Are the new faster Bristol-London services still being introduced next year?

[Class 33]

So even though electrification of the Bristol-London line is running about 4 years behind schedule, will the new faster Bristol-London services still be introduced next year, which will include 4 trains per hour between Bristol Temple Meads and London?

 

[cactustwirly]

Probably not - not enough HSTs to cover it

 

[Class 33]

That's a shame then. I've been waiting for these new faster services for year now! Only about another 5 years to wait then! Oh well!

 

[najaB]

Probably not - not enough HSTs to cover it

I thought that was why some 801's were being delivered as 800's?

 

[43074]

The 4tph Bristol to London service was scheduled for introduction from December 2018, by which time there will almost certainly be enough 800s to cover the service. There are minor changes in May 2017 but the biggest changes are not until 2018.

 

[ainsworth74]

I thought that was why some 801's were being delivered as 800's?

They're all being delivered as 800s now I thought?

 

[najaB]

They're all being delivered as 800s now I thought?

It may very well be so, I was playing it safe.

 

[swt_passenger]

They're all being delivered as 800s now I thought?

Confirmed a couple of weeks back, in case anyone missed it in the main thread it was here:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2575283&postcount=2500

 

[MarkAustin4000]

So far behind schedule (3 years) have heard it could be anytime in 2019!

 

[swt_passenger]

So far behind schedule (3 years) have heard it could be anytime in 2019!

There are no known delays with the actual trains though. Why shouldn't they be delivered exactly as planned, from June 2017?

 

[edwin_m]

There are no known delays with the actual trains though. Why shouldn't they be delivered exactly as planned, from June 2017?

Does the fast service (via Parkway) depend on the Filton Bank four-tracking or any other capacity improvements that aren't ready yet?

Has the contract change to deliver all bi-modes instead of some electrics resulted in any delivery delay?

There was also some doubt about whether the bi-mode units could keep to schedule as the lower power available limited them to 100mph on diesel. There was some talk of uprating the engines to allow 125mph - has that been agreed?

 

[swt_passenger]

Does the fast service (via Parkway) depend on the Filton Bank four-tracking or any other capacity improvements that aren't ready yet?

Has the contract change to deliver all bi-modes instead of some electrics resulted in any delivery delay?

There was also some doubt about whether the bi-mode units could keep to schedule as the lower power available limited them to 100mph on diesel. There was some talk of uprating the engines to allow 125mph - has that been agreed?

1. No idea

2. Should hope not, because all the bi-modes were always going to be delivered first, so the electrics replaced by bi-modes come at the later phase of the GW delivery.

3. More recent threads have been based around them being 110 mph max on diesel, and the relative lengths of unelectrified track where 125 mph is possible are small in comparison to the wired sections. I think there's a real risk of the problems being exaggerated.

 

[edwin_m]

At December 2017, according to Hendy, we will only just have electrification completed from Maidenhead to Didcot, and won't have:
- Electrification Didcot to Wotton Bassett (except for certain sections for testing)
- Electrification Wotton Bassett to Bristol Parkway
- Filton Bank capacity works
Maybe not even wires between Heathrow Jn and Maidenhead, the Crossrail page isn't very clear about this.

So there could be quite long sections of 125mph route still unelectrified (as we are talking about the Badminton line, which is 125mph a lot of the way to Parkway).

 

[jimm]

At December 2017, according to Hendy, we will only just have electrification completed from Maidenhead to Didcot, and won't have:
- Electrification Didcot to Wotton Bassett (except for certain sections for testing)
- Electrification Wotton Bassett to Bristol Parkway
- Filton Bank capacity works
Maybe not even wires between Heathrow Jn and Maidenhead, the Crossrail page isn't very clear about this.

So there could be quite long sections of 125mph route still unelectrified (as we are talking about the Badminton line, which is 125mph a lot of the way to Parkway).

Never mind what Crossrail says about Airport Junction to Maidenhead, GWR managing director Mark Hopwood told Rail last December that he expects to see electric trains to Maidenhead in early 2017. Similar noises about electrification progress here have been coming out of Network Rail.

http://www.railmagazine.com/news/ne...ood-upbeat-as-gwr-revises-rolling-stock-plans

Much of the 125mph sections where wires will be going live after the Class 800s start operation are fairly flat, so perfectly possible that they will be able to get up to speeds above 110mph on diesel.

 

[najaB]

So there could be quite long sections of 125mph route still unelectrified (as we are talking about the Badminton line, which is 125mph a lot of the way to Parkway).

What's the longest, non-stop, continuous 125mph stretch under discussion here?

 

[JN114]

What's the longest, non-stop, continuous 125mph stretch under discussion here?

In terms of mileage, Reading - Swindon is the longest section of continuous 125mph running on the GW.

 

[edwin_m]

After passing the possible end of electrification at Foxhall Jn feeder (about MP54) there is 24 miles at 125mph before the 85mph for 1.5 miles through Swindon, then nearly 6 miles at 125mph to the 70mph at Wootton Bassett. It then increases in steps over 3.5 miles to 125mph for 11 miles, 110mph through Alderton tunnel, 3.5 miles of 125mph to Chipping Sodbury tunnel from where it is 120mph for six miles, 100mph over Westerleigh Junction and 125mph for 3 miles (Down only) before the approach to Parkway. Most of the route west of Wootton Bassett, not being one of Brunel's original billiard tables, is climbing or descending at 1 in 300 for the summit at Badminton.

So as well as significant running at 125mph, a non-stop train has to accelerate up from lower speeds several times.