Electrification of train line...why?

[Morningside]

This is always being mentioned on the news as if its some holy grail of rail transport.

So why is the electrification of a line that important as its never been explained.

[Simpo Two]

Beats me too.

There seems to be a general desire on the part of Govt to spend money we don't have on things we neither need nor want. Olympics being another example. I can only think it looks good on their CVs.

[Dr Banjo]

Same here, I have never quite understood it.

The reasons touted are:-

Diesel is expensive

Electric is greener (yeah where is that juice coming from)

Electric trains are lighter so less maintenance

Electric trains are faster

I think the holy grail of high speed trains was delivered with the IC125. Fast, built in redundancy, no need to wait for overhead fking cables to be fixed etc etc

just $0.02




Almost forgot.. rant on.

Travelling from Bham to london on one of those Pendolino things. Bloody cramped and claustrophobic. Got on 125 at Paddington... large carriage absolute bliss. Fast and comfortable to Bath.

Edited by Dr Banjo on Monday 16th July 09:30

[Yertis]

Dr Banjo said:

Same here, I have never quite understood it.

The reasons touted are:-

Diesel is expensive

Electric is greener (yeah where is that juice coming from)

Electric trains are lighter so less maintenance

Electric trains are faster

I think the holy grail of high speed trains was delivered with the IC125. Fast, built in redundancy, no need to wait for overhead fking cables to be fixed etc etc

just $0.02




Almost forgot.. rant on.

Travelling from Bham to london on one of those Pendolino things. Bloody cramped and claustrophobic. Got on 125 at Paddington... large carriage absolute bliss. Fast and comfortable to Bath.

Edited by Dr Banjo on Monday 16th July 09:30

But HS 125 carriages are far more cramped now than they used to be. I hate them now, and drive everywhere I used to get trains to (ie London).

[eccles]

The overhead lines seem to be quite 'fragile' and almost daily on travel reports you hear of delays due to problems with the overhead lines.

[Apache]

Dr Banjo said:

Same here, I have never quite understood it.

The reasons touted are:-

Diesel is expensive

Electric is greener (yeah where is that juice coming from)

Electric trains are lighter so less maintenance

Electric trains are faster

I think the holy grail of high speed trains was delivered with the IC125. Fast, built in redundancy, no need to wait for overhead fking cables to be fixed etc etc

just $0.02




Almost forgot.. rant on.

Travelling from Bham to london on one of those Pendolino things. Bloody cramped and claustrophobic. Got on 125 at Paddington... large carriage absolute bliss. Fast and comfortable to Bath.

Edited by Dr Banjo on Monday 16th July 09:30

with regard to the lighter bit, that's actually a disadvantage due to reduced traction and the inability for the lighter stuff to deal with leaf mulch. Don't see how it reduces maintenance though

[Use Psychology]

refitted 125 carriages are tiny,

try getting on a Deutsche Bahn ICE (inter city express) train. The first time I did I spent ages trying to find 2nd class only to realise I'd been in it all along. they have space for actual sized people to sit comfortably.

[Dr Banjo]

Apache said:

with regard to the lighter bit, that's actually a disadvantage due to reduced traction and the inability for the lighter stuff to deal with leaf mulch. Don't see how it reduces maintenance though

I think its in relation to the perceived less stress on the rails.

[Apache]

Use Psychology said:

refitted 125 carriages are tiny,

try getting on a Deutsche Bahn ICE (inter city express) train. The first time I did I spent ages trying to find 2nd class only to realise I'd been in it all along. they have space for actual sized people to sit comfortably.

The Swiss/german/Dutch double deck ones are so comfortable it makes our stuff look piss poor. The Pendalino, Meridian and Voyagers all seem cramped because their profile has been contoured to allow them to tilt without hitting things....the fact that the Meridian and Voyager have the profile but never tilted was simply down to tooling costs.....I think the Super Voyagers have had the tilt systems inhibited now too

[Robin Hood]

It's to shorten journey times

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Success-campaign...

[Shar2]

DPM Cleggy was on the radio this morning stating that it was the greener, cleaner way to go, good for the environment and will reduce the number of cars on the road, blah! blah! blah!

[Use Psychology]

all good things right?

[daz3210]

Simpo Two said:

Beats me too.

There seems to be a general desire on the part of Govt to spend money we don't have on things we neither need nor want. Olympics being another example. I can only think it looks good on their CVs.

But was the Olympics not something inherited by this government when they came to power?

[paulrockliffe]

R4 said it would be cheaper, but would be paid for by price rises. WTF.

[Dr Banjo]

The IC125's are being replaced by the dual mode Hitachi Super Express, capable of 140mph.

WTF, are we not capable of building our own fking HST's. Drives me insane.

[daz3210]

Dr Banjo said:

The IC125's are being replaced by the dual mode Hitachi Super Express, capable of 140mph.

WTF, are we not capable of building our own fking HST's. Drives me insane.

We possibly are, but price is likely to be the issue.

[Simpo Two]

daz3210 said:

But was the Olympics not something inherited by this government when they came to power?

Indeed, I mean 'government' in general.

On the subject of coaches, either I have grown 12" or underground trains are smaller than they used to be - can barely stand up in them. I hear this is for 'air-conditioning' - yet when I was scrumming my way along the central line last weekend in a metal tube bursting to the seams with sweaty humanity it was like the black hole of Calcutta.

[Podie]

Simpo Two said:

daz3210 said:

But was the Olympics not something inherited by this government when they came to power?

Indeed, I mean 'government' in general.

On the subject of coaches, either I have grown 12" or underground trains are smaller than they used to be - can barely stand up in them. I hear this is for 'air-conditioning' - yet when I was scrumming my way along the central line last weekend in a metal tube bursting to the seams with sweaty humanity it was like the black hole of Calcutta.

Not all trains are air conditioned.

Trains are subject to regulation changes - in much the same way cars are. The loading gauge can't change, so the passenger compartment gets smaller to meet new standards.

A previous poster commented the Pendo felt claustrophobic. IIRC it has one of the best rollover protection structures.

[Podie]

daz3210 said:

Dr Banjo said:

The IC125's are being replaced by the dual mode Hitachi Super Express, capable of 140mph.

WTF, are we not capable of building our own fking HST's. Drives me insane.

We possibly are, but price is likely to be the issue.

Unlike many other places, we see fit to send our money abroad.

[Simpo Two]

Podie said:

Trains are subject to regulation changes - in much the same way cars are. The loading gauge can't change, so the passenger compartment gets smaller to meet new standards.

Terrific. I would make 'the regulators' swap their first class/chaffeur driven travel for the Central Line on Saturday evening and see how they enjoy the fruits of their meetings.

I can't begin to imagine what it will be like then the Olympics are on. Absolute bloody hell probably.