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Wrexham redouble

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Llanigraham

Llanigraham

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LNW-GW Joint said:
But at least the WG doesn't have to pay for it. ;)

Actually it means the loss of a set of unique signal boxes between Shrewsbury and Hereford which I think date from the early days of the line's operation.
I hope at least one is kept for posterity in some form.
In their way they are as iconic as Severn Bridge Jn box with their unusual shape.
I'm thinking of the ones at Hereford, Leominster, Woofferton etc (not the pill-box at Onibury!).
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Well Marshbrook is listed!!
However I suspect that once we all close none of the others will last 5 minutes.
Hello dole queue.
And you ignored Dorrington, Craven Arms, Bromfield, & Moreton on Lugg, we'll be upset!!
 
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Gareth Marston

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jones_bangor said:
I just worry that in a austerity climate, the section between Wrexham and Shrewsbury doesn't see signalling and line speed improvements.
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BR had Black 5's on a minute a mile schedules between Gobowen and Shrewsbury in the mid 60's, slower now.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Llanigraham said:
Well Marshbrook is listed!!
However I suspect that once we all close none of the others will last 5 minutes.
Hello dole queue.
And you ignored Dorrington, Craven Arms, Bromfield, & Moreton on Lugg, we'll be upset!!
Click to expand...

They'll chuck you a bit of a bung Though. Always like playing cricket at Bromfield as the opposition was weak, short boundaries and you could watch the Marches line.
 
LNW-GW Joint

LNW-GW Joint

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Llanigraham said:
Well Marshbrook is listed!!
However I suspect that once we all close none of the others will last 5 minutes.
Hello dole queue.
And you ignored Dorrington, Craven Arms, Bromfield, & Moreton on Lugg, we'll be upset!!
Click to expand...

Well I did say "etc"!
That's because on the northern section I can never quite remember which are original and which are more modern GWR structures.
I must check next time I do a daylight run.
 
Llanigraham

Llanigraham

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LNW-GW Joint said:
Well I did say "etc"!
That's because on the northern section I can never quite remember which are original and which are more modern GWR structures.
I must check next time I do a daylight run.
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Give us a "blow" as you pass Bromfield!
 
Gareth Marston

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The Informer said:
Gobowen to Shrewsbury gets 90mph improvement!
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Paid for by the Welsh Government? Entirely in England! The national media will have a field day with Carwyn insisting rail infrastructure is not devolved and Westminster must pay for valley wiring. I'm surprised the fact that the Wrexham redouble is in fact predominantly in Cheshire has not been picked up upon.
 
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Squaddie

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Gareth Marston said:
Paid for by the Welsh Government? Entirely in England! The national media will have a field day with Carwyn insisting rail infrastructure is not devolved and Westminster must pay for valley wiring. I'm surprised the fact that the Wrexham redouble is in fact predominantly in Cheshire has not been picked up upon.
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Wrexham redouble doesn't happen: Gareth and Bob complain.
Wrexham redouble is given go-ahead: Gareth and Bob complain.

Welsh government is unwilling to spend money on redouble: Gareth and Bob complain.
Welsh government spends money on redouble: Gareth and Bob complain.

I really have no idea what it is that the northern contingent on this forum actually wants, other than (seemingly) to moan about everything. The never-ending negativity is extremely wearing.

:roll:
 
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merlodlliw

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Gareth Marston said:
Paid for by the Welsh Government? Entirely in England! The national media will have a field day with Carwyn insisting rail infrastructure is not devolved and Westminster must pay for valley wiring. I'm surprised the fact that the Wrexham redouble is in fact predominantly in Cheshire has not been picked up upon.
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Our driver friend TDK picked up this very point
"the fact that the Wrexham redouble is in fact predominantly in Cheshire has not been picked up upon".
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T

Tracky

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The improvements and investment between Saltney and Rossett and Gobowen and Hereford will assist the Welsh Government in their desire to connect North and South Wales and improve travel from Wrexham to Cardiff, London and the North West of England.
 
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merlodlliw

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Tracky said:
The improvements and investment between Saltney and Rossett and Gobowen and Hereford will assist the Welsh Government in their desire to connect North and South Wales and improve travel from Wrexham to Cardiff, London and the North West of England.
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With all respect,how will it improve the already nine services Wrexham to Cardiff,except for shaving a few minutes on proposed semi fast services,as for London & North West,well that's where a majority of local people travel,all the current proposal offers is two extra paths Wrexham/Chester to include freight and another Cardiff/Holyhead service.
In my opinion, the original plan offered better opportunities, but that was written by rail experts, not Politicians for future growth & employment prospects.
 
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LNW-GW Joint

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Squaddie said:
I really have no idea what it is that the northern contingent on this forum actually wants, other than (seemingly) to moan about everything. The never-ending negativity is extremely wearing.
:roll:
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"Any club that would have me as a member I wouldn't want to join". ;) Groucho Marx

Meanwhile, on the ground, the only work visible is at Saltney Junction.
Plenty of orange suits on the track today, although the only change I could see was a stretch of reballasting (or relaying) on the Down Holyhead just past the Wrexham line junction.
I guess they were using the weekend possession to divert signal cables ready for the new turnout, as there was plenty of wiring out of its troughing.
The two switch panels for the turnout are lying in the cess ready for installation.
Maybe it will go in next weekend.

I'll just add, for the naysayers, that we were held up southbound for 5 minutes waiting for the incoming service to clear the single line. QED.
 
Gareth Marston

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merlodlliw said:
With all respect,how will it improve the already nine services Wrexham to Cardiff,except for shaving a few minutes on proposed semi fast services,as for London & North West,well that's where a majority of local people travel,all the current proposal offers is two extra paths Wrexham/Chester to include freight and another Cardiff/Holyhead service.
In my opinion, the original plan offered better opportunities, but that was written by rail experts, not Politicians for future growth & employment prospects.
Click to expand...

From the Welsh Government website

Enhancements to the North-South Route

Last updated 15 November 2013
We have agreed a £44m scheme with Network Rail to improve the north-south rail links.
This scheme will be delivered by Spring 2015.

The scheme will involve:

doubling the line between Wrexham and Chester
re-doubling 5.5 miles of line between Rossett and Saltney Junction
line speed improvements between Shrewsbury and Gobowen
line speed improvements between Rossett and Chester
upgrading level crossings.
As a result of these enhancements there will be:

an ability to run an extra train every two hours between Holyhead and Cardiff via Wrexham in both directions
a reduction of up to 16 minutes journey time between Holyhead and Cardiff.
 
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ivanhoe

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Squaddie said:
Wrexham redouble doesn't happen: Gareth and Bob complain.
Wrexham redouble is given go-ahead: Gareth and Bob complain.

Welsh government is unwilling to spend money on redouble: Gareth and Bob complain.
Welsh government spends money on redouble: Gareth and Bob complain.

I really have no idea what it is that the northern contingent on this forum actually wants, other than (seemingly) to moan about everything. The never-ending negativity is extremely wearing.

:roll:
Click to expand...

Top Rant Squaddie!
 
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merlodlliw

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Interesting article on the Saltney/Rossett redouble which commenced last week

Written by George Jones,correspondent North Wales Rail website 25th March

The weekend of 22/23 March, saw the lines between Wrexham and Chester and between Rhyl and Chester closed for permanent way work to begin on the redoubling project. I understand that work began at the junction at Saltney. New pointwork lay at trackside last week and the Wrexham booking office staff told us the work involved renewal of the junction. The beginnings of a works compound for the contractors is also evident on the old Saltney sidings area below the railway embankment. Meanwhile trains from the south were terminating in platform 3 at Wrexham General. I observed 158 821 / 822 (above) depart on the 16:01 for Birmingham International.

Rail replacement coaches were parked up at Wrexham on the Sunday, one labelled all stations to Rhyl.
This sort of disruption (only on the Wrexham line after the first few weekends) looks set to continue for most of 2014 while the job progresses, including a 9-day blockade in July or August.
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link http://www.nwrail.org.uk/nwnews.htm
 
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cymro inside

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should be double track layout at Saltney, same as it was from 1980-86,but up line(that is the former gwr up towards Wrexham) points out of use until double track is re-instated.
 
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jones_bangor

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TDK said:
It seems that now the junction has been relaid there is still only one turnout onto the single line? No extra points for the other line?
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It might be that the points were due for routine replacement unconnected to the redoubling?
 
LNW-GW Joint

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jones_bangor said:
It might be that the points were due for routine replacement unconnected to the redoubling?
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The wooden sleepers carrying the existing switches at Saltney Jn were slated as in "moderate to poor condition" in the the NR redoubling report in 2011.
Maybe it's a case of killing two birds with one stone, and this is part one.
I wouldn't know who is paying the renewal bill...
 
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The Planner

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Interesting one, renewals are NR but can be accelerated if something can be had off the back of it as the maintenance guys can get money from a different budget. In the case of this then if it is required as part of the wider scheme then the WG pot could be funding it.
 
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merlodlliw

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The Planner said:
Interesting one, renewals are NR but can be accelerated if something can be had off the back of it as the maintenance guys can get money from a different budget. In the case of this then if it is required as part of the wider scheme then the WG pot could be funding it.
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My AM was at a meeting with the head of Network Rail Wales last week in Cardiff,he was told the Saltney/Rossett redouble was going ahead full steam, so I presume WG are funding the work at Saltney as part of the redouble, had the redouble changes been made public, I am sure what NR should have paid for,would have been pointed out,and perhaps paid for the lost two miles at Wrexham.
It is becoming very evident in my opinion, and to others that this scheme has been messed up big time.
 
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LNW-GW Joint

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The new Up Wrexham turnout has been installed over the weekend at Saltney Jn.
The new track extends 50 yards or so on the ballast towards Wrexham.
There is an impressive 50mph TSR over the new layout, which means normal junction speed for the Wrexham line.

There seem to be two more Sundays of engineering work at the junction (6/13 April).
The posters in the windows at Wrexham and Flint say "no trains between Wrexham and Flint".
No mention of Chester...
 
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