Core Valley Lines Electrification

[Penrhos1920]

17 hours ago, br2975 said:

Both the Cl.231 and Cl.756 units are articulated within the set, and have a central power car, as shown in the images here, taken at Llanishen, in northern Cardiff,  on the Rhymney route.

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Does that make them 3½  and 4½ coach units respectively?

[br2975]

The commencement of the OHLE at the "CVL West Boundary".

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The image was taken from Landsdowne Avenue West, looking west - or in Valley Lines terms, the 'up' direction.

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[br2975]

A Valley Lines anomaly ?

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We are looking east along the South Wales Main Line, or in the 'up' direction as a 'down' Padd - Swansea IET approaches.

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Just visible on the right is the 'City Line' which runs parrallel to the SWML for over a mile before crossing it on the former's approach approach to Waungron Park.

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At this point, two trains could be heading west on the parrallel lines, with the City Line train being an 'up' service, and the SWML train being a 'down' service.

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Both photos were taken from the 'Ely Paper Mill' footbridge around 7.30pm last night, Saturday 20th. April as I stumbled home from Canton RFC, following Cardiff City v Southampton.

[br2975]

Almost a year has passed since I took these two images showing OHLE work underway at Radyr, on 1st. June, 2023.

[Philou]

It's all looking good @br2975. Can't understand why they're not doing the OLE through Cardiff Central - can't be more complex than at Radyr AND the GWML electrification helped a bit Queen Street end by the huuuuuuuuuuuuge gantries that stretch over the SWML and the Valleys Line.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[woodenhead]

@PhilouCardiff station is wired but west of Cardiff isn’t I believe.

 

I would imagine as it is the GWML the Welsh Government expect the UK Government to foot the bill to Swansea and they will pay for the local lines(I.e. as they are doing).

 

So when Network Rail get it sorted there will be wires to Swansea.

[br2975]

15 hours ago, Philou said:

It's all looking good @br2975. Can't understand why they're not doing the OLE through Cardiff Central - can't be more complex than at Radyr AND the GWML electrification helped a bit Queen Street end by the huuuuuuuuuuuuge gantries that stretch over the SWML and the Valleys Line.

 

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It's all a matter of 'funding' - compounded by ownership / resonsibility

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Westminster pulled the plug on electrification of the SWML west of Cardiff to Swansea.

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The wires run only as far as the Canton Brickyard opposite the depot, known now as "Line A"

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The 'suburban' platforms at Central, namely 6, 7 & 8 are not wired, as seen in my two photos.

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We must remember that the CVL (TfW) responsibility ends at the CVL 'West Boundary' which is on the City Line near the Sanatorium Road overbridge, from where the City Line towards Cardiff, through Ninian Park is Network Rail property.

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Similarly, the CVL 'East Boundary' is between Central and Queen St,

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So from the CVL 'East' to the CVL 'West' around the back of Canton Depot and through Central is Network Rail trackage, and I suspect TfW had no stomach for electrifying NR trackage.

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And of course, despite a large proportion of the CVL / Metro improvements being funded by Brussels, the Welsh electorate (in their 'wisdom') voted out in 2016 !

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And now, Wales is suffering financially, so further wiring is highly unlikely in the forseeable future.

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Edited April 24 by br2975

[Philou]

^ Those are the gantries to which I refered and they extend over the Valleys Line beyond the Bute Street bridge. However, I hadn't realised there was a rigidly defined frontier between NR and TfW. Banging and heads springs to mind. I do hope the OLE will get to Queen Street and Bute Road at the very least. So much for the green credentials of HMG.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[woodenhead]

2 hours ago, Philou said:

^ Those are the gantries to which I refered and they extend over the Valleys Line beyond the Bute Street bridge. However, I hadn't realised there was a rigidly defined frontier between NR and TfW. Banging and heads springs to mind. I do hope the OLE will get to Queen Street and Bute Road at the very least. So much for the green credentials of HMG.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

It's easy to blame TfW but the reality is that the UK central Goverment c0cked up the GWML electrification massively, just as it c0cked up the north west electrification and latterly HS2.  Doing grand political gestures, promising so much then finding it can no longer afford things, or simply seeing the project so poorly managed that costs spiral out of control lays firmly at the door of Westminster.  Westminster needs to be wiring down to Plymouth or even Penzance plus to Swansea but it isn't in a position to do so now, even with a wave of funds from the apparent savings of cancelling the 2 and 2a elements of HS2 it didn't take the opportunity to fix the GWML, no it spent the money on roads in the South East instead leaving Wales with a mess that it probably wants the Welsh assembly to pick up but it's not actually it's job in this case.