Spelthorne Councillors seek to choose Airtrack electrification
voltage. It reminds me of the days when London had conduit trams
because overhead wires were considered unsightly - but then at least
they owned the streets and the trams - unlike Spelthorne. This is
surely a technical rather than a political question. Note also Mr
Livingstone's response.

http://www.epsomguardian.co.uk/news/stainesnews/display.var.2209302.0.concerns_over_airtrack...

Quote

Concerns over Airtrack
By Chris Caulfield
There will be no overhead power cables on the Staines and Stanwell
moors, the council has vowed.
Preliminary Airtrack plans - designed to provide new rail access...

On Apr 20, 7:24�am, Mwmbwls virgin.net> wrote:

I don't know the details of the scheme but if it is new build I doubt
thrird rail would be allowed. If it is allowed as an "infill" I hope
the councillors take on the job of delivering the death messages to
parents when the kiddywinkies get zapped.

George

Mwmbwls wrote:

That's rich, coming from the council that did a U-turn and voted in favour
of Heathrow expansion. They don't mind destroying someone else's village
and forcing environmental damage on thousands of West London residents, but
they don't want the view of their sodding bit of grass spoilt.

Richard J. wrote:

Isn't there something like a ten lane sodding motorway right next to the
Airtrack route? I hadn't realised quite how much the Tories still
loathed public transport until the current Mayoral election, but this is
all of a piece with it.

t

Tom Barry wrote:

Why is that surprising? Public transport encourages the plebs to travel,
which is really not on ;-)

On 20 Apr, 10:24, furnessvale aol.com> wrote:

Surely it's 25 kv that onomatopoeically "zaps" people - 750 v DC
silently roasts 'em. (Except in TV dramas and films) ;-)

furnessvale wrote:

It definitely ought to be allowed as infill of the third rail network - it
is only about 2 miles from the point the route leaves the Windsor line to
the buffer stops under T5, and they aren't going to add overheads all the
way to Reading, Guildford and Waterloo...

In uk.railway Mwmbwls virgin.net> wrote:

Airtrack's going to have to have a voltage changeover point somewhere. The
council have suggested it should be at T5 for environmental reasons. I
don't see a problem with them saying that, if it is just a proposal. There
may well be technical, operational or other reasons which means third rail
is impractical or costly on that stretch but that's for the developers to
make a case for.

The council have stated their opinion. Often planning ends up being
something of a compromise; you have to start from some negotiating positions
so you can then move towards that compromise. The negotiating positions are
by definition more extreme (at both sides) than the compromise.

Theo

"Theo Markettos" chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote

The

There

Airtrack, as currently planned, will terminate at T5. It has been stated
that the tunnel approach to the station, and the Airtrack platforms at T5
will have to be 25kV OHLE, though I haven't seen an explanation of why this
is so. This being the case, there will have to be a voltage change somewhere
between Staines and T5. It would seem to make sense, in the longer term, for
Airtrack and Heathrow Express and/or Crossrail to link up, with through
running, which of course would require dual-voltage stock and a voltage
change somewhere. An intermediate possibility is for HEx to be extended to
Staines. ...

Jeremy Double wrote:

That's buses. But this is a train!