During the EWR TWAO public inquiry I asked a couple of questions about this.
Questions and responses from NR below. From Inquiry Doc NR 211
3. The cost of replacing those existing bridges between Bicester and Bletchley
that would need to be replaced/subject to some works to enable electrification
but which are not currently proposed to be replaced?
There are 5 structures along this route which would require partial or complete
demolition followed by replacement with new structures to provide for future
electrification. The total cost to the project of these works would be
approximately £34.5m.
4. The cost difference between works to those bridges before EWR2 becomes
operational as compared to after it has become operational?
The total cost of the above works once EWR2 has become operational would be
approximately £41.8m. This means that the difference in cost between doing the
works before EWR2 becomes operational and afterwards is approximately £7.3m.
The new leven line was supposed to be wired , and has piling works and foundations for masts installed on most of the route , so when they do start wiring it the job will be easier , however it's similar to Ewr in that they have not done any works on at least three bridges , in fact I posted a question on the Facebook group about that asking why , most of the bridges had received works including repainting to write the rusted shabby bridges to a good standard, it was then explained that the bridges either belong to a private company , I can't recall exactly , but anyway the SNP as stated yesterday on Google news that the wiring works are ' paused ', the same article gave a mention to EWR , stating that most of it is ready for wiring , but as you say some bridges are not , they the. Some about using longer distances between masts with a stronger contact wire I guess. , but also someone posted that like the GWR wiring of the great western route there are one or two places like bridges where there is a gap in the wiring and that trains would ' coast between these sections ' now I may have that wrong but I thought that I actually had read in various rail magazines at the time that this was done .
So if it can be done and it wouldn't cause a moving train to come to a halt , would it not be cheaper to do this on EWR rather than do much to the bridges that are unfit for wiring , beyond raising their walls above ( the borders railway was future proofed for wiring , and bridges got higher walls that would make it difficult to do a ybtrain spotting from such bridges ( of course unless you had a ladder, )as the new stones added , are about 5ft tall, anyway I hope this makes sense , my apologies if it doesn't I suffer bad brain fog due to my health , and thus I'm trying to remember, what I've read about various wiring schemes .
But I'm sure that as I say that the wiring of the great western line has gaps instead of changing bridges , with the point being , if this is possible to be workable , then would it not reduce the costs of wiring the route in future ?.
One question I forgot to ask in my last post was , what is the current setup, with where the first phase of EWR that was built I think 2015 perhaps, when they opened the new biscter station , I know that part of the track there Joins the line or they said a new line to join the route to I think Marylebone ? The only non wired station in London .
( Also if they do wire EWR surely they'd wire to there as well) anyway the question is are there buffer stops at the moment at Biscter as that is the end of the recent new build or reopened section of this line ? My apologies for so many questions, but being so far away it's hard to visualise how it all links up, I do know that they have the go-ahead to reopen the branch line from Cowley to Oxford that they said will link to EWR , I gather works start soon there,, so will that be part of EWR ( like that link planned I think they said to Aylesbury?).
Finally moving further east to the Marston bake section, which I guess once this phase opens will be all part of EWR , with stations being moved and rationed , won't there be a lot of work needed there for wiring the line , bearing in mind that apparently some time shortly they are adding a couple of loops to that section .
And also if this phase with the the new arrangement at Bletchley , I take it this means that EWR will run to Bedford ?
And also someone had posted about how many train services would run in EWR but given it links back to Oxford then perhaps GWR can run services along EWR using 5 car IET's.