G W Main Line Electrification

[stembok]

How very typical of the British media! Headline in 'The Times' today on announcement of plans to electrify the GW main line is "Six Years of Delays for Rail Electrification Plan". Very optimistic and upbeat. No mention in that headline of benefits in costs or operational terms, or of the fact that for years they have wondered why the lines aren't electrified and used it as a stick to beat British Rail and its successors. Negative and pathetic as usual!

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

Wires at Dawlish and Cockwood? ugh!

[52A]

They aint on the South Wales route.

[52A]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8164942.stm

If you believe this you will believe anything, this is the same bunch of bloody clowns that were in charge of west coast route mod!

[Deltic18]

Just thought of something. Is there a General Election looming in the next couple of years? I still don't think that the electrification of the Western Region will happen. The only way to do it from London to Swansea will be get to Swindon, turn right and go via the Stroud Valley to Gloucester then Newport. A survey is already on the cards to reinstate the double track between Swindon and Kemble but that won't happen for the next few years.
As I said before, I wait with baited breath - to see what happens.
Keith

[Bill Bedford]

Just thought of something. Is there a General Election looming in the next couple of years? I still don't think that the electrification of the Western Region will happen. The only way to do it from London to Swansea will be get to Swindon, turn right and go via the Stroud Valley to Gloucester then Newport. A survey is already on the cards to reinstate the double track between Swindon and Kemble but that won't happen for the next few years.

You seem about as positive as the Murdock press.............

Is there any real reason as to why they couldn't electrify the Swindon - Seven Tunnel Junction section? Wouldn't the Kemble route be used as a diversion while they have occupancy of the Swindon - STJ section? Note that Paddington - Swindon and STJ - Cardiff are both four track and that at present freight traffic is at a minimum. So this look like as good a time as any to get on with the work.

[stembok]

The 'Today' programme for Thursday seemed to be confusing the GW electrification proposals with the West Coast Main Line at one point! So, there we have it. We now know why there have been so many problems re: the WCML upgrade. Seriously, it is an indictment of lazy journalists and researchers who are not prepared to check facts, or worse, just parrot regurgitated PR "speak" and handouts. It is little wonder, as we live in the ea of the well spun soundbite which - sadly,but sometimes acurately - attributes to people the attention span of a gnat. Having said that I must say that Lord Adonis at Transport does seem to be a man who has seized the opportunity and who is prepared to give railways a fair crack of the whip, in contrast to scores of his short lived and instantly forgettable predecessors. Let's just hope that it all falls into place.

[Trestrol]

The double stadards are unbelievable. All the Tory shadow transport bod had to say was that it shouldn't be funded by Government/N.R but the private sector should pay, so in there view upgrading railways is less important than upgrading roads to motorways which are funded by government. If you want an up to date transport network it needs to be funded centrally not for private firms who want their "cut" of the profits. Its privatisation all over again creating money for their friends.

[Deltic18]

Just thought of something. Is there a General Election looming in the next couple of years? I still don't think that the electrification of the Western Region will happen. The only way to do it from London to Swansea will be get to Swindon, turn right and go via the Stroud Valley to Gloucester then Newport. A survey is already on the cards to reinstate the double track between Swindon and Kemble but that won't happen for the next few years.

You seem about as positive as the Murdock press.............

Is there any real reason as to why they couldn't electrify the Swindon - Seven Tunnel Junction section? Wouldn't the Kemble route be used as a diversion while they have occupancy of the Swindon - STJ section? Note that Paddington - Swindon and STJ - Cardiff are both four track and that at present freight traffic is at a minimum. So this look like as good a time as any to get on with the work.

I'm being realistic and not looking through rose tinted spectacles. As for the 4 track railway from Pad - Swindon, that only runs as far as Didcot, at least it did yesterday when I was on it, and is currently an extremely busy route with FGW, XC, DBS and Freightliner services all using it.
The pumps in the Severn Tunnel are currently coping but if more holes are put in it, how long will they cope?
I'm all for electrification and progress (in some areas) but this project is going to take a hell of a lot of working out. Maybe building a new bridge will be the solution. Look at the bridge that links Kansai Airport (Osaka) and the mainland to see what I mean.

Keith

[stembok]

this project is going to take a hell of a lot of working out

Whilst not wishing to underestimate any possible difficulties and mindful of Network Rail's somewhat chequered recent record I imagine that the plans for modernisation and electrification of the GW main line have been gone over fairly well. The job should have been done years ago, as BR would have liked and as part of a rolling programme - with electrification teams kept together -, of East Anglia, the ECML, North East -South West and Midland Main Line, plus things like Trans -Pennine and Edinburgh -Glasgow. Of course any chance of this was torpedoed by the approach of privatisation. We have always been poor in this country at investing for the future due to short termism in political thinking. What happened to GNER's plan to electrify from Hambleton Junction? ,so giving another access route into Leeds?

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

Yes,another good idea that has gone suspiciously quiet.

[Deltic18]

Well it looks like the electrification of the line from Paddington to Cardiff will be electrified after all with the possibility of the Valley servies also.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12606470

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12617694

[strang steel]

I have to admit to being somewhat amazed at this news. Living within a few miles of the proposed electrification I have a vested interest in its completion because although the HSTs are still quite decent trains (especially in the 1st class - off peak bargain fares only, mind) they are coming up for their 35th birthdays.

However, I was convinced that given the result of the last election and the dramatic cuts in public expenditure that followed, this upgrade would be one of the first items to be kicked into touch.

[Deltic18]

You and me both. FGW may well get some new sets at last instead of everybody else's cast-offs.

Keith

[CVR1865]

I can't see the "temporary replacement HST" being let off anytime soon.