The Wessex Draft route study for consultation states:
Looks like the reports of the death of Third Rail were greatly exaggerated
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/long-t...wessex-route-study-draft-for-consultation.pdf
"DC would only be considered for infill schemes, such as the electrification of the North Downs Line." (page 142)
"Given the position of this national scheme in the Department for Transport’s High Level Output Statement (HLOS) for CP5, the Route Study has treated this[Basingstoke-Soton]option as baseline and has not undertaken further analysis on the case for such an intervention.
It is recognised that as a standalone scheme, there are a number of
potential disadvantages, including for example:
• a significant cost is involved in converting the present-day DC
electric passenger fleet to dual-voltage capability, it being
assumed that it will not prove possible or practicable to keep in
place the third-rail DC system as well as the AC system
• whilst some minor passenger journey time improvements might
be achievable between Basingstoke and Southampton, there is
very little overall passenger benefit in the short to medium term
• from an asset management and maintenance perspective, the
scope of AC electrification may be insufficient to offer efficiencies
of scale." (page 113)
Looks like the reports of the death of Third Rail were greatly exaggerated
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/long-t...wessex-route-study-draft-for-consultation.pdf
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