I'm aware that it was reported in the 'Bolton News' that services to Stalybridge had been affected, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Neither does there seem to be any truth in the assertion that Manchester Airport to Barrow services were affected.
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Springs Branch stabling sidings project
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I'm aware that it was reported in the 'Bolton News' that services to Stalybridge had been affected, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Neither does there seem to be any truth in the assertion that Manchester Airport to Barrow services were affected.
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Indeed, I would have thought that coupling & uncoupling, like preparation, would be something which would be covered to oblivion before a driver was let loose on the network at all. I mean coupling, particularly, is something that might suddenly be needed at any time.
As to Wigan drivers being in any way deficient, well I know it's only recently that 319s have stabled overnight in the Wigan area, but, to the best of my knowledge, Wigan drivers have driven 319s, day in, day out, for years.
The 0808 departure from Wigan to Stalybridge skipped Hindley, Westhoughton, and all stops between Bolton and Salford.
The 'Bolton News' article did expressly refer to departures from Wigan North Western, but I accept that the interruption to the 0808 ex-Wallgate was almost certainly a consequence of the cancellation of the 0717 ex-Southport, which should have been a Springs Branch start.
In respect of the 0808 (0730 ex-Southport), RTT does give arrival and departure times in respect of Westhoughton, Moses Gate, and Farnworth, but they are definitely suspect, and if you say the train didn't actually stop, I'm happy to accept that.
It was short formed due to the palaver at Springs Branch, on top of the previous ex-Southport being cancelled. Thus, it was standing room only before it got to Wigan. From Wigan, the intermediate stops were cancelled due to said overcrowding.
The 0823 Wigan NW - airport was then overcrowded with ex-Southport refugees from the cancelled 0750 Alderley Edge.
I ended up on an almost deserted 0825 Wallgate - Blackburn service, which was actually rather pleasent. Hopefully people won't catch on that the Leeds and Blackburn services, now they're starting at Wallgate, are really quiet
WatcherZero
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Yeah ive seen them run non stop to Salford a couple of times as a service recovery operation.
I catch the Leeds service every morning and yeah a couple of people have been caught out by the switch from North Western to Wallgate. There generally is more capacity on Wallgate services (as weve gone from Single/double pacer to 3 occasionally 4 car Sprinter) and im enjoying the refurbished Sprinters with better seats and tables (Or I would if I could actually get my feet past the pillar as the seat-table gap is half the length of my feet) but the Southport originating Alderley Edge service has got more crowded.
I catch the Leeds service every morning and yeah a couple of people have been caught out by the switch from North Western to Wallgate. There generally is more capacity on Wallgate services (as weve gone from Single/double pacer to 3 occasionally 4 car Sprinter) and im enjoying the refurbished Sprinters with better seats and tables (Or I would if I could actually get my feet past the pillar as the seat-table gap is half the length of my feet) but the Southport originating Alderley Edge service has got more crowded.
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When 319 training was being done there were often only single units available, or at Allerton at the time the juice was often switched off during the day preventing any coupling (and most other practical) training.
For drivers who had only coupled or uncoupled BSI couplers before, eg most Northern drivers bar Picc men who had experience of the tightlock couplers on 323s, it was deemed necessary that practical training (physically doing it) was needed as well as a practical assessment to prove competence.
Coupling training covers attaching, detaching, manually uncoupling, coupling in degraded mode (effects of drumswitch positions), coupler faults etc. There are extra steps to the coupling process on a tightlock vs a BSI coupler and the units handle differently - trying to control some units at low speed takes quite a lot of skill to avoid damage as anyone who has ever coupled 195s will attest.
So if it wasn't possible for some drivers to do the practical training and assessment they weren't deemed competent to perform coupling or uncoupling on 319s.
I haven't managed to connect what happened at Springs Branch with the short-forming of the 0730 ex-Southport, the stock for which, I was surprised to discover, now originates at Allerton.
If the 0717 ex-Southport was cancelled, I would expect the 0730 to be standing room only (at least) by Wigan, whether it was short-formed or not. What was the formation, and what should it have been?
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I see today's 0656 Wigan NW - Leeds is already showing as cancelled. The 0717 Southport - Alderley Edge is showing as formed of two carriages vice four.
The cancellation of the 0656 looks to be a consequence of last night's 2018 Leeds - Wigan NW being terminated at Manchester Victoria. The 0656 is showing as being cancelled all the way to Leeds, though. The return 0917 Leeds - Wigan Wallgate is shown as running (atm).
The cancellation of the 0656 looks to be a consequence of last night's 2018 Leeds - Wigan NW being terminated at Manchester Victoria. The 0656 is showing as being cancelled all the way to Leeds, though. The return 0917 Leeds - Wigan Wallgate is shown as running (atm).
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WatcherZero
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Apparently platforms 2 & 3 at North Western will be lengthened this year to allow longer electric trains to reverse into Springs Branch.
Anyone with access to the sectional appendix what length are they after they were rebuilt a couple of years ago? The 2009 copy says they were 77m each so I presume they received some slight lengthening to accommodate the 80m 319'/350's.
Anyone with access to the sectional appendix what length are they after they were rebuilt a couple of years ago? The 2009 copy says they were 77m each so I presume they received some slight lengthening to accommodate the 80m 319'/350's.
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That's going to be a challenge. I'm not sure there's space to extend them south without making pretty major alterations to the track/junction layout. And, extending them northward (i.e. removing part of the 'island' to make them longer) would mean demolishing the waiting room - which would then need replacing somewhere else.
Given the intention has always been to remodel the station as part of HS2, I do wonder whether extending 2&3 is really worth the hassle.
Why the need? An EMU of any length can reverse in P1 or P6.
Do 319s and 350s fit in P2/P3? I'm sure they're never scheduled into either of those platforms.
2 x 150 can definitely fit in platform 2, a regular occurrence before last December, and I'm pretty sure platform 3 also. So, I would assume 319/769 would fit, since they're essentially the same. Not sure about the length of a 350.
splashoutradio
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According to the "LNW Rules of the Plan" (the data used here: http://www.railwaydata.co.uk/stations/overview/?TLC=WGN), P2 & P3 both have 78 meters of usable platform between the signals and the buffer stops, with P2 an extra 22m & P3 an extra 63.5m after the signal. Like Mathew says, it'll likely be a big job to change this, given the station layout.
That sounds about right. 2x 150 can't fit within the signals in the bays, 156 & 142 just squeezes in. There is also 'electric trains stop here' signage well before the buffer stops so that would need OHLE work to be done. Perhaps the layout means that either the Exchange Sidings (next to the Up Passenger Loop) will have to go or the platforms will be extended towards the north end - not good news for the unusual octagonal waiting room.
To be fair, I wouldn't lose any sleep over the waiting room going, and a simple extension/refurbishment of the main station building would seem to provide ample accomodation for a replacement.
It does sound like an expensive project though, and I do wonder whether the benefit would ever justify the costs.
jonesy3001
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Do you think NR will wire up the lostock to wigan line now springs branch is open?
I don't think the existence of Springs Branch will make it any more likely the above line will be electrified. If anything, Springs Branch does more for DMUs than EMUs, since, for the first time in many years, there is now a fuelling point in the Wigan area.
Joseph_Locke
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That's a new one?
Joseph_Locke
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Its on the DSF list for CP6.
It was in the HS2 plans that were distributed a while ago. I forget exactly which plan and when, though.
WatcherZero
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Its also featured prominently in local transport strategies going back several years.
That may well be, but the opening of Springs Branch Stabling Sidings doesn't alter that situation, for better or for worse, that I can see.
Class 170101
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Surely though one doesn't need to lengthen platforms to allow a longer ECS to reverse into s set of carriage sidings?
Just travel beyond the signal and then reverse in?
Just travel beyond the signal and then reverse in?
In the current issue of 'Rail', it is stated that 'the depot was due to be officially launched on February 7'. Something must have happened on that day, did some famous person come to 'open' it?
One change that there has been, as of tomorrow (Monday 17/2/20) there is an extra EMU diagram being supplied from Springs, its first public journey is 0702 Wigan NW - Liverpool (via NLW). Up to yesterday 15/2/20 the unit for this diagram had come ECS from Blackpool North CMD.
I haven't been able to find any trace of a corresponding working back to depot in an evening, but, of necessity being an ECS move, one can appear on the data feed at any time.
One change that there has been, as of tomorrow (Monday 17/2/20) there is an extra EMU diagram being supplied from Springs, its first public journey is 0702 Wigan NW - Liverpool (via NLW). Up to yesterday 15/2/20 the unit for this diagram had come ECS from Blackpool North CMD.
I haven't been able to find any trace of a corresponding working back to depot in an evening, but, of necessity being an ECS move, one can appear on the data feed at any time.
Class 170101
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Sorry DSF List?
Anything approaching from the south has to go to Wigan NW and reverse there, so it seems likely that this is dictated by the signalling.
There's been a bit of exchange about lengthening P2/P3 at North Western in posts 101-7 above.
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Karl
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Neither could I find any ECS movement bringing the extra EMU to Springs Branch, so I thought that, just for the one day, it might come ECS from Blackpool North CMD as hitherto, but no, the 0702 was simply cancelled instead!
The following journey on the same route, the 0806 ex-Wigan NW, unusually departed P2 at NW this morning rather than the more normal P1. So whatever rolling stock was used, it obviously fitted into P2.
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