Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

Chrisyd · 30 Jan 2018

Would this method mean you could have more trains on the line at the end of the day when The Open was at Royal Lytham and St Annes?
So when the first train went a second could come from Blackpool South.

I think the station used is Ansdell & Fairhaven

RailUK Forums

42626 · 30 Jan 2018

Noticed this evening that there is now a mast up at Clifton on the station. Will try and get a photo tomorrow.

Elecman · 30 Jan 2018

Chrisyd said:
Would this method mean you could have more trains on the line at the end of the day when The Open was at Royal Lytham and St Annes?
So when the first train went a second could come from Blackpool South.

I think the station used is Ansdell & Fairhaven

It was indeed Ansdell& Fairhaven that was used as the split station, Preston to Ansdell as 1 shuttle and Ansdell to Blackpool South as the other

snowball · 30 Jan 2018

The new issue of Rail (845) has an article about recent signalling changes nationwide. The first half of it is about the Blackpool lines. The diagram of the new layout at Kirkham is obviously wrong as it includes no route from Blackpool South to the up line towards Preston.

LDECRexile · 30 Jan 2018

42626 said:
Noticed this evening that there is now a mast up at Clifton on the station. Will try and get a photo tomorrow.

Splendid

slipdigby · 31 Jan 2018

SansHache said:
The new Pendolino services that will be serving Blackpool from the May timetable change now appear in Realtime Trains. There are 3 return trips from/to Euston Monday-Friday stopping at Rugby, Warrington, Wigan and Preston. These are in addition to the existing daily Voyager service.

Hi SansHache!

Just had a quick look at Opentimetrains and cannot see the existing daily Voyager service (calling Poulton and Kirkham) continuing post May-18? Ditto the VT West Coast boking site. Could you advise as to where you got the above information?

Best regards!
Slip

Chrisyd · 31 Jan 2018

Have been through Bolton this morning and it appears that all the safety fencing etc has been removed from near the lift on Platform 5 so the whole length is now available.

Can someone please confirm as a train rather thoughtlessly pulled into Platform 3 blocking my view.

bonzawe · 31 Jan 2018

snowball said:
The new issue of Rail (845) has an article about recent signalling changes nationwide. The first half of it is about the Blackpool lines. The diagram of the new layout at Kirkham is obviously wrong as it includes no route from Blackpool South to the up line towards Preston.

Traksy shows the missing crossing not shown in Rail

ALX400 · 31 Jan 2018

Just seen on twitter that they are installing foundations at Red Moss in Horwich this weekend, it looked as though all the masts were up along that stretch :rolleyes:

SansHache · 31 Jan 2018

slipdigby said:
Hi SansHache!

Just had a quick look at Opentimetrains and cannot see the existing daily Voyager service (calling Poulton and Kirkham) continuing post May-18? Ditto the VT West Coast boking site. Could you advise as to where you got the above information?

Best regards!
Slip

I did a search on Realtime Trains for Virgin West Coast services at Blackpool North from 21st May. The link below should work. If you click on a specific train you can see the full journey details.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/sea...1/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=VT
I don't think they will be shown on the other booking sites until the end of February.

LDECRexile · 31 Jan 2018

Wrinkley has sent encouraging photos of Farnworth to Kearsley, accompanied by this text:

There is progress at Farnworth and Kearsley .

There are two new masts between the footbridge and the station at Kearsley, plus more cantilevers added to masts south of the station. Also new ballast through the station.

Farnworth tunnel appears to have all the stalactites in place. Still no progress between Rawson Street and the station.

No noticeable changes around Lostock/Ladybridge/Dean Clough area, but the units for the substation should start arriving tomorrow.

I'll post the photos this evening, am up to my ears in family stuff.

LDECRexile · 31 Jan 2018

ALX400 said:
Just seen on twitter that they are installing foundations at Red Moss in Horwich this weekend, it looked as though all the masts were up along that stretch

Aha! That sounds like foundations for the footbridge which will replace the Red Moss foot crossing which has been closed for ages.

If so, that is good news.

snowball · 31 Jan 2018

This is presumably the tweet in question. It doesn't specify what the foundations are for:

https://twitter.com/TheGNRP/status/958655980337852421

LDECRexile · 31 Jan 2018

snowball said:
This is presumably the tweet in question. It doesn't specify what the foundations are for:

https://twitter.com/TheGNRP/status/958655980337852421

Indeed it doesn't, but 1. as ALX says, mast bases have looked complete for a while and 2. the terminology "Red Moss" suggests the crossing.

A pint says it's for a footbridge.....

LDECRexile · 31 Jan 2018

I've snatched an opportunity to add Wrinkley's Farnworth and Kearsley shots to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157654034635234

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you Wrinkley.

GRALISTAIR · 31 Jan 2018

Those are wonderful shots -thanks for doing the upload Dave and thanks for taking them Wrinkley - great work all around

LDECRexile · 31 Jan 2018

Joseph Locke's, Wrinkley's and ALX400's findings enable us to amend the worry list as follows:

1. Missing bases Salford Crescent Platform 2
2. Missing bases Pendleton Old to Cockrobin Bridge
3. Missing bases North of Agecroft Road bridge
4. Structure to be installed between Agecroft Road bridge and Clifton station?
5. Power lines oversailing between M60 and Kearsley?
6. Foot crossings either side of M60, close or bridge? Work bases appear to be in place
7. Stalactites in Farnworth Tunnel? Yes
8. Missing bases Farnworth station to Squeeze Belly Entry footbridge
9. Lever Street footbridge, demolish, replace, leave as is?
10. Missing base Bolton Platform 5
11. Stalactites in Bullfield Tunnel?
12. Missing base(s) between Bullfield Tunnel and Newport Street, Bolton?
13. Big electric kit Lostock Junction
14. Incomplete footbridge Anderton Hall Lane
15. Foot crossing between Horwich and M61, close or bridge? Foundation work may be imminent
16. Missing bases on viaduct south of Chorley? (there may be fixings on the outside of the structure)
17. Stalactites in Chorley Tunnel?

59CosG95 · 31 Jan 2018

LDECRexile said:
13. Big electric kit Lostock Junction

Further to post #6131, Wrinkley's text also suggested the arrival of the "big electric kit" for Lostock Jct was imminent...parts would start arriving tomorrow. An encouraging sign indeed.

LNW-GW Joint · 31 Jan 2018

snowball said:
The new issue of Rail (845) has an article about recent signalling changes nationwide. The first half of it is about the Blackpool lines. The diagram of the new layout at Kirkham is obviously wrong as it includes no route from Blackpool South to the up line towards Preston.

The article confirms that new axle counters are used west of Salwick in the new Manchester ROC control area, so I must have missed them on Monday.
It's also 4-aspect signalling.
The route east of Salwick is still signalled by Preston PSB and has track circuits, though the 3-aspect signal heads have been changed.
Apparently the wiring will not extend into P1 at Kirkham, and only P3 can send trains towards Preston.
The article says none of the new station platforms will be able to handle 11-car Pendolinos, but there is passive provision for extension to 277m to handle them.

snowball · 31 Jan 2018

Great to see the stalactites in Farnworth tunnel!

IanXC · 31 Jan 2018

bonzawe said:
View attachment 42146

Traksy shows the missing crossing not shown in Rail

Am I missing something? How are you getting to the Blackpool lines on traksy - doesn't seem to be in the selection list for maps?

ALX400 · 31 Jan 2018

LDECRexile said:
Aha! That sounds like foundations for the footbridge which will replace the Red Moss foot crossing which has been closed for ages.

If so, that is good news.

I was thinking that but wasn’t sure, Is that the one I photographed with the new fencing being put on the other week

Foggycorner · 31 Jan 2018

The reason for the mix of 3 & 4 aspect signalling Preston Kirkham is down to money
It is far easier to just change existing 3 aspect signals to new LED type and use the existing circuitry in Preston control area
All new signaling Salwick to Blackpool done to new 4 aspect LED signals as it was all done as one job signals controls locs cables and axle counters

Halish Railway · 31 Jan 2018

There's going to be a closure at Manchester Victoria in Easter - https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/n...r-journeys-due-to-manchester-victoria-closure

Does this have anything to do with the electrification work?

59CosG95 · 31 Jan 2018

Halish Railway said:
There's going to be a closure at Manchester Victoria in Easter - https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/n...r-journeys-due-to-manchester-victoria-closure

Does this have anything to do with the electrification work?

Almost certainly. The scope of works remains to be seen, but will be added in on the website in due course.

snowball · 31 Jan 2018

Halish Railway said:
There's going to be a closure at Manchester Victoria in Easter - https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/n...r-journeys-due-to-manchester-victoria-closure

Does this have anything to do with the electrification work?

According to recent discussion on page 9 of the Stalybridge electrification thread it's to lower the tracks leading to platforms 5 and 6 where they pass under Cheetham Hill Road bridge. Apparently they were not included when the platform 3 and 4 tracks were lowered a couple of years ago. There may also be other works as part of the electrification for a few hundred yards eastward out of Victoria, which is all that remains following the cutback of the plan to electrify to Stalybridge.

LDECRexile · 1 Feb 2018

IanXC said:
Am I missing something? How are you getting to the Blackpool lines on traksy - doesn't seem to be in the selection list for maps?

I clicked on Preston and navigated along the route.

LDECRexile · 1 Feb 2018

ALX400 said:
I was thinking that but wasn’t sure, Is that the one I photographed with the new fencing being put on the other week

I reckon so, here's an album of the crossing extracted from the Combined Volume. The captions show how long this has been in limbo.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157663237355427

LDECRexile · 1 Feb 2018

Further to the discussion about the layout at Kirkham and Wesham, the diagram in Traksy and my own observations and photos show signals in both directions from all three platforms at Kirkham and Wesham.

Where would a train heading towards Preston from Platform 1 or Platform 2 go to? As a layman all I can see would be that they could head a few hundred yards towards Preston then come back again, perhaps swapping platforms in the process.

I would have expected a crossover not far on the Preston side of the station so that (say) a train could travel Blackpool South-K&W Platform 2-crossover-Preston. Put another way, the layout as shown allows Preston to B South trains to use Platform 1 or Platform 2; with a crossover as I describe trains from B South to Preston could use Platform 2 or Platform 3, but as shown they can only use Platform 3.

Without such a crossover, what does the bi-directional signalling enable?

bonzawe · 1 Feb 2018

IanXC said:
Am I missing something? How are you getting to the Blackpool lines on traksy - doesn't seem to be in the selection list for maps?

Not sure I understand, I see Blackpool in the search. Go to BPS and scroll will show the current services. It looks to me that the map at BPN has been redrawn ready for the reopening.

Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

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