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Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

takno

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What is meant by “the Church Fenton scheme”?
Has this been published anywhere? Is this for two tracks or four?
I can’t fathom out how you can make any sort of Business Case for just electrifying from York to Church Fenton.
There are a couple of reasons why it works as a separate package of work. Firstly, it's roughly where NPR/HS7 or whatever it's call is planned to join the normal rail network, so it has an independent use even if none of the rest of the existing transpennine route gets done. Secondly it allows a slightly longer mileage to be covered under electric by the hybrids that use the route. Thirdly it moves the point of switch from diesel to electric nicely away from the ECML and onto a (slightly quieter) section. Fourthly the track is already four-tracked and relatively straight to church fenton, whereas past that point it goes to two track railway, and has a few nasty bends in it that somebody might want to straighten out.

Obviously it would be better to do the whole distance straight away. If you want a section which chips away at the diesel mileage, provides some benefits, and is extremely unlikely to end up having to be torn down and moved later though, this is it
 
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GRALISTAIR

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So here is one of the slides from the famous presentation from the Northwest section of the Permanent Way Institution a few years ago about TransPennine Upgrade. It illustrates diversionary routes in red and a secondary diversion route in green. I have heavily highlighted in dark blue those bits where funding has been confirmed for work and electrification. Full disclosure I have paid my fees for 4 years and am a member of PWI. Heyrod Grid feeder I have also added for illustrative purposes.
31DCF75B-E546-44B6-9221-BDFD16C9F9C8.jpeg
 
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CW2

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The video that Halish Railway linked to above is very informative. The Trans-Pennine upgrade sounds just like the early stages of the West Coast Route Modernisation, where it was beginning to dawn on a wider audience just how huge a problem they were facing.
Interesting times lie ahead. I wonder what the blockade strategy will be ...
 

GRALISTAIR

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LNW-GW Joint

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It's probably part of the wider ECML renewal/upgrade programme.
That would give it a higher priority than if it was purely for TP, and probably planned for CP6 delivery.
I can't remember if some of the bridge work done a few years ago were on this stretch, but that would be another boost as the cost would be out of the way.
The same applies to Victoria-Stalybridge where some pre-electrification upgrades have already been done.
 

Philip Phlopp

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I can't remember if some of the bridge work done a few years ago were on this stretch, but that would be another boost as the cost would be out of the way.
The same applies to Victoria-Stalybridge where some pre-electrification upgrades have already been done.

Yes, route clearance is mainly finished between Colton Junction and Church Fenton.

The electrification through Colton Junction was kindly left ready for us to extend onto the TransPennine route too, with a nice set of overlap masts ready for the next wire runs which will come just 25 years later than planned...
 

WAO

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There are a couple of reasons why it works as a separate package of work.

I think your fifth reason might be that it, (Colton Jn - Church Fenton), is a compact, bite sized package that NR and its contractors might just manage successfully, to budget and time.

I suspect that Huddersfield- Dewsbury also follows this thinking.

Good luck to them.

WAO
 

AndyB28

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Miles Platting has been cleared next to the Alan Turing Way - preparation for track realignment?
Apologies if I've missed it from somewhere further up-thread but would anyone know if there's an approximate schedule for the Miles Platting Junction work? Normally I'd be passing the corner of Oldham Road and Queens Road every weekday but I'm still on furlough and have been since April so a bit out of touch with events! Thank you.
 

CW2

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Can anybody provide further details as to what is proposed at Miles Platting please?
 

GRALISTAIR

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Planning permission was granted on 29 Jan and exemptions to some conditions were granted on 27 and 29 April for renewal of the Queens Rd overbridge (to ease the curve at the junction) which includes setting up a permanent site compound. Which is at least a start.
The planning application is at


Here is 2727 with the planning permission etc.
 

greyman42

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It's probably part of the wider ECML renewal/upgrade programme.
That would give it a higher priority than if it was purely for TP, and probably planned for CP6 delivery.
I can't remember if some of the bridge work done a few years ago were on this stretch, but that would be another boost as the cost would be out of the way.
How is the electrification of Colton to Church Fenton part of the ECML upgrade. Are you referring to HS2?
 

CW2

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Here is 2727 with the planning permission etc.
Thanks for that. So in brief a realignment through the sharp bend giving a linespeed increase, triggering replacement of a road overbridge. Plus the usual environmental stuff, and a works compound for TPE Upgrade.
 

Chris NS

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How is the electrification of Colton to Church Fenton part of the ECML upgrade. Are you referring to HS2?

Colton - Church Fenton has started being treated as ECML in the long-term strategy for the north ECML upgrade, where the objective to the support services joining/leaving the line from/to HS2.

That won't matter for another 13 years though. My guess as to why this is being done first is probably more to do with this being the easy bit.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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How is the electrification of Colton to Church Fenton part of the ECML upgrade. Are you referring to HS2?

Well doesn't it include an area power upgrade which is needed by the ECML route (and maybe rewiring of Colton Jn)?
HS2 doesn't really come into it, as none of the eastern route is finalised or approved.
 

59CosG95

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Well doesn't it include an area power upgrade which is needed by the ECML route (and maybe rewiring of Colton Jn)?
HS2 doesn't really come into it, as none of the eastern route is finalised or approved.
The ECML PSU Phase 2 includes (among other things) an upgrade of the MPTSC at Colton Jn, and an upgrade of the FS at Hambleton Jn - including the installation of a Static Frequency Converter at the latter, which could remove the need for a Neutral Section there.

Church Fenton will be getting its own TSC, but that's part of a separate scope to PSU2.
 

GRALISTAIR

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Just noticed this in the e-news of Modern Railways - Project SPEED - I have edited bits out and highlighted the bits relevant to this thread.
Network Rail has identified six programmes where it is aiming to halve the time and slash the cost of delivery, in response to Government’s ‘Project Speed’ challenge to accelerate infrastructure schemes.

Under the Project Speed moniker within Network Rail, ‘Speed’ stands for Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery. The six programmes identified by NR are:

• Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade – enhancements to the route from Manchester to Leeds and York;
• Manchester reliability improvements, focused on the congested Castlefield corridor through Piccadilly and Oxford Road;
 

jonesy3001

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Seems to be a lot of work going on at Newton heath near the Oldham rd bridges as there is a compound there and they're digging the earth next to the track on the stalybridge line.
 

yorkie

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Just a gentle reminder this thread is to discuss Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates; any ideas/suggestions belong in Speculative Ideas

It can be difficult to keep up with threads that have thousands of posts and the forum does have plenty of spare capacity to discuss other matters in their own threads in the relevant forum sections, to make it easier to follow the electrification updates in this thread.

Thanks :)
 

The Chimaera

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Is this Announcement an actual go ahead for TP Electrification ?
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/0...lectrified-589-million-funding-announced.html
To kickstart upgrade work on the TransPennine route between Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced £589m in funding.

The new Northern Transport Acceleration Council has been set up to accelerate infrastructure projects across the North.

The most congested section of the TransPennine route will be doubled to four tracks to allow faster trains to overtake slower ones, which will improve reliability and journey times.


Most of the line between Manchester and Leeds will be electrified, but the Department for Transport’s ambition is to go even further with full electrification, digital signalling and more multi-track improvements.
 
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WAO

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If you read the small print you'll see that it says that "most of he line will be electrified", giving new meaning to the phrase, "mind the gap!"

It does aspire to full electrification, a London style service and a new line. We can expect the Colton Jn to Church Fenton upgrade, the 4-tracking of Huddersfield - Dewsbury and wiring to Leeds, easing of Phillips Park Jn (and on to Stalybridge) and lots more money spent on consultants.

BR would have been drilling and piling mast foundations by now, with a wiring train following put together from redundant class 501 cars with flat roofs (and no guard rails!).

Still good news though.

WAO
 

swt_passenger

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Is this Announcement an actual go ahead for TP Electrification ?
It’s just “rail advent” being late to the party. The DfT announcement it is based on came out on the 23rd last month, and the last couple of pages of this thread have been attempting to define what it really provides for...
 

Philip Phlopp

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Full electrification is looking inevitable - the benefits of four tracking are only fully realisable if there's a switch to higher performance electric rolling stock which will give the desired acceleration and headway performance being sought. Four tracking, on its own, risks slowing down services as additional station calls can be (re)introduced, particularly if they are slow accelerating diesel units.
 

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