Kent Railway Viaduct Set For £3.5m Makeover
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Advent.
This 3D image from Google Maps, shows Ashurst station.
I think that the viaduct is to the left of the station.
This is a description of the work from Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Sussex.
Our railway has a host of Victorian structures that underpin the millions of journeys passengers take with us every year and we have to take good care of them. Mill Stream Viaduct is made of metal, and we need to give it a thorough refurbishment to keep it strong for the future, blasting the old paint off, repainting and repairing the metal sections, replacing the decking, the track and the timbers that support the track too.
Certainly, £3.5 million would seem a lot, if it was just a simple repainting.
What About The Electrification?
Network Rail have been faffing about, deciding how they will get twelve car electric services to Uckfield.
However, in the April 2022 Edition of Modern Railways, there was a short article, which was entitled Uckfield Third Rail is NR Priority, where this was said.
Electrification of the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield in East Sussex and remodelling of East Croydon are the top Network Rail investment priorities south of the river, according to Southern Region Managing Director John Halsall. He told Modern Railways that third rail is now the preferred option for the Uckfield line, as it would allow the route to use the pool of third-rail EMUs in the area. This is in preference to the plan involving overhead electrification and use of dual-voltage units put forward by then-Network Rail Director Chris Gibb in his 2017 report.
NR has put forward options for mitigating the safety risk involved with the third-rail system, including switching off the power in station areas when no trains are present and section isolation systems to protect track workers. ‘The Office of Rail and Road hasn’t yet concerned third rail would be acceptable, but we ark working out ways in which it could be’ Mr Halsall told Modern Railways. He added that bi-mode trains with batteries were not a feasible option on this line, as the 10-car trains in use on the route would not be able to draw sufficient charge between London and Hurst Green to power the train over the 25 miles to Uckfield.
I feel that whatever method is used to get electric trains to Uckfield, there may well be some extra weight on the Millstream Viaduct at Ashurst. So giving the viaduct a makeover, is probably prudent.
I get the impression from the last few Editions of Modern Railways, that there will be a need for battery-electric multiple units in Kent and Sussex.
- Ashford and Ore is 25.4 miles – Electrified at both ends – Maximum trip – 25.4 miles.
- Oxted and Uckfield is 25 miles – Electrified at one end – Maximum trip – 50 miles.
- Hoo and Hoo Juncton is less than 10 miles – Electrified at one end – Maximum trip – 20 miles.
It would appear that the Uckfield trip will need bigger batteries or some form of charging at Uckfield.
Suppose though the following were to be done.
- Create a third-rail battery-electric multiple unit, with a range of thirty miles.
- These would be ideal for Ashford and Ore and the Hoo Branch.
- Install charging stations at Ashurst on both platforms and at Uckfield on the single platform. These would either work through a pantograph or third rail.
Operation of the service during a round trip between London Bridge and Uckfield would be as follows.
- London Bridge and Hurst Green – Uses electrification and charges batteries
- Hurst Green and Ashurst – Uses batteries for 11 miles
- Ashurst station – Tops up the batteries
- Ashurst and Uckfield – Uses batteries for 14 miles
- Uckfield station – Tops up the batteries
- Uckfield and Ashurst – Uses batteries for 14 miles
- Ashurst station – Tops up the batteries
- Ashurst and Hurst Green – Uses batteries for 11 miles
- Hurst Green and London Bridge – Uses electrification and charges batteries
Network Rail may use a different combination of chargers and battery size.
The Anonymous Widower 