London Banter - View Single Post - Will Brexit lead to the abandonment of Crossrail2 and Turning SouthLondon Orange?

Recliner[_3_] · July 1st 16, 08:25 AM posted to uk.transport.london

Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 30/06/2016 23:29, wrote:
In article , d () wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jun 2016 16:29:34 +0100
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:42:07 on Thu, 30 Jun
2016, d remarked:

I wonder how much it would cost to upgrade sections of the WCML so that
the pendilinos could actually do their design speed of 140mph?

Perhaps you should ask Network Rail, who spent ten years and 9bn failing
to do this within living memory.

Oh. Are there any sections that are 140mph ready?

No and there is no point on a mixed-traffic railway. There won't be much
140mph running if the train in front is only doing 60mph.

There could be with the right signalling if the 140MPH train is
regularly stopping and the 60MPH train is a through freight train.

A 140mph train will be an express, not regularly stopping. Stoppers need to
have higher acceleration, but rarely have or need a top speed of more than
110mph.

Another problem with mixed traffic lines is that heavy freight trains
usually lose speed when climbing; modern EMUs do not. So the speed
discrepancy becomes even wider on gradients.