It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:02 am


South Wales Mainline Electrification

if it's about Cardiff.. Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business, Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking, Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc.. then we want it here!
  • Author
  • Message
Offline
User avatar

Msmurf

  • Posts: 290
  • Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:21 am

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostWed Jul 25, 2018 2:19 am

In my opinion - as a project construction manager - it is because they try and do it themselves. Old style. What they should do is appoint a specialist Project Manager - someone like Bechtel - to take overall control - and split the work into manageable packages and go to competetive tender - to companies like amey - to do the construction. It is not rocket science - but network rail still working to Stephensons Rocket...
Build it and they will come.
Get it wrong and they will fall off.
Offline

Simon__200

  • Posts: 301
  • Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:07 pm

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostWed Jul 25, 2018 7:41 am

Nit dure what you mean by the "they do it themselves. Old style". The works is contracted and sub-contracted to buggery, and this is possibly more likely part of the problem. There was nothing really wrong with "Old style" where things actually got done, and costs didn't spiral. These days it's like whenever anything is related to rail, there's a few extra zeros on the cost.
Offline

HalRobsonKanu

  • Posts: 95
  • Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2016 2:22 pm

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostWed Jul 25, 2018 9:21 am

Quite right. In fact that South Wales mainline work is being undertaken by Balfour Beatty. Elsewhere electrification work is being undertaken by (value for money specialists) Carrillion.
Offline
User avatar

Msmurf

  • Posts: 290
  • Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:21 am

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostWed Jul 25, 2018 6:09 pm

But the overall project management is done by the grey men...
Build it and they will come.
Get it wrong and they will fall off.
Offline

Frank

  • Posts: 349
  • Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:54 pm

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 12:37 pm

All very quiet on this front. Shouldn't it be pretty much complete now? Looking at the travel times to Paddington they do seem to have gone down (although generally with fewer stops) there are more trains going and apparently there'll be a new timetable. Is the demand there to fill the trains though? And at £100 is it worth it if you can get a £10 bus in 3 1/2 hours?

Relatively few now stopping at Didcot so the change to Oxford isn't quite so good.
Offline

amp

  • Posts: 129
  • Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:50 am

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 12:42 pm

All done I saw a ticket for £45 return on the site for a journey time of 1 hr 47 mins.
Offline

Simon_SW17

  • Posts: 594
  • Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2014 4:07 pm

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 1:29 pm

The first electric train from Cardiff was Sunday morning, times are generally quicker now by up to 15 mins. There are also peak time trains which miss out Reading & Swindon (1 extra train per hour).

Just the Severn Tunnel remains diesel until March.
Offline

Frank

  • Posts: 349
  • Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:54 pm

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 4:25 pm

How much more expensive is a bi-mode engine?
Offline
User avatar

Msmurf

  • Posts: 290
  • Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2017 4:21 am

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 4:48 pm

Frank wrote:How much more expensive is a bi-mode engine?

Still need bi-mode to reach Swansea...
Build it and they will come.
Get it wrong and they will fall off.
Offline

amp

  • Posts: 129
  • Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2014 12:50 am

Re: South Wales Mainline Electrification

PostThu Jan 09, 2020 8:04 pm

I just want the rail assets transferred to wales, so that Cardiff gets fully electrified.
PreviousNext

Return to Cardiff Wales Map forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 31 guests