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  • UK?s first electrified loop test track opens

    From Recliner@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, June 04, 2026 21:38:17
    From MR:

    Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally opened Porterbrook?s electrified testing
    loop at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 4 June.

    The 3.5km-long track is the first such testing loop in the UK, and the
    wider upgrade of the site has involved laying more than 11,000 metres of
    new track, 41 switches and crossings, constructing a new operations control centre and an underpass.

    Power is provided via a Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which converts
    local power supplies to the 25kV AC needed to operate electric trains at
    Long Marston. Overhead Line Equipment is based on Siemens? Sicat SX system, which allows greater distance between lineside masts.

    https://www.modernrailways.com/article/hendy-opens-porterbrooks-long-marston-test-site

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tweed@3:633/10 to All on Friday, June 05, 2026 06:42:37
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    From MR:

    Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally opened Porterbrook?s electrified testing loop at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 4 June.

    The 3.5km-long track is the first such testing loop in the UK, and the
    wider upgrade of the site has involved laying more than 11,000 metres of
    new track, 41 switches and crossings, constructing a new operations control centre and an underpass.

    Power is provided via a Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which converts
    local power supplies to the 25kV AC needed to operate electric trains at
    Long Marston. Overhead Line Equipment is based on Siemens? Sicat SX system, which allows greater distance between lineside masts.

    https://www.modernrailways.com/article/hendy-opens-porterbrooks-long-marston-test-site


    In what way is this a first such test loop? What about Old Dalby?


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Recliner@3:633/10 to All on Friday, June 05, 2026 11:36:23
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    From MR:

    Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally opened Porterbrook?s electrified testing >> loop at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 4 June.

    The 3.5km-long track is the first such testing loop in the UK, and the
    wider upgrade of the site has involved laying more than 11,000 metres of
    new track, 41 switches and crossings, constructing a new operations control >> centre and an underpass.

    Power is provided via a Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which converts
    local power supplies to the 25kV AC needed to operate electric trains at
    Long Marston. Overhead Line Equipment is based on Siemens? Sicat SX system, >> which allows greater distance between lineside masts.

    https://www.modernrailways.com/article/hendy-opens-porterbrooks-long-marston-test-site


    In what way is this a first such test loop? What about Old Dalby?



    That?s not a loop. Trains can go back and return, but can?t run continuous circuits. So it?s not good for loco testing.

    There?s a proposal for a similar, but larger, grandiosely-named facility in South Wales, but that?s unlikely to be able to raise the funding required.
    It?s too dependent on cash-starved government funding, unlike this new
    entirely private facility.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Centre_of_Rail_Excellence

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tweed@3:633/10 to All on Friday, June 05, 2026 11:41:23
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    From MR:

    Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally opened Porterbrook?s electrified testing >>> loop at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 4 June.

    The 3.5km-long track is the first such testing loop in the UK, and the
    wider upgrade of the site has involved laying more than 11,000 metres of >>> new track, 41 switches and crossings, constructing a new operations control >>> centre and an underpass.

    Power is provided via a Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which converts
    local power supplies to the 25kV AC needed to operate electric trains at >>> Long Marston. Overhead Line Equipment is based on Siemens? Sicat SX system, >>> which allows greater distance between lineside masts.

    https://www.modernrailways.com/article/hendy-opens-porterbrooks-long-marston-test-site


    In what way is this a first such test loop? What about Old Dalby?



    That?s not a loop. Trains can go back and return, but can?t run continuous circuits. So it?s not good for loco testing.

    There?s a proposal for a similar, but larger, grandiosely-named facility in South Wales, but that?s unlikely to be able to raise the funding required. It?s too dependent on cash-starved government funding, unlike this new entirely private facility.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Centre_of_Rail_Excellence


    I stand corrected. For some reason I always thought it was a continuous
    loop.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Recliner@3:633/10 to All on Friday, June 05, 2026 11:59:30
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
    Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
    From MR:

    Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally opened Porterbrook?s electrified testing >>>> loop at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre on 4 June.

    The 3.5km-long track is the first such testing loop in the UK, and the >>>> wider upgrade of the site has involved laying more than 11,000 metres of >>>> new track, 41 switches and crossings, constructing a new operations control
    centre and an underpass.

    Power is provided via a Siemens Rail Charging Converter, which converts >>>> local power supplies to the 25kV AC needed to operate electric trains at >>>> Long Marston. Overhead Line Equipment is based on Siemens? Sicat SX system,
    which allows greater distance between lineside masts.

    https://www.modernrailways.com/article/hendy-opens-porterbrooks-long-marston-test-site


    In what way is this a first such test loop? What about Old Dalby?



    That?s not a loop. Trains can go back and return, but can?t run continuous >> circuits. So it?s not good for loco testing.

    There?s a proposal for a similar, but larger, grandiosely-named facility in >> South Wales, but that?s unlikely to be able to raise the funding required. >> It?s too dependent on cash-starved government funding, unlike this new
    entirely private facility.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Centre_of_Rail_Excellence


    I stand corrected. For some reason I always thought it was a continuous
    loop.

    It?s just a section of the closed Melton Mowbray to Nottingham route.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dalby_Test_Track

    My photos from a rare charter train visit:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157691680008745/

    NR also has another test track that?s used for different purposes:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157685162304185/

    And the Alstom factory in Derby has its own, short electrified test track, normally used for trains built on site. It ran a shuttle service for
    visitors using a Liz train borrowed from TfL during the Rail 200 open days.


    https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/54724662295/in/album-72177720328186391

    So I?ve travelled on all three existing test tracks, but not yet the new
    loop.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)