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Great Western Electrification Progress
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RailUK Forums
How do you mean? A temporary repair was made, trains are now running normally on electric through the tunnel.
It’s all done now, I’m not sure there’s anything exciting to add now until (and if) there’s any progress on the indefinitely deferred parts of the scheme.
It’s all done now, I’m not sure there’s anything exciting to add now until (and if) there’s any progress on the indefinitely deferred parts of the scheme.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Perhaps time to close this epic thread and start new ones when/if extensions/deferred bits etc are started?
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
If any schemes go ahead I suggest - easier that is all
1) Thames Valley branches have their own thread
2) Didcot to Oxford has its own thread
3) Reading - Basingstoke has its own thread
4) Bristol Parkway to Temple Meads and through Bath has its own thread
5) Cardiff extensions to wherever own thread
1) Thames Valley branches have their own thread
2) Didcot to Oxford has its own thread
3) Reading - Basingstoke has its own thread
4) Bristol Parkway to Temple Meads and through Bath has its own thread
5) Cardiff extensions to wherever own thread
extensions
sorry what does 'extensions/deferred bits' refer to. Are there bits outstanding to do in the tunnels.Including Patchway???)
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
An extension would be for example Cardiff to Swansea.
Deferred I meant things like via Bath and Didcot to Oxford. Not sure I can explain any better sorry.
It's now being reported that it's compleated:
www.railjournal.com
Network Rail completes Great Western electrification
Network Rail (NR) has successfully electrified the Severn Tunnel, completing the truncated Great Western electrification programme
www.railjournal.com
superkev
Established Member
Good news but so sad that with all major schemes just about complete all those hard won skills and expensive plant will now be most likely lost before the politicians act.It's now being reported that it's compleated:
Network Rail completes Great Western electrification
Network Rail (NR) has successfully electrified the Severn Tunnel, completing the truncated Great Western electrification programme
K
Tomos y Tanc
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Here we go again.
"Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said he hoped to continue to work with Network Rail to grow Wales' economy and create "world-class transport infrastructure" in Wales.
“It is crucial that Wales has cutting-edge transport links to help people travel to work, encourage inward investment and better connect it to the rest of the UK in order to boost prosperity," he said.
Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, said: “The completion of the electrification works in the Severn Tunnel is welcome news in terms of improving journey times between capitals and delivering towards our decarbonisation agenda for transport.
“I hope that the completion of this work can be taken as a strong signal of intent from Network Rail and the UK Government that there is more investment to come to improve journey times and capacity across South Wales in the future, including electrification westwards beyond Cardiff."
"Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said he hoped to continue to work with Network Rail to grow Wales' economy and create "world-class transport infrastructure" in Wales.
“It is crucial that Wales has cutting-edge transport links to help people travel to work, encourage inward investment and better connect it to the rest of the UK in order to boost prosperity," he said.
Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, said: “The completion of the electrification works in the Severn Tunnel is welcome news in terms of improving journey times between capitals and delivering towards our decarbonisation agenda for transport.
“I hope that the completion of this work can be taken as a strong signal of intent from Network Rail and the UK Government that there is more investment to come to improve journey times and capacity across South Wales in the future, including electrification westwards beyond Cardiff."
Jamesrob637
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800s haven't gone through the Severn Tunnel full of pax yet and probably won't for a while 
Ken obviously didn't get the memo that he would be getting his cheque book out this time...
Lets hope this "world-class transport infrastructure" is better than our "world-class covid19 reponse"
Jamesrob637
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To do 146 miles according to Railmiles. Bristol Parkway is 112 miles - is that doable in 1h10 with only a stop in Reading?
Dai Corner
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Well, it's done in 1h14 including three minutes stood at Swindon in today's public timetable.
No, not in timetable terms, although it would be possible in absolute terms. It’s 1h10 non-stop in the timetable, but that includes 4mins engineering allowance and 1min pathing allowance to keep it behind the previous Temple Meads service. If the latter is cancelled, or delayed to run behind the 1715, the 1715 will be arriving Parkway 5 mins early on a good day.
Pete_uk
Established Member
I have been watching gWr's Bristol to Paddington cab ride video and noticed that just after the train leaves Bristol Parkway towards London the catainery is held up by a mixture of:
Almost solid full width supports held up on both sides of the track;
Heavily engineered supports supported on one side only;
East coast style supports that look like poles,
all seemingly random and mixed up.
Why is there such a mixture over the same section of line?
Almost solid full width supports held up on both sides of the track;
Heavily engineered supports supported on one side only;
East coast style supports that look like poles,
all seemingly random and mixed up.
Why is there such a mixture over the same section of line?
jyte
Member
From past discussions it's a wide variety of factors including but not limited to
- I have added a timestamp for reference) I don't think it looks that 'random' at all.
- Neutral sections
- Catenary tensioners
- Ground conditions
- Possession availability at time of installation
- Torsion wind loading
- Signal sighting
59CosG95
Established Member
On Series 1 equipment, the single track I-section columns (which do look like ECML-style headspan masts to the untrained eye!) are nominally very tall so as to give the catenary & contact a wide berth from the Auto Transformer Feeder wires. Where the video shows the train crossing the M4 (15 minutes in) is an example of that, but slightly before, there were some masts that height with no ATF equipment on. I can only suspect that the original design for aerial ATF was superseded by a requirement to bury it in a cable trough - which, at a closer look, is due to National Grid pylons sailing overhead a little too close for Network Rail's comfort.
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jyte
Member
went over to Pilning yesterday (golly,some of that metalwork near the station is chunky -- why? is it a major power supply?)
saw a few 800s, which appeared to have 2 pans up - really?? or my old age??
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edwin_m
Veteran Member
If it's a pair of 5-cars they will each have one pan up, unless one unit is dead. 9-car units aren't allowed to have more than one pan raised.
markymark2000
On Moderation
Are we now seeing the full benefits of the GWML Electrification with some decreased journey times or do we have a lot more to come? IF we have more to come, what are we waiting to happen before we can see the full benefits of the electrification?
swt_passenger
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I thought last December’s timetable was supposed to have accounted for wiring completion, but with some trains still missing from the timetable?
Correct.
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