ELECTRIFICATION
‘Whenever you introduce a new technology, there is a learning curve’
The Great Western electrification programme has faced early challenges, with the high output train system not hitting the hoped-for productivity levels straight away, and delays in getting standards locked down. RTM has heard from Saleem Mohammad, Network Rail Infrastructure Projects’ programme director for the National Electrification Programme; Western & Wales regional director Robbie Burns; and Simon Rhoden, head of electrification at Amey.
T
he first major commissioning date for Great Western electrification is September 2015,
between Reading and Didcot, because this section is functioning as a 16-mile test track for the Hitachi IEP trains.
Simon Rhoden, head of electrification at Amey, which won the five-year contract to deliver the high output electrification of the Great Western, told Infrarail in May: “It is a very complicated section of track and takes all of the traffic in the Western region into Paddington.
“This is where high output comes into its own, because it moves easily into the area. At some of the later stages there are other challenges, some involving structures like tunnels for example.”
High output refers to the £40m High Output Plant System (HOPS), built for Network Rail by Windhoff Bahn- und Anlagentechnik GmbH, a ‘factory train’ which is 23 carriages long, has three different consists, and allows 18 piles per shift while working adjacent line open (ALO).
Assumptions about productivity
But Saleem Mohammad, programme director for Network Rail’s National Electrification Programme, told the audience at Rail Live in June that productivity is not yet where it needs
44 | rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 14 to be.
He said: “We made some assumptions with the high output train that we were going to get a level of productivity – we haven’t got to that level yet.”
RTM asked him to expand on that in our interview after the speech, and he said: “The equipment is new to us and it’s got to go through its teething, like any new equipment.
“Whenever you introduce a new technology, there is a learning curve, and perhaps we didn’t factor as much of that in as we should have done in our programme plans.
“But ultimately when this thing starts to work and provide the output we need it to provide, we’ll forget what’s happening now.”
Robbie Burns, Western & Wales regional director, also spoke to RTM at Rail Live, and had similar thoughts.
He said: “We have invested in a high output production system which is designed to operate ALO. As a result of that, we have managed to reduce the amount of Schedule 4 payments that we predict that we would need to make to train operating companies because we can keep a timetable service on the network. That
is really important for us. You couldn’t really build the overhead line system on the Western using traditional equipment without taking longer than we have. It is essential to keep it on schedule.
“I would say we are in pre-production, and with any system you bring into service, in pre- production you have lots of teething problems and lots of challenges. And it is unfair to think that we were going to unpack this out of a box and suddenly it is going to be delivering 24 piles every night: that is ludicrous.”
Wider programme Rhoden,
speaking at Infrarail, made the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148