Great Western Mainline Electrification?

[Deleted]

Hi, i heard about it on the radio today.
When is it gonna start, will it be going to Exeter?

Thanks

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2009 7:37:56 GMT @selkent314 said:

Hi, i heard about it on the radio today.
When is it gonna start, will it be going to Exeter?

Thanks

So did we all. The Prime Minister will be making a full statement about it today, so watch your news channel for more information.

As I understand it Exeter is NOT included in the OHLE installation, which is going from London to Swansea on the GWR.

[snowman]

There are two schemes announced Great Western to Swansea
and Liverpool-Manchester (which also allows Manchester-Glasgow to go electric)

The GW scheme will allow electric working to Oxford, Newbury and Bristol by 2016, with the South Wales section completed 2017. Journey time savings of 15min to Cardiff and 20min to Swansea from London expected. (doesn't include line to Taunton-Exeter-Penzance at this stage)

Network Rail is to buy High capacity plain line electrification trains which will be able to install masts and wires in 8 hour overnight shift. (might get upto 3 trains, and aim is to have dedicated installation teams, Bit like Southern Railway did in 1930s, to bring down costs as would be very experienced and used continuously).

Network rail is looking at rolling program with teams moving on to next project as soon as one is done. Transpennine, Scotland (Falkirk lines) and Bedford-Sheffield are provisionally next, followed by Bristol/Oxford-Birmingham-York and some other major cross country lines

Crossrail could of course be extended from Maidenhead to Reading (or Oxford or Newbury) but this wasn't specifically announced

Reading area will be changed, extra platforms behind platform 10 and a fast line flyover over the junction with the Basingstoke/Newbury line so fast trains not delayed by freights and local trains

www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/inter-city-electrification-planning-to-start-immediately.html

[Deleted]

At least they are not electrifying to exeter, we still have HSTs!! :DD

[Deleted]

Jul 23, 2009 13:11:51 GMT @selkent314 said:

At least they are not electrifying to exeter, we still have HSTs!! :DD

By the time this gets completed, HST's will have been long gone anyway!

[T.R.]

I also gather from the DfT's booklet ( www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/rail-electrification.pdf ) that:

- Class 319s made redundant from new Thameslink stock will replace most (?) of the 165/166 suburban workings to Paddington (I'm guessing 165/166 could be cascaded elsewhere onto the FGW network)

- 319s are also to be used on the Manchester - Liverpool route

- Existing 350s will work TransPennine Manchester - Glasgow services, thus allowing other 185 services to be doubled to 6-car

[smiler52]

i think £1bn for 19 mins is not worth it and who is going to have to pay for the the passengers i bet

[iranair747]

Jul 30, 2009 17:10:10 GMT T.R. said:

I also gather from the DfT's booklet ( www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/rail-electrification.pdf ) that:

- Class 319s made redundant from new Thameslink stock will replace most (?) of the 165/166 suburban workings to Paddington (I'm guessing 165/166 could be cascaded elsewhere onto the FGW network)

Hell no! I dont want those ugly things passing west ealing

[snowman]

First are considering not taking up the last 3 years of its Great Western rail franchise. The premium profile is very high in those 3 years, so bailing out could save over £1,000,000,000

www.railnews.co.uk/news/business/2011/03/14-speculation-that-first-gw-may.html

back on topic, Government has now given go-ahead for the Didcot-Cardiff part of the electrification (but not the Cardiff-Swansea part). Also now looking at one giant National grid feeder in South Wales that would allow Valley Lines to be electrified as well (cheaper than two small feeds if each project seperate)