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Wrexham redouble

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8H

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A part of Liverpool which is on the Wirral? Is that something like a Wool embassy?

The reason the Wirral is surrounded by water is to keep out the 'orrible "Hodgies"

The escape route via Chester is quicker for many of us than crossing the water anyway and if we had the four tracks Rock Ferry-Ledsham restored and a decent Hooton-Helsby service we need not ever go anywhere near Hodge City ever:D
 
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snowball

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From the new (May) Modern Railways, p. 16:

Network Rail has not denied a claim that the second track on the Wrexham-Chester line will remain out of use until December.

... A local WA member said ... NR had discovered ... that a signal cabling duct, which was expected to be available for new cables, was filled with concrete.
 

fflint

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What a totally unmitigated mess this whole sorry saga has been from the announcement in October 2013 to now. Network rail has let down the Welsh taxpayer and rail users and gives credence to those who have complained about their management skills. What with the whole sorry story of the electrification projects, delays and the wasted money for the HOPS train, they seem to shoot themselves in the foot time after time.

Why didn't the WAG put in a completion clause in to the contract before handing the money over ( please tell me they have or at least only paid a deposit ) or have they, as in other similar misuses of funds, shown their total lack of financial acumen yet again?
 

ian959

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Why didn't the WAG put in a completion clause in to the contract before handing the money over ( please tell me they have or at least only paid a deposit ) or have they, as in other similar misuses of funds, shown their total lack of financial acumen yet again?

How exactly do you propose that should be done given WAG don't own the track nor the land upon which the track will be laid?
 

fflint

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Work started March 2015 - possibly finished July 2017? Cost 44 millions for 5.5 miles. The only ones taken for a ride so far are Edwina Hart and WAG. You couldn't make it up if you tried:roll:
 

Rhydgaled

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Work started March 2015 - possibly finished July 2017? Cost 44 millions for 5.5 miles. The only ones taken for a ride so far are Edwina Hart and WAG. You couldn't make it up if you tried:roll:
Compare that to the Duffryn West to Cockett West redouble, which came in at a similar 40 odd million pounds I believe, which included a brand new bridge across the Loughor river and, I seem to recall, was done in well under a year. I wonder if the same part of Network Rail was responsible for both projects.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Compare that to the Duffryn West to Cockett West redouble, which came in at a similar 40 odd million pounds I believe, which included a brand new bridge across the Loughor river and, I seem to recall, was done in well under a year. I wonder if the same part of Network Rail was responsible for both projects.

It's confusing, because although there is a "Wales Route", the Wrexham-Saltney section of line is part of LNW Route.
However, I think the debate has moved on now, and proper devolution of rail infrastructure funding to Cardiff will make NR pay attention in the next CP round (and give WG more control over how money is spent).
The Halton Curve debate has also moved on and is now part of the wider capacity planning process in the area.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If I read the paned-leaves correctly, the Transport portfolio in the Welsh Government has now moved from Edwina Hart to Ken Skates.
Edwina is out of the Cabinet. She seems to have been be well-regarded but I don't think her performance on rail was at all stellar.

Ken Skates is described at Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure.
The media chat is all about the M4 relief road, but presumably rail infrastructure is part of his portfolio.
You'd also presume that the Wales & Borders franchise is also in his brief.
Ken is AM for Clwyd South (Llangollen, South Wrexham and around).
It seems he grew up only a few miles from where I live.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Skates

At first sight he seems just the right person to promote the Saltney-Wrexham redouble completion, and the Halton Curve opportunities.
Not to mention North Wales electrification.

PS More evidence of business growth in the Chester area, which should flow through to rail services.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-36344555
 
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fflint

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Good Idea LNW-GW, but wouldn't the gauntleted track be more likely to lead to safety concerns via a head on than single track working? I don't know for sure cos I'm not an expert.
The state of Gresford bank, it's environs and doubling the bridge would cost most of WAG's limited rail budget to do, mind Network rail would be glad to take it on as it would be a nice little earner for them like the redouble.
What a crazy situation it is when we've got a dual track line between Wrexham and Bidston with hardly any use and the services between Wrexham , Chester and points north and south are restrained:roll:
We're paying for the short term thinking when the A483 dual carriage way was built:roll:
 
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furnessvale

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Good Idea LNW-GW, but wouldn't the gauntleted track be more likely to lead to safety concerns via a head on than single track working? I don't know for sure cos I'm not an expert.

No reason why it should. It is the interlocking of signals that provides protection, not the physical separation of trains.
 

Phil from Mon

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ATW are advising of weekend disruptions between Shrewsbury and Newport for the next few weeks due to track and signalling upgrades. Is this anything to do with the 90mph line speed improvements?
 

Rydon

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I hear its put back with work for a week 25thMarch 2017 Wxm to Ctr on commissioning the crossings and a further closure 8-10th April Shrewsbury to Gobowen.
 

Jona26

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Latest update from the BBC today confirms 2017...

Delayed upgrades to the railway line between Wrexham and Chester will start in spring.
Work, which will see the track double between Rossett and Saltney junction, was meant to be finished by 2015.
North Wales AM Mark Isherwood said he was pleased, but found it "disappointing it has taken so long."
Network Rail said it had been working with train operators and local authorities to get the track access required for the project.
In November 2015, the company blamed "setbacks" for further delays which pushed the completion date for work back to 2016.
Mr Isherwood said: "The delays have been incredibly frustrating for passengers who travel between Wrexham and Chester. I will be keeping a close eye on progress, ensuring that my constituents aren't further let down."
The scheme will see 5.5 miles (8.9km) of track doubled, enabling more train services to operate every hour.
Level crossings at Green Lane, Balderton, Pulford and Broad Oak are also being upgraded.
A Network Rail spokesman said: "We will continue to update passengers, the local community and elected representatives of our progress as we work with our industry partners to reduce journey times and enable more trains to run between north and south Wales, as well as delivering significant safety improvements to four level crossings between Wrexham and Chester."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-37035905
 

Signal Head

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Possibly something to do with having rushed the job initially, and installed a pile of signalling kit to 'draft' drawings, which were then found to be wrong, or had to change for some reason, so quite a bit of the installed kit had to be uninstalled, then reinstalled again.

Allegedly.
 

driver_m

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"The delays have been incredibly frustrating for passengers who travel between Wrexham and Chester"...

Really?

'The delays have been incredibly frustrating for drivers who have been sat at the signal waiting for the single line to clear between Wrexham and Chester.'

Fixed that quote for him ;)
 

kieron

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'The delays have been incredibly frustrating for drivers who have been sat at the signal waiting for the single line to clear between Wrexham and Chester.'

Fixed that quote for him ;)
Perhaps Mark Isherwood never received your letter. ;)
 

Phil from Mon

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The usually authoritative North Wales Coast website is reporting that the line will close between Chester and Wrexham from March 24 to April 1 2017 to connect the 13 km of replaced cabling into the existing systems and allow the work to be commissioned. I'll believe it when I see it.
 

krus_aragon

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The usually authoritative North Wales Coast website is reporting that the line will close between Chester and Wrexham from March 24 to April 1 2017 to connect the 13 km of replaced cabling into the existing systems and allow the work to be commissioned. I'll believe it when I see it.

Good news to hear. News apparently came vias the Shrewsbury-Chester Rail Users' Association. Here's a link to the issue: 21 November 2016
 

fflint

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Like Phil from Mon I will believe it when I see it. 14 kms of new rail, some crossings and signalling, any of the preservation societies could have done it in that time and still had change. ( I do admit they would have to bring in contractors for some parts)!
March 2014 to March 2017 to finish the job, it's about the norm for Network rail, look at the state of their other projects. I will admit they are very good at repairs e.g. Dawlish and Dover, but near useless at bringing projects in on time and within budget. While I'm on the rant, please don't let them run the Valleys upgrade, get something like the people who have built Crossrail to do it.
The Welsh government have, as I've said before, been taken ride with this project. I can remember when many on this thread were excited at the news, little did we think it be so long in fulfilment.
 
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