MML Electrification: progress updates

[jontyasaurus]

Not sure if it's related, but there's a works compound popping up at Chesterfield, in the last few days safety signage for "SPL Powerlines" has gone up. I recall reading in this thread that there will be a substation not far south of here at Hasland, could they be doing survey work related to that? Apologies if it's completely unrelated!

 

[InTheEastMids]

Back on topic about the Chesterfield/Hasland substation: There isn't a convenient 400 kV line crossing the railway to connect to as at Braybrooke.

Is the plan to connect at NG Chesterfield Substation and bring a 25 kV cable lineside at Hasland?

 

[londonmidland]

SPL Powerlines compound at Loughborough, with the fencing altered to allow access to and from the platforms.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Not sure if it's related, but there's a works compound popping up at Chesterfield, in the last few days safety signage for "SPL Powerlines" has gone up. I recall reading in this thread that there will be a substation not far south of here at Hasland, could they be doing survey work related to that? Apologies if it's completely unrelated!

Given it's SPL Powerlines, it almost certainly is for electrification works
But further South, the Braybrooke substation (officially "Market Harborough 400 kV") had its own compounds and access. Where they've done substantial bridge works they establish a compound at site.

So my guess is that a compound at Chesterfield station at this stage will be for enabling works within the railway boundary on vegetation, drainage, signalling/telecoms etc.

 

[QSK19]

Based on post # 8343, is this already effective confirmation that the line will be electrified (at least to Trent Junction) or could the compound be used for something else which won’t lead to electrification (eg simply survey work which will contribute to the decision making progress)?

Of course we will have to see what the spending review next month reveals, but as others have said, it seems a sizeable compound and it’d be silly to go through all that and then suddenly stand teams down after the review.

Seeing the compound and little developments like installing gates straight to the platform just gives me that little feeling that electrification is actually going ahead, but I may be sadly mistaken.

 

[Yindee8191]

Based on post # 8343, is this already effective confirmation that the line will be electrified (at least to Trent Junction) or could the compound be used for something else which won’t lead to electrification (eg simply survey work which will contribute to the decision making progress)?

Of course we will have to see what the spending review next month reveals, but as others have said, it seems a sizeable compound and it’d be silly to go through all that and then suddenly stand teams down after the review.

Seeing the compound and little developments like installing gates straight to the platform just gives me that little feeling that electrification is actually going ahead, but I may be sadly mistaken.

There’s clearly been an amount of time and money spent that would make it very silly for the government to cancel the project now. However, this is the Treasury we’re talking about, so never assume they’ll make the rational decision when they have the alternative option of spending less.

 

[londonmidland]

The placement of some of the wooden pegs has been placed in such as way that it looks like it will support piling in close proximity to each other. So for some of the larger/heavier OLE structures which require additional support, such as in the example picture below:

A picture of Overhead Line Equipment on the Midland Mainline.

 

[Aspen90]

OLE Upgrades South of Bedford Complete

MML electrification upgrade south of Bedford now confirmed as complete ✅

It will be interesting to see if 360’s will be allowed to travel at 110mph now instead of the 100mph. It’s all looking positive though.

⚡ OLE upgrades south of Bedford completed ⚡ The upgrade to the overhead… | Network Rail Eastern Region

⚡ OLE upgrades south of Bedford completed ⚡ The upgrade to the overhead line equipment (OLE) between Bedford and London St Pancras was completed successfully last weekend. The upgrade will now allow East Midlands Railway's bi-mode trains to run electrically up to 125mph from London St Pancras...

www.linkedin.com

 

[GRALISTAIR]

MML electrification upgrade south of Bedford now confirmed as complete ✅

Is that on the Network Rail website?

 

[Mikey C]

MML electrification upgrade south of Bedford now confirmed as complete ✅

So much for all the worries about having to run 810s on diesel under the existing wiring, their lateness has solved that embarrassment

 

[Aspen90]

Is that on the Network Rail website?

Popped up on LinkedIn this afternoon - they’ve done really well to be fair, we were told by Christmas!

⚡ OLE upgrades south of Bedford completed ⚡ The upgrade to the overhead… | Network Rail Eastern Region

⚡ OLE upgrades south of Bedford completed ⚡ The upgrade to the overhead line equipment (OLE) between Bedford and London St Pancras was completed successfully last weekend. The upgrade will now allow East Midlands Railway's bi-mode trains to run electrically up to 125mph from London St Pancras...

www.linkedin.com

Hopefully the link works?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Popped up on LinkedIn this afternoon - they’ve done really well to be fair, we were told by Christmas!

Fantastic. Thank you very much.

 

[PJM]

Brilliant! Just need some 810s!

 

[Edvid]

Here's the LinkedIn post in question, courtesy of NR Eastern Region

⚡ OLE upgrades south of Bedford completed ⚡

The upgrade to the overhead line equipment (OLE) between Bedford and London St Pancras was completed successfully last weekend. The upgrade will now allow East Midlands Railway's bi-mode trains to run electrically up to 125mph from London St Pancras to Bedford in future, saving on diesel, reducing noise pollution and ensuring bi-mode trains run more efficiently.

To complete the full electric service on the Midland Main Line the existing power supply and wires south of Bedford required upgrading to match the requirements of the new trains and capability of the existing track, increasing electric traction line speed from 100mph up to 125mph in places. Work on the upgrade began in autumn 2023 and was finished last weekend.

This will deliver a range of benefits including:

* allowing new bi-mode trains to deliver the same journey times as diesel, no timetable changes are currently proposed
* being better for the environment
* being more efficient to run (less costly) than diesel trains
* improving resilience on the line in the first 50 miles into/out of London especially and helping to improve performance for passengers

In total we delivered:

✅ 401 headspans replaced
✅ 108 wire runs upgraded
✅ 209 balance weight anchor upgrades
✅ 636,618 total hours worked on the project
✅ 40 total miles covered by work
✅ 30 machines on average per shift working during possessions

This is an £84m programme which is funded from a combination of the enhancement pipeline and from control period investment from the Department for Transport (DfT).

This meant that we were able to incorporate additional maintenance work while we were completing the OLE upgrade, saving time and money. This will also further improve the resilience and performance on the line for trains coming in and out of London.

Thank you to project and route staff who helped us to deliver this challenging programme on time and within budget including lead contractor SPL POWERLINES UK

Included within the post is this picture of an EMU100 board next to the up fast. Won't be there in two months' time!



Attention will now turn to proving 125mph capability; to that end, there are paths for the New Measurement Train every Saturday in the wee hours (1Q52 / 1Q54 examples on 7 June)

 

[QSK19]

So much for all the worries about having to run 810s on diesel under the existing wiring, their lateness has solved that embarrassment

Gutted that I won’t be able to say “the pan is going to be up and down more often than a kangaroo bounces”

Seriously though, this is extremely good news. Just need SPL and co. to have authorisation to plough on with extending the electrification northwards - would be unbelievably silly to stand the teams down given how much prep work has gone in and that personnel resource is in place.

 

[Bald Rick]

It will be interesting to see if 360’s will be allowed to travel at 110mph now instead of the 100mph. It’s all looking positive though.

Yes, there is a thread on that subject. But whilst the work is complete, the linespeed hasnt been formally raised yet.

360 running speed

I've been looking through existing threads but can't find this information so apologies if I'm posting something that has already been discussed. From what I understand, the EMR Connect services are limited to 100mph south of Bedford. In recent weeks, there's been engineering works closing the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[GRALISTAIR]

A quick summary

In total we delivered:

✅ 401 headspans replaced
✅ 108 wire runs upgraded
✅ 209 balance weight anchor upgrades
✅ 636,618 total hours worked on the project
✅ 40 total miles covered by work
✅ 30 machines on average per shift working during possessions

 

[Supercoss]

July 28th is scheduled withdrawal of EMU 100 permissible speed
Test Car MENTOR *is due to visit over the next few weeks in addition to NMT runs this Friday night
*Mobile Electrical Network Testing Observation & Recording

 

[Cross Fell]

Residents near Chesterfield have had a letter, advising of OHLE preparation works about to start. I suspect that is spin for "we are going to cut loads of trees down there".

As has already happened at Oakerthorpe and Stretton, to name two locations I know of. They seem to be working Northwards with the lineside vegetation blitz.

I'm not sure how much the leafy and historical station site of South Wingfield is still leafy ...

 

[QSK19]

Spades are in the ground. But as we know, spades in the ground can just be for ground investigations as I beleive is the case here.

I meant “spades in the ground” more in relation to if/when the electrification itself gets properly authorised as opposed to preliminary work.

But yes, I agree that we need to know something absolutely definitive before believing that it’s going ahead.

 

[Edvid]

Where linespeed >100mph south of Bedford the Mk3b contact/catenary wire tension rating is now 13/10.18kN. Which is interesting because:

* The catenary wires have been slackened, not tightened (usual rating is 11kN)
* Contact & catenary wires still share balance weight anchors, unless I'm mistaken

Moderator note: This thread dedicated to progress updates has been temporarily locked; the following thread is open, to enable suggestions, predictions, and any other form of speculation to continue:

MML Electrification: is it going to be completed?

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/mml-electrification-progress-updates.110445/ Hopefully the Spending Review on June the 11th will be good news for further electrification of the Midland Mainline.

www.railforums.co.uk