East West Rail test trains day 2

[@EdgyNumber1]

That is sooo strange seeing GWR and Chiltern in MK.

[@bassman4243]

It appears there is as many GWR test trains as Chiltern, suggesting they have a desire to run possible Reading-MK and/or Swindon-MK but highly unlikely to happen from day one. A further 3 trains per hour plus a possible freight path (in either direction) would mean a minimum of 5 tph on the Oxford - Bicester section putting a gigantic strain on Bicester London road level crossing and it appears nobody has yet come up with a solution. How bizzare that there is a desire to recoup some of the many millions invested in reopening the Bicester-Bletchley section asap with an intensive service and being thwarted by one level crossing!

[@LiveSteamNick]

Thanks for that just what I needed,,,a day out on the trains. !! Lovely new workings and clean stock!! 🎉

[@martinreed9565]

I don’t think the use them I think you may get Thomas and 4 wheeler coaches

[@JimH24]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ianhosier4042]

Probably end up using the dilapidated Marston vale trains on the route

[@LiveSteamNick]

@@ianhosier4042 nothing wrong with class 150 units esp the refurbed ones

[@martinreed9565]

@@LiveSteamNick hey better or Class 55 and mk3 or Tronado and mk1😀

[@martinreed9565]

Need link to Aylesbury and electrification all the way from Didcot to Oxford to Bicester to Winslow to Bletchley to Bedford if they can electrify 90% of India, why can’t we do it here?

[@Kandlelite]

COST!!!! India has TATA behind it billionaire UK doesn’t everytime it’s something like ELECTRIFY FARES GO UP TO pay for it and up and up and up for a business WHY do we suffer they should pay not us

[@_RabbitLeader]

Electrification is an expensive luxury that for the money. Benefits not so great as spending the billions on other projects.

[@LiveSteamNick]

@@martinreed9565 money by chance???

[@martinreed9565]

@@_RabbitLeader they do it in Scotland why not here should have been electrified😃

[@martinreed9565]

@@LiveSteamNick we’re supposed to be the fifth richest country in the world and if they can do it in India, why can’t we don’t hear?

[@BigPaul62]

I thought the new line was going to be run by Chiltern so it seems odd that a GWR green cucumber is also testing on the route. I also am glad that it isn't electrified as it is so much more visually appealing for a country line to not have those bloody unsightly gantries and catanaries over every inch of track. The route should connect directly to the Chiltern line, either via Aylesbury or another spur at Bicester to join on the Mainline through Wycombe.

[@AFCManUk]

It still really grinds my gears that we never got the link to Aylesbury.

[@ds1868]

That may still happen. HS2 has provided the space for the connection to be built.

[@joginns778]

@@ds1868 maybe so but why did HS 2 destroy a lot of there trackbed instead of moving there work over a few yards, so the cost to Aylesbury will now go sky high just put in a new track bed,

[@ianhosier4042]

A bus link between Buckingham Winslow and Aylesbury would be way cheaper but I guess that won't even be put in either

[@AFCManUk]

@@ianhosier4042 With the absolute shambles that is Buses in Aylesbury at the moment, I don't think that would be beneficial to anyone. Redline Buses can't even run the simple Aylesbury Town services on time, and half of them don't even turn up!! For them, the timetable is more of a 'rough guide'.

[@Carlos-im3hn]

@@joginns778 the new HS2 track is very high end cement sleepers that will last for over 100 years with 200+ mph trains...the why. Will it be expensive to also tie in with Aylesbury, I hope not...and the Aylesbury track _could_ be high-speed which is up to them to commit. So far so good. Maybe getting it going will be helpful to get the added future finance to make it all better. Onward.

[@simonjohnstone6671]

GWR in Milton Keynes feels weird 😂, maybe they are considering a Reading or Swindon to Milton Keynes via Oxford service, saves the stress of going via London, had the Aylesbury link happened, maybe Chiltern could have considered a High Wycombe to Milton Keynes service via Aylesbury, would connect the main centres of North and South Buckinghamshire, currently requires going via London, or getting two buses changing at Aylesbury

[@Neil-wb2xl]

looking forward to going on this from bicester.

[@dirk19411]

Interesting that the GWR IET has so far not been using its pantograph on the WCML part of the journey where the 25KV is live. Good to see that these are being tested along this route. We now need to wait for the 6 x 2car 196 DMUs to arrive from Tyseley to eventually operate the hourly then subsequently 1/2 hourly services.

[@LiveSteamNick]

Hardly worth raising the pants from Denbigh hall junction in Bletchley to Mk.

[@Carlos-im3hn]

Beautiful !

[@joginns778]

Brilliant video work it's good to see this line rise again, it's just a shame Johnson and his government didn't allow the Aylesbury 😊link to go ahead,

[@_RabbitLeader]

But it was Johnson and co that agreed UK needed a high speed rail to Birmingham called HS2! If Labour didn’t give away£11.6bn in foreign aid to overseas climate aid has not helped. Labour also wanted more lockdowns that would have put the country into more debt!

[@Carlos-im3hn]

@@_RabbitLeader yes, and there _are_ new automobile roadways and roundabouts noew being put in between MK and Cambridge (since the EWR to Cambridge was dropped). Both competing for the same thin budgets.

[@paulrandall9705]

Indeed, but surely this will happen before too long.

[@ЛЬВИНИ]

Very nice, like!

[@randombustrainvids977]

Excellent footage nice one

[@JimH24]

Thanks!

[@AP-ky6kp]

it's mad to think an active GWR 800 is testing on the wcml, wonder if they will actually run in service to bletchley and onto MKC or is it just a case of testing incase of future closures at euston/paddington for route learning?

[@harrytilbury2453]

I dont think they plan on running 80x services to MKC as i think they are just route clearing the 80x fleet only

[@AndrewAnenih]

why is the chilltern railway at milton keynses central running

[@Spacebug111]

Do you know which rolling stock will be doing the entire route from Oxford to Cambridge, Also. are they going to be relaying the entire track from Bletchely to bedford (please be yes i need an excuse to be late to school)

[@MercenaryPen]

there are going to be upgrades for the Marston Vale line, but at present those upgrades are likely to be fairly limited... any change in scope to that project is likely to be influenced by whether the proposed Universal Studios theme park near Stewartby goes ahead

[@JimH24]

@Spacebug111 It will be many years until they ever build the line from Bedford to Cambridge, so nobody knows what stock they will use...

[@qcope]

Will they be testing again tomorrow do you know?

[@JimH24]

@qcope Yes they should be. If you look on realtimetrains.co.uk and search for Winslow this shows the times.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

Are they upgrading Bletchley to Bedford.

[@ds1868]

Yes they are but details not finalised. We do know both ends will be doubled and only two level crossings retained. Speed limit will be between 75 and 90 mph.

[@georgethomas5012]

@@ds1868 which level crossings will stay?

[@QALibrary]

11:00 That train in that location is very strange - could this be the second time an 800 has been on the WCML?

[@GreenIcing1]

I suppose it is - although we will see it happen again on the 17th Nov when GWR are diverting to EUS, and of course Avanti have their 805s now which is practically the same as 800s.

[@QALibrary]

I still do not understand why did they not make this "new" line all-electric and at least install the main support posts for the overhead catenary system, while building it, which cost the most and caused the most issues retrofitting at a later date

[@_RabbitLeader]

Because electrification is hugely expensive. Costs billions. They don’t have the budget to build a railway all the way to Cambridge. There are other railway lines that need building and electrification is a huge cost.

[@radders261]

We have foot bridges in Bicester (phase one of the line) which are purpously high enough to accomidate a catenary system. You never know...

[@_RabbitLeader]

@@radders261 It would be extraordinarily stupid to install a lowish footbridge that is non compliant with the needs of a modern railway. So I don’t think that says anything about the immediate prospects for electrification. It is hugely expensive for the benefits that it would deliver especially when funds are tight and they don’t have a railway line built to Cambridge! So I doubt they will blow the budget on electrification.

[@radders261]

@@_RabbitLeader I was talking about the future, not now.

[@JohnLavender]

I Do hope that 150139 wasn't working Pax when it departed from Bletchley with one of the End Doors open!

[@JimH24]

Yes it was! It was the cab door open, hopefully not accessible from the passenger saloon...

[@duncanwilson5170]

I wish someone in the know would explain why testing has to take so long.... trains run or they don't, signals work or they don't. Get on and get it open!

[@LiveSteamNick]

@@duncanwilson5170Patience Duncan, Patience!!! LOL

[@Carlos-im3hn]

Next, they have to train the crews up on the new line...a whole new higher-speed set of crew to run Oxford to MK and back. So maybe by January 2025 ? Will they run up to 90mph+ ?

[@ds1868]

​@@Carlos-im3hnmax speed is 100 mph all the way from Oxford to Bletchley.

[@AndrewAnenih]

and gwr