Britain Rail Electrification 2009

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Britains Transport Inrastructure

Rail Electrifcation

July 2009


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Britains Transport Inrastructure

Rail Electrifcation

July 2009


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Contents

3

Foreword 4

1 The case or electrifcation 6

2 Britains electrifed railway today 12

3 The Great Western Main Line 17

4 Liverpool Manchester 22

5 Implementation 25

6 Next steps 27


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Britains Transport Inrastructure Rail Electrifcation

Foreword

A modern railway system is vital to preparing Britain or the uture.1.The Government has decided to embark on a major 1.1bn programme

o rail electriication as an integral part o its rail modernisation

1

and carbonreduction2 strategies. Work will begin immediately on the electriication othe Great Western Main Line between London, Reading, Oxord, Newbury,Bristol, Cardi and Swansea, to be completed within eight years. In parallel,planning will begin immediately or the electriication o the line betweenLiverpool and Manchester, to be completed within our years.

The Great Western Main Line is the longest non-electriied intercity route in2.Britain, o vital national strategic importance to both England and Wales. Italso includes heavily used commuter lines into London. Electriication willenable the introduction o a predominantly electric high-speed train leet.

These trains will oer aster journey times, more seats, greater reliability,improved air quality and lower carbon emissions than their dieselequivalents, as well as being cheaper to buy, operate and maintain.

The electriication o the line rom Liverpool to Manchester will allow the3.introduction o a ast electric service with a journey time o around 30minutes, compared to a astest journey time o around 45 minutes today.It will also enable operation o electric train services rom Manchester Airportand Manchester Piccadilly to Glasgow and Edinburgh along the West CoastMain Line. As on Great Western, electriication will enable the introductiono modern electric trains which provide a better service or passengers thanthe more expensive diesel trains which would otherwise be needed toincrease capacity on these key routes.

The Great Western electriication project will complement the 16bn4.construction o Crossrail, which will extend electric train services rom Essexand the new east-west tunnel through central London to Slough, Heathrowand Maidenhead on the Great Western Main Line by 2017. Withelectriication now to be extended to Reading, it would be possible orCrossrail to operate to Reading, rather than Maidenhead, rom the outset,and this option will now be considered by the Government and Transport

1 Delivering a Sustainable Railway, July 2007, Department or Transport

http://www.dt.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/whitepapercm7176/hitepapersustainablerailway1.pd

2 Low Carbon Transport: A Greener Future, July 2009, Department or Transport

http://www.dt.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/carbonreduction/


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or London. It will also make it easier to improve rail access to Heathrowrom the West. Great Western electriication will be integrated with a wider

set o enhancements, including the 425m upgrade o Reading station, theinstallation o in-cab signalling equipment and the introduction o the newSuper Express train as the successor to the diesel-powered Intercity 125.

The Super Express train will now be predominantly electric powered on theLondon to Swansea line.

Further work is ongoing to assess the detailed costs and beneits o5.electriication on other routes. The rail industry recently published orconsultation its Network Route Utilisation Strategy: Electrification3.

The Government will careully consider the costs and beneits o widerelectriication, with particular reerence to the Midland Main Line between

London and Derby, Nottingham and Sheield, as well as the routesbetween Manchester and Preston, and Liverpool and Preston.

As with other rail investments, the cost o electriication will be unded by6.Network Rail and supported by the Government. Over the medium termthis 1.1bn investment in electriication will be sel-inancing, paying or itselthrough lower train maintenance, leasing and operating costs. This meansthat this investment can take place without reducing already plannedinrastructure enhancement work.

This electriication programme radically aects the requirements or train7. rolling stock over the next decade. In particular, there will be ar less needor diesel trains and a greater requirement or electric trains. TheGovernment will publish a new rolling stock plan in the autumn, takingaccount o these changed circumstances.

Rt. Hon. Andrew Adonis

Secretary o State or TransportJuly 2009

3 Network RUS: Electriication Strategy (Drat or Consultation), May 2009, Network Rail

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/

Foreword by the Secretary o State or Transport


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The case or electrifcation1

A railway or the 21st century

The technology powering Britains railways has changed signiicantly since8.the irst public railway the horse-drawn Surrey Iron Railway opened in1803. Coal-ired steam trains dominated or more than a century beorebeing overtaken by diesel and electric trains. We now have a network wherearound 60% o passenger journeys4 are made on electric trains.

The last major electriication on the existing network was that o the East9.Coast Main Line in the late 1980s. While urther routes were considered atthe time, investment was constrained and other projects were consideredto be a higher priority.

Rail privatisation in the 1990s wrought major upheaval in the industry, and10.the Hatield accident in 2000 highlighted signiicant under-investment inbasic inrastructure. For most o this decade our railways have ocused onmaking good this backlog and improving the punctuality and reliability opassenger services, backed by huge Government investment (now 4bn ayear, up rom 2bn in 1997). As a result, perormance has reached recordlevels. We now have a national rail network carrying more passengers thanat any time since 1946. Inrastructure modernisation is also advancing, withthe completion o major projects including the West Coast Main Lineupgrade and High Speed One.

4 Measured by passenger miles.


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The case or electrifcation

Figure 1: National rail passenger journeys and miles, and domestic UK

goods moved by rail (19552007/08)

200

0

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

Passenger miles

Passenger journeys

Index(1955=100)

40

0

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

billiontonnekilometres

195

5

195

9

196

3

196

7

197

1

197

5

197

9

198

3

1987/8

8

1991/9

2

1995/9

6

1999/0

0

2003/0

4

2007/0

8

1955

1959

1963

1967

1971

1975

1979

1983

1987

1991

1995

1999

2003

2007

Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain 2008.

The Government is committed to a urther programme o modernisation11.and investment, to meet projected increases in demand, to promote a shitto rail rom other modes o transport, and to give Britain world-classinrastructure. The 5.5bn Thameslink project will provide extra capacityand new services to and through London rom Bedordshire, Hertordshire,

Surrey and Sussex. Work has also started on Crossrail, a 16bn project ora new east-west link across London, including a new underground tunnel,which will relieve congestion on the national railway and on the LondonUnderground. And in January 2009 the Government commissioned HighSpeed Two to evaluate the case or an entirely new high-speed line romLondon to Scotland, starting with route planning rom London to the WestMidlands, which is by ar the most capacity-constrained section o the WestCoast Main Line.

Electriication has a central role to play in the next phase o rail12.modernisation. Electric trains have a number o signiicant advantages overdiesel-powered trains. They have ar lower running costs, ar lower carbonemissions and oer better environmental perormance; they can alsoincrease capacity and reliability, and provide a better passenger experience.

Cutting costsElectric trains are over 35% cheaper to operate than diesels.13. 5 They requireless maintenance and have considerably lower energy costs since electricityis a signiicantly cheaper uel than diesel. They are lighter and so do lessdamage to the track. Although there are additional costs involved inmaintaining electriication inrastructure, these are signiicantly outweighedby the train operating cost savings.

5 Network RUS: Electriication Strategy (Drat or Consultation), May 2009, Network Rail

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/.


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Electric trains are generally cheaper to buy than diesel trains, relected in14.lease costs which are typically around 20% lower. This relative advantage is

set to increase: engines or diesel trains are likely to become moreexpensive ollowing the introduction o stricter EU emissions standards rom2012. The engines required by these standards are likely to be heavier,larger and more complicated as a result o the emissions control technologyrequired.

Reducing environmental impactsRail electriication is an important part o the Departments carbon strategy.15.Electric trains generally perorm better than equivalent diesel vehicles evenon the basis o the current electricity generation mix. Typically an electric

train emits 2035% less carbon per passenger mile than a diesel train. Thisadvantage will increase over time as our power generation mix becomesless carbon intensive. Figure 2 compares the relative carbon perormance odierent modes o transport, assuming average load actors.6

Figure 2: Carbon emissions by transport mode

Plane: London Manchester

Private car

Single deck bus

Diesel train (Meridian)

Diesel train (HST)

Electric train (Pendolino)

grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre

0 30025020010050 150

The roll-out o regenerative braking enables many electric trains to re-use16.the energy that would otherwise have been lost when braking, byconverting the energy o motion back into electricity. Electric trains havezero emissions at the point o use, which is o particular beneit or airquality in pollution hot-spots such as city centres and mainline stations.

Electriication reduces rails reliance on imported diesel uel. Electric trainsare quieter than diesel trains, and virtually silent when waiting at stations.

6 Traction Energy Metrics by Pro Roger Kemp, 2007, RSSB

www.rssb.co.uk/pd/reports/research/T618_traction-energy-metrics_inal.pd
http://www.rssb.co.uk/pdf/reports/research/T618_traction-energy-metrics_final.pdfhttp://www.rssb.co.uk/pdf/reports/research/T618_traction-energy-metrics_final.pdf


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Increasing capacity

The past decade has seen sustained growth in rail travel. So an ongoing17. challenge or the railway is to ind cost-eective ways o providing morecapacity. Electric trains can provide additional carrying capacity comparedto a diesel train o the same overall length. Diesel high-speed trains areunable to carry many people in the power cars at either end o the trainbecause o the space taken up by the diesel engines. This is not the caseor electric trains.

Improving reliabilityExperience rom around the world shows that a well designed, constructed18.

and maintained electric railway will be more reliable than a diesel railway.This is because the higher reliability o electric trains more than osets anyailures rom the additional electriication inrastructure. Industry igures (see

Table 1) demonstrate that electric trains have a signiicant advantage overdiesels in terms o how ar they travel beore a technical problem delays thetrain. An electric intercity train will travel more than 40% urther than anequivalent diesel train beore such a ailure, and an electric commuter trainwill travel well over twice as ar. This relects the act that electric trains areinherently simpler with ewer moving parts to go wrong.7

Table 1: Reliability o diesel and electric intercity and commuter trains,expressed as the average distance (miles) between ailures which delaythe train by at least 5 minutes.7

Diesel Electric Improvement actor

Intercity trains 11,800 16,571 1.4

Commuter/regional

trains12,880 30,209 2.3

The passenger experienceFrom a passenger perspective, electric trains oer improved comort19.through reduced cabin noise and vibration. Although modern diesel multipleunits are better in this respect than older designs, there is still a signiicantdierence. Under-loor diesel engines can need high loors which result in acramped passenger cabin.

Electric trains can oer a higher power to weight ratio than diesels, resulting20.in better acceleration and reduced journey times.

7 NFRIP Period 9 2008/09 report.


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The way orward

For all these reasons, the Government has decided to pursue a major21. programme o rail electriication.

Inevitably electriication makes most sense on busier routes where the cost22.o installing new inrastructure can be oset by large ongoing savings romrunning electric trains. Network Rails drat Network Route UtilisationStrategy: Electrification was published in May 2009. We have careullystudied Network Rails proposals, alongside our own detailed analysis. It isthis work which has led us to prioritise two routes Liverpool to Manchesterand the Great Western Main Line.

Electriication o a key Liverpool to Manchester route will signiicantly reduce23.operating costs, cut journey times between the two cities and allow theoperation o electric trains rom Manchester to Scotland. It will also provide adiversionary route or electric trains on the West Coast Main Line to and romLiverpool and Manchester, reducing disruption and increasing serviceresilience. Electric train services will be able to operate within our years.

The case or electriying the Great Western Main Line is ounded not only24.on inancial eiciencies rom running electric trains, but also the potentialto integrate electriication with other important projects already planned.

The north-south London Thameslink project relies on the purchase o newelectric rolling stock with uniorm operating characteristics to enable 24trains per hour to pass in rapid succession through the central Londonsection. A large pool o good-quality existing electric rolling stock willthereore become surplus by 2016. Fully modernised, some o theseelectric commuter trains can be cost-eectively deployed on commuterservices on an electriied Great Western Main Line, as well as on servicesbetween Liverpool and Manchester once that route has been electriied,rather than standing idle. The Super Express Programme, which isalready underway, will provide the necessary new electric trains orintercity services.

In addition to these rolling stock considerations, important inrastructure25.works are scheduled on the Great Western Main Line itsel. Crossrail willprovide electriication rom London to Maidenhead. Network Rail is currentlyplanning a number o signalling renewal projects, linked to the plan to installin-cab signalling (the European Rail Traic Management System) on theroute. And the 425m Reading Station Area Redevelopment Project isdesigned to provide additional train capacity to enable better trainperormance and a reduction in delays.

Taking all o these actors into account, our analysis shows that electriying26.

to Oxord, Newbury, Bristol, Cardi and Swansea will deliver high value ormoney. Detailed planning will start straight away. Early works can take placebetween 2012 and 2014, with the bulk o the construction between 2014


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and 2016. Subject to detailed planning work, electric services will beintroduced progressively: London to Oxord, Newbury and Bristol by the

end o 2016, and London to Swansea by the end o 2017.

This electriication programme radically aects the requirements or rolling27.stock over the next decade. There will be ar less need or diesel trains anda greater requirement or electric trains. In particular, the previously-plannedprocurement by the Government o new diesel trains has now beensuperseded. We will accordingly publish a new rolling stock plan in theautumn, taking account o the changed circumstances.


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Britains electrifed railway2today

The European context

Britain signiicantly under-invested in rail electriication in the post-war28.decades. Figure 3 shows the total length o the electriied rail network orEuropean countries. Great Britain currently lies in seventh place, ar behindGermany, France, Poland and Italy. Moreover, as a proportion o the totalnetwork, the electriied network in Britain is ar smaller than that o mostEuropean countries, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 3: Length o the electriied rail network (route km) or variousEuropean countries

GermanyFrancePoland

ItalySpain

SwedenGreat Britain

RomaniaSwizerland

Czech RepublicBelgiumBulgariaHungaryFinlandNorway

NetherlandsSlovakiaPortugal

Serbia-MontenegroCroatia

Bosnia-HerzegovinaDenmarkSlovenia

Latvia

LuxembourgMacedonia

EstoniaLithuania

GreeceRepublic of Ireland

Albania

0 20,00015,00010,0005000

Length of Electrified Network (km)

Source: UIC.


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Britains electrifed railway today

Figure 4: Rail electriication in Europe in 2005 showing percentage o

network (by route km) which is electriied

Germany

France

Poland

Italy

Spain

Sweden

Great Britain

Swizerland

Czech Republic

Belgium

Bulgaria

Hungary

Norway

Netherlands

Slovakia

Portugal

Serbia-Montenegro

Croatia

Bosnia-Herzegovina

RomaniaSlovenia

Latvia

Luxembourg

Macedonia

EstoniaLithuania

GreeceRepublic of Ireland

Albania

0 100806040

l i i

Denmark

Finland

20

Source: UIC.

Existing GB rail electriicationApproximately 33% o the British rail network is currently electriied. O this,29.two thirds is equipped with overhead line electriication, while the remainderis mainly third rail electriication. Figure 5 illustrates the extent o theelectriied network.

The West Coast Main Line, East Coast Main Line, Great Eastern Main Line30.and part o the Midland Main Line are electriied with an overhead linesystem. Overhead line electriication is also provided on much o theLondon suburban network north o the River Thames, and on parts o thesuburban networks o Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. The

route rom Newcastle to Sunderland is electriied or Tyne and Wear metrotrains, which share the route. Third rail electriication operates on Londonsuburban routes south o the River Thames and on routes between Londonand the south coast, as well as between Euston and Watord, on parts othe North London Line and on the Merseyrail suburban network.


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Figure 5: Existing electriication on Britains railways

Key

Existing electrified network

Third rail

Overhead Line

Thurso

Wick

Inverness

Kyle of

Lochalsh

AberdeenMallaig

Fort

William

DundeeObanPerth

Stirling

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Berwick Upon TweedCarstairs

Kilmarnock

Ayr

NewcastleStranraer

SunderlandCarlisle

Workington

MiddlesbroughWhitehaven

Windermere

Barrow

Morcambe Lancaster

York

Blackpool Bradford LeedsHull

Preston

DoncasterLiverpool Manchester

HolyheadSheffield

Chester

Crewe

Derby Nottingham

Shrewsbury Norwich

L eicester Peterborough

Birmingham

Coventry

Cambridge

Worcester

FelixstoweColchester

Fishguard Harbour Ipswich

Swansea

Swindon

LONDON

SouthendCardiff

Reading

Bristol Ramsgate

Ashford

Salisbury

Southampton

Hastings

BrightonExeter

Plymouth

Penzance

Source: Network Rail.


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Britains electrifed railway today

These existing electriied lines serve many o the busiest parts o the31.network and consequently carry a greater density o traic than the

non-electriied parts o the network.

In the period up to 2014, Network Rail is unded to deliver electriication32.rom Barnt Green to Bromsgrove in the West Midlands. The Governmenthas announced that the Great Western Main Line between Airport Junction(near Heathrow Airport) and Maidenhead will be electriied as part o theCrossrail project.

There are also plans or urther electriication in Scotland. But with certain33.exceptions, such as saety, rail strategy is a devolved matter in Scotland.

The geographical scope o this document is thereore primarily limited to

England and Wales, recognising the implications o urther rail electriicationor cross-border services to Scotland.

Historic electriicationThe British Transport Commissions seminal 1955 report34. Modernisation andRe-Equipment of British Railways recognised the beneits o electriication,stating: In many ways electricity is the ideal, since it meets the

requirements of reliability, good acceleration, cleanliness and (where trafficis sufficiently heavy) economy in operation.As or the costs oelectriication, it went on to say that: It is not so much a question ofwhether the nation can afford to undertake the new investment in its railway

system here proposed, as whether it can afford not to do so and therebycontinue to carry the economic burden of a public transport system that

lags far behind the standard of efficiency technically possible.

This ollowed the successul electriication o the Southern Railways35.commuter routes into London in the 1930s. However, only partialelectriication, even o the intercity network, took place thereater(see Figure 6). The routes rom London to East Anglia were electriiedprogressively rom the 1950s, the West Coast Main Line rom London

Euston to Glasgow in the 1960s and 1970s, the southern section o theMidland Main Line rom London St Pancras to Bedord in the early 1980s,and the East Coast Main Line rom London Kings Cross to Edinburgh in thelate 1980s. But the majority o the network, including busy intercity routessuch as the Great Western Main Line and the Midland Main Line north oBedord to Sheield, was neglected.


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Figure 6: Number o single track km o electriication delivered in each

year since 1947

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

SingleTrackKm

Installation Year

GB Electrification Activity 1947 2008


For the past 15 years, making good the eects o privatisation and clearing36.the backlog o essential inrastructure work have been the priorities orinvestment. Now that the essential network inrastructure is in airly goodshape, the Government and Network Rail are addressing the imperative orurther electriication. Detailed joint analysis has been underway since theestablishment o the National Networks Strategy Group by DT last October.

The completion o the irst stage o this work has led the Government toconclude that the Great Western Main Line and the Liverpool to Manchesterline should be electriied immediately.


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The Great Western Main Line

The Great Western Main Line3

The backbone o the Great Western Main Line is Brunels historic route rom37.London through Reading and Swindon to Bristol, most o it now equipped

or high-speed running, and the South Wales main line through the SevernTunnel and on to Newport, Cardi and Swansea. These routes provide astintercity links between the English and Welsh capital cities and the West oEngland regional capital.

The line has seen signiicant increases in passenger demand, with the38.Thames Valley and Greater Bristol both being key growth areas. Between2000 and 2006 there was 20% growth in passenger numbers between theBristol urban area and London. The 2007 White Paper anticipatedsigniicant growth continuing on the route.

The electriied routeElectriication will bring important beneits or people making both long and39.short journeys. From 2016, commuters travelling between London, Slough,Reading, Newbury, Didcot, Oxord, and Swindon and intermediate stationswill beneit rom the reliability and comort o electric trains. Figure 7 showsthe route proposed or electriication.

Figure 7: The Great Western Main Line between London and Swansea,showing the planned electrifed route

Swansea

Swindon

Oxford

Bristol

ReadingCardiff

NewburyBath

NewportSlough

LONDONDidcot

Maidenhead

Key

Already electrified AC

Already electrified DC

Great Western Main Line electrification proposal

Electrification provided by Crossrail



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Intercity services

The replacement o a whole leet o trains operating over a route creates an40. opportunity to reconsider the power source or those trains. Rolling stockleets tend to last 30 to 40 years, so the replacement o the Intercity 125High Speed Train (HST) leet over the next decade creates a once in ageneration opportunity to electriy the route at the same time as replacingits rolling stock. The Government has decided to seize the opportunity tobring together the planning or the replacement o the HST leet with aprogramme o electriication, rather than embarking on a sub-optimalreplacement o the HST with another diesel-only leet.

The proposed leet or an electriied Great Western Main Line to Swansea41.

will include a proportion o bi-mode trains, so that destinations includingWorcester, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Carmarthen and the South Westbeyond Bristol continue to enjoy through trains while also gaining thebeneits o electriication. These bi-mode trains have a diesel generatorvehicle at one end and an electric transormer vehicle at the other end. Thisallows bi-mode trains to operate o the wires to maintain through servicesand provide diversionary services. They may also assist during the latterpart o the construction period by allowing some new trains to be used asthey are introduced but beore the electriication programme reachesSwansea. Table 2 sets out some potential journey time savings rom usingSuper Express trains compared to the existing HST leet.

Table 2: Anticipated journey time savings ollowing theintroduction o Super Express trains, compared toexisting Intercity 125 High Speed Train (HST) services

Estimated journey time saving to/rom London with Super Express trains

(minutes)

Reading 4

Oxord 6

Swindon 8

Bristol 12

Cardi 15

Swansea 19

In addition to the journey time savings, it is expected that the introduction o42.Super Express trains will provide at least 15% extra capacity on intercityservices during the morning peak hour, and much more extra capacityacross the day and during the evening peak.


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Suburban services in the Thames Valley

Electriication will enable the current suburban services into London43. Paddington to be operated by electric trains instead o diesel trains.

The Thameslink Project is a major investment in additional capacity linking44.areas to the north and south o London. In order to operate a high-requency service o 24 trains per hour in the peak period, a new leet oaround 1,200 vehicles is being procured. These new trains will replace theexisting electric trains on the current Thameslink routes rom 2013 to 2015.

It will then be possible to transer the current Thameslink our-carriage45.electric trains onto the Great Western Main Line, replacing the current

three-carriage diesel trains. These 100 mph vehicles will be completelymodernised, including the installation o air-conditioning, and will oerquieter journeys and additional capacity. It is planned that suburbanservices between Oxord, Reading and London will be operated withsuch vehicles rom the end o 2016.

From 2017, inner suburban services currently running into and out o46.London Paddington will operate through the new Crossrail tunnel to centralLondon and destinations to the East o London. The Crossrail project will beprocuring new rolling stock or these services. Outer suburban services willcontinue to operate to London Paddington.

Existing modern diesel trains that operate the suburban services into47.London Paddington can then be transerred to provide additional capacityon services in the Bristol area and the South West as well as releasingvehicles that can then be deployed to deliver additional capacity in keyNorthern cities.

FreightRail reight operators will be able to take the opportunity to lower costs by48.

using electric locomotives to haul reight trains on the Great Western MainLine where possible.

CrossrailThe 16bn Crossrail project involves the construction o a new, cross-49.London railway connecting Heathrow Airport, the West End, the City andCanary Whar to areas east and west o the capital. Crossrail will oerhigh-requency, convenient and accessible services, with up to 24 trains perhour in the peak period over the core section. It will replace some o thecurrent suburban services into London Paddington as well as some o the

existing suburban services into London Liverpool Street. A leet o around600 new electric vehicles will be procured to operate these services.


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The project involves electriying the Great Western Main Line rom Airport50.Junction (near Heathrow Airport) to Maidenhead. Close co-ordination

between the electriication teams and the Crossrail project teams will benecessary to ensure dovetailing with the wider programme o electriicationon the Great Western Main Line. This co-ordination could lead to savingsin procurement costs and reductions in overall disruption o the railway.

The potential savings will be discussed in detail with Transport or London,as co-Sponsor o the Crossrail project, and with Crossrail Limited.

Electriication west o Maidenhead also makes it possible to extend51.Crossrail services through to Reading. This could bring signiicant beneits,giving Reading and the wider Thames Valley direct rail access to Londonand the City, while also creating extra capacity in the existing Paddington

terminus or longer distance services. The costs and beneits o this optionwill be considered by the Government and its project partners in Crossrail.

Rail access to Heathrow AirportHeathrow Airport already beneits rom an electriied railway link to London,52.but passengers rom the West are required to change trains or use coachlinks in order to access the airport. A recent study commissioned by localauthorities in the Thames Valley identiied a potential case or direct railaccess to the airport rom the West, particularly rom Slough, Maidenheadand Reading.

One o the constraints identiied by the study was the lack o electriication53.o the Great Western Main Line to support services rom Heathrow whichmust be electrically operated to use the railway beneath the airport. Thecommitment now being made to electriication will have a positive impacton the case or Western rail access to Heathrow, and we look orward tothe local authorities and BAA taking this into account in their urtherassessments o airport surace access requirements.

Reading Station Area Redevelopment ProjectThe growth in rail traic on the Great Western Main Line has meant that,54.operationally, Reading station has become a serious bottleneck. Trainsrequently come to a standstill, waiting beore they can enter the station,causing delays to passengers. The Reading Station Area RedevelopmentProject is designed to provide additional train capacity or the GreatWestern Main Line and other routes converging on Reading. Theseimprovements eectively a doubling in train capacity will also enablebetter train perormance and a reduction in delays.

The project is due to be completed in 2015. Early work has already made55.

passive provision or electriication, with preliminary designs includinglocations or overhead line equipment and masts. Work will now be


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undertaken to explore urther synergies in order to minimise disruption topassengers and keep down overall costs.

WalesThe Government and Network Rail will work closely with the Welsh Assembly56.Government so that plans or electriication o the Great Western Main Lineare co-ordinated with the Welsh Assembly Governments own rail plans.

Super Express ProgrammeThe Super Express Programme was launched in 2005 to examine how the57.current Intercity 125 High-Speed Trains (HSTs), introduced by British Rail

between 1976 and 1982, could be replaced. In 2006 and 2007, the railindustry, co-ordinated by the Department or Transport, developed aspeciication and a deployment strategy or the new trains, which led to theannouncement o Agility Trains as preerred bidder earlier this year.

In developing the deployment plan, lexibility o power source was a major58.objective. The Super Express train can operate as a diesel train (selpowered), an electric train or a combination o both (bi-mode).

The deployment plan or Great Western did not assume any electriication59.and so was based on using diesel Super Express trains. As these trains

have a 30-year lie-span, this would have meant the continued use odiesel-only trains on Great Western or the next generation. Electriication othe Great Western Main Line will now enable the Super Expressprocurement process to ocus on electric and bi-mode options or GreatWestern. The contract with Agility Trains will be conditional upon theirdelivery o signiicant savings and expected capacity increases rom thedeployment o electric and bi-mode trains.

Deployment o electric and bi-mode Super Express trains will dramatically60.reduce the environmental impact o diesel operations within Paddington

station and at other major covered stations like Bristol Temple Meads.

Re-signallingNetwork Rail is currently planning to re-signal sections o the Great Western61.Main Line linked to the plan to install in-cab signalling, the European Rail

Traic Management System, on the route. This will provide immunisedsignalling which does not suer intererence rom overhead line equipment,and is thereore an essential prerequisite to electriication. The Departmentanticipates that careul co-ordination o the re-signalling work with theelectriication work will minimise any disruption and keep overall costs down.


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Liverpool Manchester4

The route to be electriied is one o three between Liverpool and62.Manchester. It was the irst railway in Britain built with passengers as well

as reight traic explicitly in mind rom its inception, and was the sceneo early pioneering engineering achievements. George Stephenson metthe challenge o building a stable route over Chat Moss, and his steamlocomotive Rocket triumphed in the Rainhill trials o 1829.

The double-track route, 32 miles long, runs rom Liverpool Lime Street63.station to Manchester Victoria station via Huyton and Newton-le-Willows.Four miles o the route, Lime Street to Bootle Branch junction, andbetween Earlestown East and Newton-le-Willows junctions, is alreadyelectriied. The route currently has a maximum permitted speed o 75 mph.

The case or electriicationSigniicant investment on the route is already planned. The maximum line64.speed will be raised to 90 mph, to achieve a target journey time betweenLiverpool and Manchester o 30 minutes (compared with 44 minutestoday). Signalling renewals are planned in the Huyton and St HelensJunction areas.

Electriication will unlock urther major beneits, both or intercity and or65.regional services. In particular, it will enable the Government and the rail

industry to make the best use o electric rolling stock.


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Liverpool Manchester

Figure 8: The Liverpool Manchester route, showing the planned

electriication

MANCHESTERVictoria

Earlestown LIVERPOOL Piccadilly

Key

Already electrified AC

Already electrified DC

Liverpool to Manchester electrification proposal


Services between Manchester and Scotland

The existing TransPennine Express services between Manchester Airport66. and Glasgow/Edinburgh are operated by diesel trains, running under theoverhead wires or more than 85% o their journey. Completion o the irstphase o electriication, between Manchester and Newton-le-Willows, willallow through-train electric operation between Manchester and Scotland viathe West Coast main line. This new service will use modern, air-conditionedtrains which are currently used on West Coast Main Line services romLondon Euston. These high-powered, our-carriage electric multiple unitshave greater capacity than the existing trains, relieving crowding in keysections o the route.

Electriication will enable diesel trains to be transerred onto other67.TransPennine Express routes, delivering much-needed additional capacitywith many trains able to operate as six-carriage trains instead o three-carriage trains today.

Regional servicesCompletion o the second phase between Newton-le-Willows and Liverpool68.will provide a ully electriied route between Liverpool and Manchester.Like the Thames Valley suburban services on the Great Western Main Line,regional services will be operated rom 2013 by our-carriage electric trains

transerred rom the cross-London Thameslink route. These trains will becompletely modernised beore they are transerred, including the installationo air conditioning.


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As with the Manchester to Scotland services, these electric trains will69.provide a better service or passengers compared to the diesel rolling stock

which would otherwise have to be ordered to increase capacity and relieveovercrowding on this key regional route.

FreightElectriication o this route will oer electric haulage options or reight.70.

There will be an alternative route to Liverpool docks or electrically-operatedreight trains, and better opportunities o electriied access to the proposedreight terminal at Parkside near Newton-le-Willows.


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Implementation

Implementation5

Electriication necessarily involves engineering work on and near the railway.71.But it is important to minimise disruption to passengers and reight while

these works are carried out. Passenger Focus, the statutory body whichacts on behal o passengers, is well placed to ensure that the passengervoice is heard in the planning o major engineering works.

Network Rail has developed proposals or an electriication process to72.minimise disruption. These proposals involve construction techniqueswhich make extensive use o overnight closures o not more than eighthours. The application o modular techniques and the deployment orapid delivery systems to improve the rate o production will be o keyimportance. The proposed methodology is designed to operate within

normal rules o the route possessions. To achieve this it is expected thatconstruction techniques which are capable o working with the adjacentline open to traic will be required.

On the Great Western Main Line, or straightorward stretches o line73.between major junctions and complex stations Network Rails worksuggests the use o actory trains. This will enable standardisation as aras possible. The actory trains will be lexible units, capable o workingindividually or in combination, and as such, could play a useul on-goingrole in the eicient maintenance o the electriied network.

For the works necessary to provide clearances or overhead wires there74.may be some need or more extensive temporary closures or demolitionand erection o new structures. But even these can usually be planned tocoincide with other works. Close co-ordination with the electricity supplyindustry will be crucial to ensuring a mutual understanding o expectedelectrical demand and supply points.

FinancingThe capital cost o electriying the Great Western Main Line rom London75.to Swansea is estimated at around 1bn. It is estimated that electriying

the line rom Liverpool to Manchester will cost around 100m. As part oimplementing the proposals, Network Rail will be seeking the maximumeiciencies in the inrastructure work required.


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As with other rail investments, the cost o electriication will be unded by76.Network Rail and supported by the Government. Over the medium term

this 1.1bn investment in electriication will be sel-inancing, paying or itselthrough lower train maintenance, leasing and operating costs. This meansthat this investment can take place without reducing already plannedinrastructure enhancement work.


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Next steps

Next steps6

Detailed planning to take orward this electriication programme is now77.underway by Network Rail. It is expected that Liverpool Manchester

electriication will be carried out in two phases, to be completed within ouryears. On the Great Western Main Line, the programme will be co-ordinatedwith Crossrails electriication work to Maidenhead. As planning proceeds,Network Rail plans to start securing resources and ordering items oequipment which have long lead times (such as construction plant). It iscurrently expected that early works will take place between 2012 and 2014,with the bulk o the construction between 2014 and 2016. Electric serviceswill be introduced progressively: London to Oxord, Newbury and Bristol bythe end o 2016, and London to Swansea by the end o 2017.

Network Rail recently published or consultation its78.

Network RouteUtilisation Strategy: Electrification. This drat strategy was the result o workby a cross-industry working group. It concluded that there was a goodcase or electriication o a number o sections o the network.

Relecting its remit, the study did not consider in any detail several key79.issues which aect the implementation o any electriication programme.

These include the age o existing diesel rolling stock, the availability oelectric rolling stock, aordability and phasing o delivery.

Further detailed analysis is now ongoing on the other routes identiied by80.

Network Rail, and we are looking intensively at the costs and beneits oelectriying the Midland Main Line between London and Derby, Nottinghamand Sheield, as well as the routes between Manchester and Preston, andLiverpool and Preston, as shown in Figure 9. The Department will continueto work with stakeholders to review these schemes.


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Figure 9: Electriication on Britains railways

Bedford

Key

Existing electrified network: Third rail

Existing electrified network: Overhead Line

Already committed for electrification

Routes now planned for immediate electrification

Other routes under study

Thurso

Wick

Inverness

Kyle ofLochalsh

AberdeenMallaig

FortWilliam

DundeeObanPerth

Stirling

Glasgow

Edinburgh

Berwick Upon TweedCarstairs

Kilmarnock

Ayr

NewcastleStranraer

SunderlandCarlisle

Workington

MiddlesbroughWhitehaven

Windermere

Barrow

Morcambe Lancaster

York

Blackpool Bradford LeedsHullPreston

DoncasterLiverpool Manchester

HolyheadSheffield

Chester

Crewe

Derby Nottingham

Shrewsbury Norwich

Leices ter Peterborough

BirminghamCoventry

CambridgeWorcester

FelixstoweColchester

Fishguard Harbour Ipswich

Swansea

Swindon

LONDON

SouthendCardiff Reading

Bristol Ramsgate

Ashford

Salisbury

SouthamptonHastings

BrightonExeter

Plymouth

Penzance

Oxford

Newbury

Bolton



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Documents

Britain Rail Electrification 2009