running through Chippenham non stop.

 

[FGW_DID]

Apologies I didn't have enough time to go through two and a half hundred pages following the discussion so I've just asked questions and received answers. Thanks.

Usually on most threads on the forum, you’ll only need to read about 5 pages, the other couple of hundred pages will be the same questions / arguments by the same people over and over and over and over……………………

 

[ArchieWoodbine]

For the avoidance of doubt: there's 59 masts (some with booms) installed between Chippenham and Thingley.

 

[Phil G]

Presumably not electrifying west of Chippenham will avoid the need for a strengthened stretch of OHLE to enable pantographs being raised at speed, assuming there will continue to be no regular trains running through Chippenham non stop.

Unfortunately the wires end before the station meaning pan up/down some distance east of Chippenham. There's always diversions and ECS running that don't stop anyway so will have to be strengthened anyway.

 

[Phil G]

For the avoidance of doubt: there's 59 masts (some with booms) installed between Chippenham and Thingley.

That's interesting, saves me a job this evening as I was thinking it might be useful to know how many here were.

 

[snowball]

The original mention of possibly not wiring all the way to Thingley for the present was in post #6967 on page #233. It was further discussed in subsequent posts on that and the next page. See especially #6994 by ArchieWoodbine:

Wires will be terminating at Cocklebury Lane bridge., just London side of the station. I'm unaware of any decision to formally defer reaching Thingly Jnc along the same extent as Bristol: electrification works have simply stopped here with no plans to resume at present, given more testing priorities elswhere ("capital to capital by 2019", for instance).

To clarify a couple of points people have raised regarding this:

• The feeder station at Thingley will be reached by a ground cable running in the down cess. If you look out of the window between WB Jnc. and Thingley, you'll see a new, white trough route carrying the 25kv supply. This has removed the need to complete the full OLE system to Thingley, from a power & distribution perspective.
  
• The currently installed masts and booms West of Chippenham will remain in-situ until the electrification works resume in this area. However, you're right that there are instances where specific items will be removed if urgently needed elsewhere within the project and aren't in-stock at Wroughton. Sounds mad, but it's more practical than having to pay through-the-nose for expidited fabrication through a third partry to meet the required installation date. But there's no plan to go through and wholesale remove what's already been installed.

 

[pt_mad]

The original mention of possibly not wiring all the way to Thingley for the present was in post #6967 on page #233. It was further discussed in subsequent posts on that and the next page. See especially #6994 by ArchieWoodbine:

Some great info there.

Notice the poster says masts will be left until electrification in the area resumes.

Is it certain it will resume at some point or is that in doubt altogether?

Because if they don't resume with it once the agreed sections are complete, and all the teams are stood down, it worries me they won't ever return to it which would be a great shame considering how far they've progressed towards Temple Meads from a London to Bristol point of view.

 

[59CosG95]

Some great info there.

Notice the poster says masts will be left until electrification in the area resumes.

Is it certain it will resume at some point or is that in doubt altogether?

Because if they don't resume with it once the agreed sections are complete, and all the teams are stood down, it worries me they won't ever return to it which would be a great shame considering how far they've progressed towards Temple Meads from a London to Bristol point of view.

They have got closer to Temple Meads than you'd think...but via Parkway.
At such a point as wiring were to resume (which seems increasingly likely now, given the good grilling Greenwood's given Grayling (my new favourite bit of alliteration)), the track layout at Bristol East Jct would have needed to be remodelled, and Bristol TM - Bath Spa - Bathampton Jct - Thingley Jct transferred from Bristol PSB to the TVSC at Didcot, with all the existing signals being replaced with ones that are AC immune.

I hardly think that NR/Amey/GWR etc would want to leave the job unfinished - except possibly the (regrettably incumbent at time of writing) MP for North East Somerset, who'd probably want us to revert to using steam...

 

[Dai Corner]

They have got closer to Temple Meads than you'd think...but via Parkway.
At such a point as wiring were to resume (which seems increasingly likely now, given the good grilling Greenwood's given Grayling (my new favourite bit of alliteration)), the track layout at Bristol East Jct would have needed to be remodelled, and Bristol TM - Bath Spa - Bathampton Jct - Thingley Jct transferred from Bristol PSB to the TVSC at Didcot, with all the existing signals being replaced with ones that are AC immune.

I hardly think that NR/Amey/GWR etc would want to leave the job unfinished - except possibly the (regrettably incumbent at time of writing) MP for North East Somerset, who'd probably want us to revert to using steam...

A quick win might be to wire Filton to platforms 13 and 15 (the ones normally used by Paddington trains) at Temple Meads while it's closed for four-tracking (I wish they'd called it requadrification!). It's only about five miles (20 track miles, 10 if you just did the Mains) and would enable the PR boost of electric trains all the way. Bristol East Junction would have to be redone eventually but in the overall scheme of things the 'waste' would be minimal.

 

[HowardGWR]

A quick win might be to wire Filton to platforms 13 and 15 (the ones normally used by Paddington trains) at Temple Meads while it's closed for four-tracking (I wish they'd called it requadrification!). It's only about five miles (20 track miles, 10 if you just did the Mains) and would enable the PR boost of electric trains all the way. Bristol East Junction would have to be redone eventually but in the overall scheme of things the 'waste' would be minimal.

The problem with that idea is that arriving at these far-eastern platforms removes you another 5 -10 minutes from the exit and longer with cases, if you need to use the lifts. I have always understood that the reason for re-opening the MR station was to deal with exactly that issue for the new one-stop services to Paddington. I have wondered where it is envisaged these services will normally cross over from / to the 'South Wales' relief lines from / to the rebuilt main lines. Any Pads for further west than Bristol will I suppose still use 13 to 15? Still, all these latter services will be going via Bath.

 

[Dai Corner]

The problem with that idea is that arriving at these far-eastern platforms removes you another 5 -10 minutes from the exit and longer with cases, if you need to use the lifts. I have always understood that the reason for re-opening the MR station was to deal with exactly that issue for the new one-stop services to Paddington. I have wondered where it is envisaged these services will normally cross over from / to the 'South Wales' relief lines from / to the rebuilt main lines. Any Pads for further west than Bristol will I suppose still use 13 to 15? Still, all these latter services will be going via Bath.

I seem to remember the Paddingtons used to use Platform 3 (right by the entrance) whenever possible but more frequent cross-country and local services put paid to that and 13/15 were reopened for them.

13 is only accessible from the east. I'm not sure about 15 but PADs from further west tend to use 7.

There were plans to reopen the original trainshed but that would mean demolishing the Panel box which still controls Flax Bourton-Bridgwater (?). They are just going to have to manage I think!

 

[Dai Corner]

Better move elsewhere to discuss possible future work as this thread is to follow actual progress.

 

[edwin_m]

Better move elsewhere to discuss possible future work as this thread is to follow actual progress.

See https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/future-bristol-temple-meads-developments.166526/

 

[59CosG95]

GWML Electrification: State of Play, week beginning 2/7/18.

All mileages given from Paddington, except where noted.

Paddington to Wootton Bassett Jct - LIVE

• All main line tracks wired as far as Wootton Bassett Jct, and are to be considered "live" as such. Wires towards Bristol Parkway continue to around MP97, around Alderton (see below).
  
• TTCs have replaced/been replacing headspans at various locations within London - locations include Westway (beneath the A40), Acton Main Line, Ealing B'way, W. Ealing, Southall, H&H.
  
• Everything wired at Reading (bar P4-6 which were never in the plan). Includes the TCD & the curves, down to Reading West (see B&H section).
  
• West of Didcot Parkway, all lines are wired & live heading towards Swindon.
  
• Everything wired at Swindon; P1-4, and the Through Road. Switchgear at the Bristol end of P1-4 is now live.
  

Small Points

• ATF wires in operation from Maidenhead to Wootton Bassett; Kensal Green to Maidenhead currently only using return conductors but will be AT-ready in the near future. Some AT wires up along this stretch now; whether they are live remains to be seen.
  
  • In preparation for the Elizabeth Line running to Maidenhead, Hayes & Harlington to Maidenhead was closed off over the Early May Bank Holiday (5/5 to 7/5); this included renewals of S&C at West Drayton & Slough West Jct, alongside HOPS work at Langley. Paddington to H&H was also closed on May 6th, and encompassed final OLE works for Crossrail, alongside (presumably) ATF installation, finishing of Platform Extensions, lift shaft installation, passenger footbridge installation, and ticket hall foundation installation.
    
• Parapet Work ongoing at Southbury Lane Bridge, Ruscombe.
  
• Twyford platform extensions almost finished; the Up Main is the last remaining one to be done.
  
• Parapet Work has yet to commence on Butts Hill Rd Bridge, Woodley.
  
• Few masts and cantilevers now up on the Didcot Avoiding Line, which finish at Appleford; Appleford LC being the limit of wires for the time being.
  
• Oxford Lines west of Didcot Pkwy wired as far as the loco fuelling sdg; Down Oxford as far as 53m31ch, Up Oxford as far as 53m42ch. Didcot avoiding lines have sprouted masts (4 portals, 2 TTCs), with a wire pair over the Down Didcot Avoider.
  
• A note on Steventon: Wires up under the High St Bridge (aka the "Brunel Bridge"); however, the bridge may well be demolished in CP6. It *MIGHT* need temporary parapet work to protect passers-by from stray currents; the discussion continues.
  
• Both Bourton & Uffington crossovers wired.
  
• Overruns through Swindon Jct (77m 36ch) onto the Golden Valley Line have also been wired.
  
• Another note on the OLE to Wootton Bassett - testing with IETs will occur in July, and entry of IETs in AC passenger service occurs in September.
  

The "Main Line"; Wootton Bassett Jct - Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge)

Until further notice, the 25kV transmission wires will run in a trough from Cocklebury Lane Bridge (just east of Chippenham) to Thingley Jct. Large steelwork is expected to remain in situ until wiring is authorised west of Thingley, but some specific items may be poached if required elsewhere (and duplicates aren't stored at RAF Wroughton). Details given in the "Postponements" section.

• Track lowering and drainage work at Dauntsey completed.
  
• Nr Tockenham Wick, pretty much all the masts are up, TTCs, STCs and portals alike; most have SPS fitted now.
  
• All masts (at first glance) appear to be up at Dauntsey Bank (87m ish), with the majority of SPS fitted. Earth wires have also reached the area; extending over both lines.
  
• All earth wires are now up between Wootton Bassett Jct & Cocklebury Lane Overbridge.
  
• Over Sutton Ln Bridge, Kellaways (between Christian Malford & Langley Burrell), catenary & contact wires have been erected over the Up Line; these extend eastwards as far as the eye can see. They have not reached Dauntsey Bank or Wootton Bassett yet, to my knowledge.
  
• Langley Burrell (east of Chippenham)
  
  • Most STCs here have their SPS up, folded out of the way; these masts also have ATF wire brackets fixed at the top. Again, these have now extended towards Christian Malford, and beyond towards Dauntsey Bank.
    
  • Some of the thicker STC masts, which have TTC-style tubular booms fitted, aren't yet dressed with SPS. The TTC "Tensorex" portals at Langley Burrell don't yet bear the Tensorex drums which will eventually go up there.
    
  • Works compound established at Langley Green L.C.
    
  • The "termination" twin-track portal west of Cocklebury Lane now carries Tensorex drums & SPS.
    
  • Another catenary/contact wire pair appear to be up over the Down Line as far as Langley Burrell.
    

Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Bridge) - Thingley Jct

• No piles in Chippenham station, nor any masts affixed to the viaduct.
  
• All piles in and majority of masts (and cantilevers) up from the western end of the viaduct to Thingley Junction (where the feeder station will be). About 14 masts are up in the vicinity of Thingley Feeder Stn, 2 of which have TTC booms affixed. Another has an STC boom.
  
  • Piles continue westwards to the next bridge.
    
  • Piles also in (and have been for over a year) at Ashley (beyond Box Tunnel).
    

Thingley Jct - Bath

No wiring for the foreseeable future, but overbridges between Thingley Jct & Corsham have all had clearance works, along with Box Tunnel (track lowering) and Sydney Gardens (track lowering).

Bath to Bristol

Piles in, particularly around Saltford. Not due to see use for a while after the wiring delay. Track lowered through Bath Spa, Oldfield Park & Keynsham in readiness for future wiring.


South Wales Main Line (Wootton Bassett Jct-Bristol Parkway-Severn Tunnel-Newport-Cardiff)


Wootton Bassett Jct - Bristol Parkway; apparently set to go live in September 2018.

• 11 odd miles worth of wires up from Wootton Bassett Jct to around MP97, in the Alderton Tunnel (97m 34ch) area. The Down Badminton (DB) now finishes west of the tunnel (around MP97 3/4) whilst the Up Badminton (UB) finished around MP97 1/4.
  
• All masts, most SPS and earth wires now up through Acton Turville and Badminton; multiple wired sections are now up in this area too, with a short section on the DB and a longer (approx. 1 mile) section on the UB.
  
• Retaining walls drilled & bars inserted, ready to fix masts, at the eastern portals of Alderton Tunnel and Chipping Sodbury Tunnel.
  
• O/H Conductor rail installed in Chipping Sodbury Tunnel (101m 06ch to 103m 48ch).
  
• Progress as well around Chipping Sodbury/Old Sodbury:
  
  • Catenary & contact wires (over both lines) now up between the west portal of C.S. Tunnel and the westernmost "tension portal" mentioned above (along with Earth wires); it is assumed that these are now connected to the conductor rail in C.S. Tunnel. Wires on the DB carry on to around MP104; a gap is then present for the points for the CSGL before resuming and continuing to around MP107 (see below).
    
  • Chipping Sodbury Goods Loop (CSGL) is fully wired; the UB & DB are partially wired parallel to the loop.
    
• The wires from Chipping Sodbury have now connected with those around Yate/Wapley, and extend west to around MP107, just short of Westerleigh Jct itself (107m 14ch). One ATF wire contines westwards over the junction for a short distance.
  
• From Westerleigh Jct to Bristol Parkway; fewer than 20 bases are mastless now. Most SPS is concentrated at the Westerleigh end; the central part between there still needs masts, unbelievably.
  
  • A run of masts (all boomed) has sprouted on the curve towards Cheltenham Spa. SPS is starting to go up on the curve, the remainder is in the cess awaiting fitment.
    
• Earth Wire (on the Down side) now accompanies the SPS up on the STCs and TTCs to the west & east of "The Dramway" footbridge nr Ram Hill (Coalpit Heath); a pair of single masts which seem to be destined for a portal boom can be found just east of the bridge (https://flic.kr/p/23WGyV5).
  
• Huckford Viaduct has had bespoke mast fittings applied.
  
• The "Blue Viaduct" over the M4 just east of BPW now has SPS up on the masts along it.
  
• Winterbourne Viaduct is currently mastless.
  
• BPW Platforms extensions complete.
  
  • TTCs up over all platforms as of 20/3, along with the Down Bristol Goods Loop (opposite P1).
    
  • Portal now up at the eastern end over all lines through the station. Nothing more up further east on the approach though.
    
  • A number of masts & booms are up on the line towards Filton Abbey Wood, between Stoke Gifford Jct No.1 (111m 79ch) and Filton Jct No.1 (113m 01ch); these end just short of Filton Jct 1 and will presumably act as an overrun until electrification continues into Temple Meads.
    
• Filton Bank bridge works (mileages all from Temple Meads):
  
  • Easton Rd Overbridge (1m 18ch) completely rebuilt.
    
  • Narroways Footbridge (2m 12ch) replaced.
    
  • Ashley Hill Footbridge (3m 11ch) replaced.
    
  • Bonnington Walk Overbridge (3m 62ch) - parapets raised.
    
  • Footbridge south of Filton Abbey Wood (4m 18ch) will need work if wiring is to occur.
    

Bristol Parkway - Pilning

• The Patchway/Severn Tunnel Blockade is now in full & merry swing - no trains between Bristol Parkway & Severn Tunnel Jct between 16th of June & 6th of July.
  
• 2 boomed masts are up at the Welsh end of Bristol Parkway, and a concrete foundation awaiting a mast can be seen next to them.https://flic.kr/p/245kEME
  
• Stoke Gifford IEP Depot all wired.
  
• Patchway Tunnels conductor rail to be installed during the Blockade; in the gap between the "old" tunnels (westbound track), all the bases appear to be in, and the cutting retained with mesh. Track-lowering and drainage work to be undertaken in the "old" tunnel (on the Cardiff-bound line) in the same time period. Trackbed lowering now complete; only finishing works left.
  
• Brackets for conductor rail now up at the Pilning End of the Old Tunnel.
  
• Masts, booms and SPS up through Patchway. During the Blockade, wires will also be strung up through Patchway.
  
  • Cattybrook Brickworks Bridge closed as of 18/3/18.
    
• At Pilning, during the Summer Tunnels blockade, all portals and masts have now been erected, and the first wires are beginning to go up.
  

Severn Tunnel - Newport

• Severn Tunnel Conductor rail in place .
  
• All bridge rebuilding complete from Severn Tunnel Jct (149m 14ch) to Bishton Flyover (152m 30ch).
  
• Masts beginning to go up between Severn Tunnel Jct & Bishton Flyover, as of 3/4/18. These include:
  
  • At least 11 between Undy (Playing Fields Footbridge) and the M4 viaduct over the mains; one just east of the "white house" has a TTC boom. It can be assumed that its 8 comrades will be similarly adorned. Another near the "white house" has now gone up on the Relief side; perhaps a 4-track portal is in the offing?
    
  • Another 3 masts (two for a portal boom, one a TTC with boom up) have appeared east of "the ramp" bridge at Magor; these join the sole TTC on the Up side by the bridge. Another can be found on the Up Side, west of the W End/Main Rd footbridge. Another 3 are west of "the ramp" bridge; 2 on the Down side, 1 on the Up side.
    
  • Masts (with SPS fitted) up between Bishton Flyover (including over it) and Llanwern West Jct (156m 20ch). 5 masts are currently up on the curve down from the flyover at its eastern end.
    
• Plenty piles are in around the Bishton LC (153m 01ch) to Llanwern Works East Connection (153m 05ch) area; further west towards Llanwern Works West Connection/Llanwern West Junction (156m 03ch to 156m 20ch), masts are going up at the double. Portal structures/TTCs etc. are up just east of the utility bridge between the Llanwern Connections, and to the west. SPS has gone up too on lots of them; not easy to find exact numbers though.
  
• Some masts have sprouted near Lliswerry pond.
  
• 6-track portals, probably TGBUs (aka Thumpin' Great Big-Uns) going up aroung East Usk Yard (approx. MP157 1/2).
  
• Between the Maindee Jcts (157m 74ch to 158m 16ch), a cluster of piles is in beside the Down Relief; these are complemented by masted piles on the Main side (adjacent to the Up Main).
  
• Caerleon Rd Overbridge to be refurbished in 2 phases - 20/7 to 30/11, and then January ‘19 to March ‘19. Not sure what impact on wiring this will have.
  
• Some SPS has now gone up between Maindee West & Maindee East; between Maindee West Maindee North Jct (41m 03ch from the former Rotherwas Jct, just south of Hereford; the ELR for the southern part of the Marches Line), masts with TTCs on are also going up (as overruns) over the Marches Line; the termination mast & associated TTC are just north of signal "NT 1559".
  
• Fixings for masts have now been installed on the Usk Bridge.
  

Newport

• P1 Canopies all cut back; P2 & P3 canopies still in progress.
  
• Masts and portals now appearing at the western end of the station, some with SPS attached. More started to appear in mid-April; additionally, two at the Cardiff end & two through the P1 canopy on the weekend of April 28th/29th.
  
• 4-track portal now up over the southern 4 tracks, just east of the new station footbridge.
  
• Two six-track portals have now gone up over the western throat of the station, just short of a 4-track portal (uprights of) & a TTC (with SPS) adjacent to Clytha Park Rd.
  
• Old stn footbridge still in situ.
  

Newport - Cardiff

• Around 6 piles are in adjacent to the Up Main between Ebbw Jct (160m 07ch) and Gaer Jct (159m 32ch); these will probably take masts for portal booms. One such boom appears to have gone in! Currently unknown if Alexandra Dock Jct Yard will be electrified.
  
• A sole mast is up immediately behind the signal gantry adjacent to the Up Main at Ebbw Jct.
  
• Over 100 masts from Ebbw Jct to Marshfield (163m 60ch). Booms & SPS starting to appear in the area too.
  
• Green Lane Bridge, nr Marshfield (164m 57ch) reopened to traffic after reconstruction. Masts (with SPS) up around here too.
  
• Some of the masts near Duffryn have SPS affixed.
  
• Lots of masts (with booms, SPS & ATF brackets) now up near Mardy Rd Bridge, Rumney.
  
• Two TTCs, one on each side of the tracks, have been erected by the bridge at Rhymney River Bridge Jct (167m 61ch).
  
• About 4 or 5 portals have been erected just west of Pengam Jct (168m 40ch); 5 masts are up on the Up side east of Rover Lane bridge, complemented by 2 on the Down side. Some of the portals now have booms, and bear SPS.
  
• A handful of masts are also up around Long Dyke Jct (169m 35ch); some have now gained TTC booms and SPS as well.
  

Cardiff Central

• Re-signalling completed. Platform 0 now open. 3 masts now up over P0/1 with TTC booms.
  
• Piling underway at the extreme ends of P1/2 & P3/4 for future masts. One can assume portals will bridge the gap between P2 & P3, over the Through lines.
  
• Canopy cut-back work now underway on P2.
  

Swansea IEP Depot

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.
  

GWML/SWML Blockades:

• 14/4 & 15/4 - Swindon; done.
  
• 26/5 to 28/5 - Swindon; done.
  
• 23/4 to 25/5 (exc. weekends): Complete; Swansea-Padd services are now leaving/arriving at Swansea as per their booked times again.
  
• 30/4 to 18/5 (exc. weekends): Complete; Cardiff-Pompey & Cardiff-Taunton services working as normal.
  
• 16/6 to 6/7: Bristol Parkway - Severn Tunnel Jct is now underway.
  
• 30/6 to 1/7: Bristol Parkway - Swindon; done. What went on here?
  
• 24/12/18 to 1/1/19: Bristol Parkway - Newport will be blockaded again for more OLE works.
  
• More Blockades will follow; details as they become available.
  

Berks & Hants Line (Reading-Newbury)

Reading-Newbury set to go live from December 2018; electric trains in service from January 2019.

Reading West-Southcote Junction - Theale

• At a guess, 10-12 masts still need to go up for this scheme; most around MP38 1/4, plus some more around Newbury.
  
• Within Reading West, piles for the new footbridge (under Murphy's remit) are now mostly in, awaiting final driving. About 3 still need to go in on the Down side.
  
• Between the existing live wires at Reading West and the A4 (Bath Road) Bridge, all large steelwork & SPS is up.
  
• South of the A4, the next 2 masts (STCs) have no SPS, then the next 4 (all TTCs) have SPS. Just short of Southcote Jct , a cluster of about 6 masts (5 on the Down side, one on the Up) are are up, with 4 additional masts on the Up (Reading) side parallel to the junction.
  
• All large steelwork is then up south of the 4th bedanglied TTC, through Southcote Junction (37m 62ch) to just before MP38 1/4. Two TTC cantilever booms have gone up on the Basingstoke Line (on the Up side).
  
  • Piles recently installed next to the Down Westbury (DW) in the "vee" of Southcote Jct have now been bemasted.
    
  • The two masts missing at Calcot Mill FP Crossing have now gone up.
    
• First SPS up to the west of Southcote is around MP 38 1/4; SPS is completely absent east of there. Some SPS is still missing by the pointwork east of Theale & in a couple of other locations. The mast just east of the M4 bridge on the Up side has now been erected; this is shorter due to 400kV National Grid cables being in close proximity. A mast is also missing around the pointwork east of Theale.
  
• (The next structure east of the eastern limit of B&H wires is currently missing a portal.)
  
• The M4 overbridge now has brackets/"stovepipes" fitted over both lines; those over the DW have registration arms fitted.
  

Theale - Aldermaston - Midgham - Thatcham - Newbury Racecourse

• Wires over the main lines (DW/UW) begin just east of Theale station, and are now continuous to just east of Kennet Viaduct (nr Newbury Racecourse); approximately at MP 51 1/4. The gap on the UW west of Theale has been wired.
  
• In Theale Goods Loop, the Earth (AT) wire has now been hung, and catenary/contact wires have now gone up westwards from MP 41 1/2, including over the pointwork at the Newbury end.
  
• Platform extension works now underway at Theale.
  
• West of Theale, only two masts (in Newbury Station) and 3 cantilevers/booms (one east of Newbury, two within the station).
  
• The platform extensions at Aldermaston and Thatcham are structurally complete; finishing works (e.g. levelling, fencing etc.) are all that remains to be done.
  
• After the gap over Kennet Viaduct, wires over all lines (Mains, crossovers and the DPL) resume at about MP51 3/4, and run to just east of Newbury Racecourse station.
  
• Earth wires and all SPS now up in Racecourse, with the SPS heading west to Newbury.
  

Newbury Racecourse (excl.) - Newbury Town (53m 06ch)

• Between Newbury's stations, only one portal boom needs to go up, at Boundary Rd Bridge. SPS is now all up east of the A339 bridge. A gaggle of taller masts (presumably for another ATF feeder station) can be seen opposite the Sainsbury's.
  
• The electrical substation/PSU at Boundary Rd looks roughly 80% complete.
  
• At Newbury, the new footbridge is now open (not the lifts yet). The old footbridge has now been removed; this was undertaken during the first June blockade.
  
• Between the western end of the platforms at Newbury, & Bartholomew St Bridge (at the western throat of the station), all the masts have had portal booms affixed. Almost all extant portals (bar one at the western end of the station) have now had SPS (registration arms) affixed over all lines. The single track masts in the bay platform have also been fitted. As mentioned above, two masts remain to be installed, and two masts are without a portal boom.
  
• Brackets for SPS have now been drilled into the A339 bridge at the eastern end of Newbury, over all lines; the relevant SPS has not yet gone up.
  
• West of Bartholomew St Bridge, the uprights extend past Rockingham Rd Bridge (about 200m west of the station) to roughly MP53 1/2; the masts at the western end of this run now have registration arms affixed. The termination masts also have their Tensorex drums fitted. (SPS may be missing on a couple of masts around Rockingham Rd Bridge.)
  

Proposed Limit of Wiring: 53m 51ch.

Gives ample room to reverse even a 12-car 387 formation.

Immunised signalling continues to about MP55 1/2.


B&H Blockades:

• 12/3 to 15/3; done.
  
• 23/4 to 26/4; done.
  
• 14/5 to 17/5; done.
  
• 2/6 to 10/6; done.
  
• 9/7 to 12/7,
  
• 16/7 to 5/8,
  
• 28/8 to 30/8,
  
• 8/10 to 11/10,
  
• 19/11 to 22/11.
  

Project Postponements

• Thames Valley Branches: Windsor & Henley deferred to CP6. Marlow removed from scope of current programme. The first few yards of each branch (bar the Henley Branch) have been wired as an overrun.
  
• Southcote Jct to Basingstoke has also been deferred to CP6.
  
• Appleford LC to Oxford paused, pending track realignment and resignalling of Oxford (6/7 to 23/7); if CP6 accounts allow for wiring to be extended to Oxford, it would be very likely to happen.
  
• Catenary & Contact wires between Chippenham (Cocklebury Lane Overbridge) & Thingley Jct have been deferred until (presumably) CP6; presumably this will wait until Bath-Bristol resignalling is complete. All Large steelwork to remain, unless required elsewhere.
  
• Bristol Temple Meads to Bath & Bristol Parkway paused, dependent on Bristol resignalling (Taunton-Parkway over Easter 2018; Temple Meads to Both in October 2018), track remodelling and Filton Bank 4-tracking (to be completed by December 2018).
  
• Bristol Temple Meads' "Midland Shed" to be reopened in CP6, after Bristol resignalling is complete and the PSB is demolished.
  

As always, do let me know if I've missed anything!

(apologies to anyone who saw it in a state of source code chaos too)

 

[pt_mad]

GWML Electrification: State of Play, week beginning 2/7/18..

Swansea IEP Depot

• New IEP Depot at Maliphant Sidings, Swansea now complete; all steelwork up but no wires.

Can I ask, is this to be wired? By all steelwork up I'm presuming all masts are up? And how close to Swansea Station is this?

Excellent post by the way.

 

[59CosG95]

Can I ask, is this to be wired? By all steelwork up I'm presuming all masts are up? And how close to Swansea Station is this?

Excellent post by the way.

I'm not sure if it is to be wired; it was certainly meant to be (before Grayling et al cancelled the scheme west of Cardiff). All masts & registration arms are up. The depot is here (https://goo.gl/maps/9T714HutYHr), just NNE of Swansea station.

 

[pt_mad]

I'm not sure if it is to be wired; it was certainly meant to be (before Grayling et al cancelled the scheme west of Cardiff). All masts & registration arms are up. The depot is here (https://goo.gl/maps/9T714HutYHr), just NNE of Swansea station.

Again to the laymen this seems crazy on the face of it. All masts are up to Swansea and electrification cancelled is this as ludicrous as it comes across?

I just had in my mind that nothing had commenced West of Cardiff anyway except maybe some clearance work so it seemed no major loss. This has shocked me massively that it's progressed so far, to the point it's just the wires themselves not up? It's a lot further ahead of other sections which are still to be electrified.

Why leave it like that?

 

[59CosG95]

Again to the laymen this seems crazy on the face of it. All masts are up to Swansea and electrification cancelled is this as ludicrous as it comes across?

I just had in my mind that nothing had commenced West if Cardiff anyway except maybe some clearance work. This has shocked me massively that it's progressed so far, to the point it's a lot further ahead of other sections which are still to be electrified.

Why leave it like that?

I don't think I put it across clearly enough! There are no masts up west of Cardiff Central, except in the IEP Depot in Swansea, and the masts in said depot aren't expected to gain any wires any time soon.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Bridge taken down at Reading West:

 

[pt_mad]

I don't think I put it across clearly enough! There are no masts up west of Cardiff Central, except in the IEP Depot in Swansea, and the masts in said depot aren't expected to gain any wires any time soon.

Ah I see. Was any clearance and bridge work completed West of Cardiff or didn't it get that far?

 

[PaulHarding150]

Ah I see. Was any clearance and bridge work completed West of Cardiff or didn't it get that far?

None had been done.

Rather depressingly I heard that there is a signal gantry that was installed near Neath in 2009/10 that would need replacing as it was too low for wires.

 

[Dai Corner]

None had been done.

Rather depressingly I heard that there is a signal gantry that was installed near Neath in 2009/10 that would need replacing as it was too low for wires.

Would resignalling also be necessary for immunisation and sighting reasons?