Strategic electrification points

[BartTheAnorak]

I know the government has pretty much knocked electrification off the agenda but with the recent announcement that the Midland Main Line's wires will be extended to Market Harborough purely to connect with a substation, I can't help thinking with the gradual introduction of bi-modes, it would be better to get the wires to Leicester as more trains stop there and there are more tracks. Can you imagine the number of hold-ups if loads more trains stopped at Market Harborough just to do the pantographs?

Same goes on the Reading-Taunton. How many trains from Penzance and Paignton called at Newbury before electrification? I seem to remember it was pretty few whereas loads more called at Taunton.

Come on DfT, it's only logical. Get those wires to Leicester and Taunton then you can get back to HS2.

 

[Bald Rick]

The trains don’t need to stop to raise / lower pantographs...

... and every train I’ve ever caught from Paddington to Exeter or beyond via the B&H called at Newbury (my first one was in 1985).

 

[BartTheAnorak]

The trains don’t need to stop to raise / lower pantographs...

... and every train I’ve ever caught from Paddington to Exeter or beyond via the B&H called at Newbury (my first one was in 1985).

Ah right - unlike the dual voltage ones then. I stand corrected.

 

[Bald Rick]

Ah right - unlike the dual voltage ones then. I stand corrected.

Dual voltage trains don’t need to stop either. But generally they do either because of the nature of the infrastructure (eg not a long enough overlap), or the TOC doesn’t trust their own drivers (Southern).

 

[Meerkat]

No point electrifying Leicester until it is remodelled surely?

 

[Bald Rick]

No point electrifying Leicester until it is remodelled surely?

Remodelled?

 

[Meerkat]

Isn’t the plan/hope that Leicester gets more platforms and a segregation of the MML and Cross Country with a flyover at Wigston?

 

[edwin_m]

Isn’t the plan/hope that Leicester gets more platforms and a segregation of the MML and Cross Country with a flyover at Wigston?

Yes, though I don't think it would affect the "fast" side much, where the south end throat has already been re-modelled over the last few months.

 

[Bald Rick]

Isn’t the plan/hope that Leicester gets more platforms and a segregation of the MML and Cross Country with a flyover at Wigston?

I think the proposed flyover is at Syston, but it is very definitely in the ‘hope’ category.

 

[Class 170101]

I would definitely extend the wires to just south of Leicester though if remodelling in the station area needs to be waited upon.

 

[AndyHA]

Hopefully with a change of PM in the offing , we may get a change of Transport Minister . Anybody including David Blunkett’s Dog , will make a better Transport Minister , than Greyling .

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Hopefully with a change of PM in the offing , we may get a change of Transport Minister . Anybody including David Blunkett’s Dog , will make a better Transport Minister , than Greyling .

Especially David Blunketts dog !

 

[Midnight Sun]

Hopefully with a change of PM in the offing , we may get a change of Transport Minister . Anybody including David Blunkett’s Dog , will make a better Transport Minister , than Greyling .

I thought we aready had a new PM https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/larry-downing-street-cat/

Larry the Downing Street cat has reassured Britain that he is now running the country.

Just moments after Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation, Larry, 12, declared: “Don’t worry, Britain. I’m in charge now.” Larry is the purrrrfect candidate for the next British PM...Well, better than those other jokers anyways.

 

[InTheEastMids]

I think the proposed flyover is at Syston, but it is very definitely in the ‘hope’ category.

The basic objective of the scheme is to separate N-S MML services (EMT & aggregates) from E-W (XC and containers from Felixstowe) by
- grade separation at Wigston junction
- 4-tracking from Wigston to Syston junctions
- 2 new platforms at Leicester to the East of P4

In terms of timing, that seems to now be up in the air because of the way NR is changing its approach to enhancements for CP6.

 

[Bald Rick]

The basic objective of the scheme is to separate N-S MML services (EMT & aggregates) from E-W (XC and containers from Felixstowe) by
- grade separation at Wigston junction
- 4-tracking from Wigston to Syston junctions
- 2 new platforms at Leicester to the East of P4

In terms of timing, that seems to now be up in the air because of the way NR is changing its approach to enhancements for CP6.

I had a bit of a mental block earlier, and got Syston and Wigston the wrong way round in my mental map. It’s defintely Wigston. Apologies!

It’s not NR that has changed the approach, but DfT. NR just follows the rules...

 

[59CosG95]

Assuming that all of the above goes ahead, electrifying the MML from Mkt H'boro northwards through to (at the very least) East Midlands Parkway (hopefully beyond) seems a no-brainer.

To help with the freight side of things, extending wires either side of the MML from Leicester should also follow - through South Wigston, Narborough & Hinckley to Nuneaton, and through Melton Mowbray, Oakham & Stamford to Peterborough.

But before that, electrifying Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street would be seen as a very quick win for FOCs, as it would allow a large proportion of the Felixstowe to Lawley St/Hams Hall traffic to be electrically hauled.
Though, for full passenger benefit, Nuneaton to Leicester would need to be done at the same time...and the remodelling there is still the main barrier.

 

[adrock1976]

I had a bit of a mental block earlier, and got Syston and Wigston the wrong way round in my mental map. It’s defintely Wigston. Apologies!

It’s not NR that has changed the approach, but DfT. NR just follows the rules...

Regarding the Wigston flyover, would there also need to be another flyover/diveunder at Syston as well so as avoid eastbound trains towards Peterborough weaving across on the flat there?

Or will Wigston be similar to Norton Bridge (Staffordshire) where at Wigston, the flyover will put the eastbound trains on the right hand pair of the tracks to Syston?

 

[edwin_m]

Regarding the Wigston flyover, would there also need to be another flyover/diveunder at Syston as well so as avoid eastbound trains towards Peterborough weaving across on the flat there?

Or will Wigston be similar to Norton Bridge (Staffordshire) where at Wigston, the flyover will put the eastbound trains on the right hand pair of the tracks to Syston?

It would create a pair of Slow lines to the east of the layout with their own platforms at Leicester. At Syston they would split into the Slows towards Loughborough and the double track towards Melton, with grade separation to connect them to the Nuneaton line at Wigston. The north-south and east-west flows are almost totally separated, excepting only the Ivanhoe and a few freights, so the layout doesn't need to prioritise trains swapping between the two - but I guess there would be various sets of crossovers.

 

[Aictos]

With regards to Electrification between Peterborough and Birmingham via Leicester would it not make more sense to wire up Leicester to Birmingham first as you could convert the Birmingham to Leicester stoppers to EMU operation under the WMR brand then have Leicester to Ely via Peterborough as the second stage with the final solution being conversion of the Birmingham to Leicester/Stansted Airport being fully EMU operated.

You could even operate Class 323s on the above stopping service with Class 360s being used on the Stansteds.

 

[TheBigD]

The basic objective of the scheme is to separate N-S MML services (EMT & aggregates) from E-W (XC and containers from Felixstowe) by
- grade separation at Wigston junction
- 4-tracking from Wigston to Syston junctions
- 2 new platforms at Leicester to the East of P4

In terms of timing, that seems to now be up in the air because of the way NR is changing its approach to enhancements for CP6.

I had a bit of a mental block earlier, and got Syston and Wigston the wrong way round in my mental map. It’s defintely Wigston. Apologies!

It’s not NR that has changed the approach, but DfT. NR just follows the rules...

Question regarding the Wigston to Knighton future scheme...

A couple of years ago there was a feature in Modern Railways about the scheme. It included a north curve off the Coalville line and explained that it was needed due to the removal of the Knighton loop where the freight off the Coalville line currently runs round.

Is this till part of the plan or has it been shelved???

 

[sharpley]

Question regarding the Wigston to Knighton future scheme...

A couple of years ago there was a feature in Modern Railways about the scheme. It included a north curve off the Coalville line and explained that it was needed due to the removal of the Knighton loop where the freight off the Coalville line currently runs round.

Is this till part of the plan or has it been shelved???

Theres an industrial estate in the way now where the north curve would go off the Coalville line onto the MML