New factory train to help with gwml electrification

[RHM]

A factory on rails – the first of its kind to be used on Britain’s railways – will slash years off the time it will take to electrify the Great Western main line.

With 235 route miles to electrify from Maidenhead in the East* to Swansea in the West - and many thousands of trains to keep running while the work is done - Network Rail is working with German manufacturer Windhoff to build the High Output Plant system (HOPS) train to do the job


MORE: http://railwayherald.com/uknews/new-...lectrification

[ianrail]

Good news to hear this. As well as seeing progress continuing on the huge Reading station project, I've been amazed at the speed at which masts for the overhead wiring have been appearing to the west of the station around the new train depot. All we need now is for politicians to make the logical decision to extend Crossrail from Maidenhead to Reading. An electric train connection from the west into Heathrow would take a huge amount of traffic off the roads too.

[Madcaravanner]

I heard they were testing it somewhere at the massive speed of 4 tenths of a mile in 8 hours, but the plan is to sink up to 30 piles (for catenary masts) per shift. This equals the usual length of one length of conductor wire about 1,200/500m. Although some press report 1.6km a night or take a total of 556 nights to do one track from London to Swansea

[Ploughman]

For those who are not registered with Railway Herald
See the Rail Engineer website. Open to all.
( I am not connected with it just like the features)

http://www.therailengineer.com/2012/...in-the-detail/

[DSY011]

We were shown the train some weeks ago on BBC Points West. There was a short report about it when it arrived at Swindon. I was going to put something about it on the forum, but was interrupted, then forgot about until I saw RHM's post. Just shows that the mind of an old git is getting very feeble.

[Hammy]

So as I understand it with this state of the art High Output wiring train, Network Rail will complete Great Western Electrification - around 200 route miles over flat, benign topography, benefitting from Brunells generous guage between 2014 and 2019 - 5 years. Between 1970 and 1974 British Rail completed a similar distance between Weaver Junction and Glasgow including the challenging terrain over Shap and Beatock with nothing more than a steam crane and a handful of Mk1 coaches fitted with flat roofs.