G.W.R. Electrification
 

Very strong rumours coming out of the DofT that Thursday 25th November will see an announcement saying that the electrification of Brunels line will go ahead. This should see Paddington - Bristol,and also Cardiff under the wires.
The down side to the story is that they are considering ordering 5 coach trains from Hitachi - presumably with the intention of doubling up trains for busy periods. One is tempted to ask,have we learnt nothing from the debacle of the Voyagers ?
We'll wait and see,but I for one can't help feeling that this could be a lost opportunity - do hope I'm wrong.

Having recently been a regular traveller on FGW; how can anyone think that five coach trains will suffice on this route? Nearly every HST is full with many services having standing passengers.
Does this mean that passengers for Devon & Cornwall will have to change trains at Bristol ?

It would make sence to me to have 5 coach trains only if they ran trains more rugulary. I think they should make the most of the long platforms from the HST's and have atleast 7 carriages!

will believe it when I see it happening, hope it does though!

Electrification of the GW main line? I don't think I'll see it in my lifetime. And I have a few years left in me yet, I hope.

So 5 coach trains on the western, pack them in like cattle.

I think it will be a very long time before it happens but if and when it does happen oxford will have to get a pantograph fitted on his co-op van :) :).

ccmmick.

So they are going to electrify the GWR and Midland Main lines I'm a lot younger than some of you guys and don't expect work starting this side of 2020
As for 5 coach units they are liked by rail management because they are cheaper than 7 or 9 which is actually whats needed for passenger numbers. So for some services they will just couple 2 together (but try to use just one crew to man it) but they won't do all of them just observe the Class 222 services Sheffield to St Pancras most are 5 car just occassional ones are 2 units coupled together.
Also note the XCountry 221/220 services Scotland - South West apart from 2 services running HST's there are just 4 timetabled runs which call for a 220+221 coupled together giving a 9 car unit (occasionally due to maintainence you get 2x221's or 2x220).

It would be nice to see other TOC's behaving like East Midland Trains who have a choice of 9car 5car or 4car sets to choose from depending on loading forecasts, I doubt that Arriva/Cross Country ever will as they do things as cheap as possible.

Typical DFT as usual everything on the cheap they obviously have ignored the traffic figures from FGW when will the TOC,s be allowed to obtain there own stock and not be micromanaged by civil servants.Evidently Mr Shooter on Chiltern is pressing for the wires to go up bet he wont accept short trains on his lines!Cant see the wires going up for quite a while yet surely they should be carried on to Exeter as this a busy part of the network.Also the obvious solution would be loco hauled but the DFT dont like this solution it works on the continent but thats across the channell and couldnt possibly work in the UK coud it?Will the electrification be carried out in a similar way to the East Coast iewire spans across the track hope it will be better than that carried out north of Newcastle with all its attendant problems in high winds etc.Still think the Midland should be prioritised as it offers better value and could be extended to the East Coast at Leeds thus giving better value for money.

Typically half-axxed political announcement this morning - claiming glory for projects already underway (Thameslink,what were they going to do,cancel it !!),promising lots of new carriages (most already on order),fudging the GWR electrification (no doubt waiting for the Japanese government to o.k. the North East factory financing) and,to please the commuters (expecting an early election Mr Cameron ?) putting up the wires to Oxford and Newbury.
Still,it's a start,I suppose.

I really think that electrification would ruin the route. If electrification must go ahead then third rail would be my preference, the same goes for the liverpool and manchester.

This would mean that the HSTs might be cascaded, and they would indeed be welcome in the north.

Hi SFE,

What makes you think that you can have our HST's? You can take back your 142's first!

Do you think you could run trains at 125+ mph using third rail?
What do you mean by spoil the route,?
Are you saying that you don't like overhead wires?

I was wondering about that.

What is the maximum speed for third rail collectors ?

But the favoured system for railway electrification is using overhead wires except on the southern.

I hate overhaed wires! They are disgusting and wasteful. It would be cheaper, easier and more aesthetically pleasing to keep the line diesel operated.
I don't know the top speed for third rail, but I would have thought that electrostars can do 100.

All the "eurostars" now use overhead wires since the opening of the high speed route.

I did mean electrostars. They are third rail units similar in appearance to the 170s.

Well,like it or not,it's going to happen. One piece of good news seems to be that we're going to get 8 coach trains as well as 5 coach ones.
Seems like they're planning to do Paddington - Cardiff via Bristol Parkway first,with a "branch" to Temple Meads. Swindon - Chippenham - Bath - Bristol seems to be last in the queue for some reason.
Wires at Box Tunnel and Sydney Gardens !! What would old I.K. make of it all ?

Better get Yer photties now guys whilst you can see the tunnel mouths

are you sure about other toc travel on most toc east milads lavesea lot to be disired gone down hillsince thy took over staff just wont to hijack you for fare

Think its going a while before the wires go up all the way Oxford will be first as plenty of return on investment.O/H is the only way to go more reliable in all weathers and for high speed,wouldnt it be good if 140mph could be attained.Then there would be real modol shift if this happened no need for dedicated h/speed lines just upgrade what we have and put tilt in.Think you would like o/h if it was done DB style very neat and unobtrusive have a look at it.

In this day and age, even politics dictate, 'Electrification' is the only way to go, personally I'm all for it...mind you, could be a long wait for Penzance(where I live)

It seems an odd concept to me to build a train as a high speed electric then
add the weight of several diesel engines underfloor and the weight of fuel seems a waste
of power
One of the politicians said in parliament that it would add 10 mins th hook up a loco at
Cardiff things have got slack when we had change from diesel to leccie at Ipswich
prior to 1986 they did the change in the time it took the passengers to alight and board
and with better couplings now they make and break 4 & 8 car sets at Colchester in the time it takes to bump up and do a break test
But then I dont believe anything politicians say