Quote:
Originally Posted by windscar
Is it knowing yet if the Great Western Mail Line will be going with third rail or overhead line for power?
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I believe the aspiration will be for OHLE due to:
i) Crossrail will use OHLE for the first 60km stretch of the GWML to Reading from Paddington (Crossrail is planned to go as far under OHLE to Maidstone, but if the whole line is electrified - Crossrail will extend to Reading)
ii) Greater benefits of OHLE (regenerative breaking, etc...)
The Midland Main Line is already electrified by OHLE up to Bedford (due to the parallel Thameslink line - about a 1/4 of the southern MML route), so it also makes sense to use that system as well.
Interestingly 450m long automated factory trains will do the work of putting up the poles, wires and caternary support structures to allow for the line to remain open during the day. At present, 40% of the UK network is electrified - that should be boosted substantially towards the 50% as found in Germany and France. The hope is that this initial work will spur on further work to ensure that the majority of the network is connected to the National Grid - especially as the UK moves towards a renewable based economy.