Engineering work in the Wigan area

Xenophon PCDGS · 20 Oct 2011

From Saturday, 22nd October through to Sunday, 30th October, Network Rail will be replacing eight sets of points, renewing 1,000 metres of trackwork and moving signalling and overhead power line equipment to match the new track layout in Wigan,

One matter that will be of interest to rail enthusiasts, is that during the time of these works, a non-stop service from Manchester Victoria to Wigan North Western will run on an hourly basis, via the proposed route that the Manchester to Scotland EMU services will eventually be taking. I understand that the Northern Rail website will be carrying timetable information about the emergency service provision that will affect services both through Atherton and through Bolton.

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driver9000 · 20 Oct 2011

Timetables are here:

http://www.northernrail.org/news/6925

Services via Atherton are terminating at Hindley and will be operated under Single line working conditions.

MidnightFlyer · 20 Oct 2011

Bearing in mind the first paragraph of the OP is identical to that in the above link, I'm surprised the timetables were missed.

Xenophon PCDGS · 20 Oct 2011

MattE2010 said:
Bearing in mind the first paragraph of the OP is identical to that in the above link, I'm surprised the timetables were missed.

The news that I used to make my posting came from comments that I received during a telephone call from a friend was said to have come from the web site of Manchester Transport. He mentioned that the posting on that web site stated that the special timetables were available on the Northern Rail web site, so I included this information in my posting.

I was totally unaware of the Northern Rail website notice until this appeared in the posting directly under my original posting and I thank driver 9000 for the courtesy of making his posting to provide that particular link for the use of forum members.

I have since telephoned my friend to establish the veracity of his comments made to me during the telephone conversation and he is adamant that he saw the news upon the Manchester Transport website and he too states that he was unaware of the Northern Rail website entry. I trust that you will accept his version of the matter.

dggar · 24 Oct 2011

The 11:26 off Manchester Victoria today was made up of 3 two car pacers.

snail · 24 Oct 2011

Scary!

Xenophon PCDGS · 24 Oct 2011

The Pacer units certainly do not like having to take the route through Parkside Junction :roll:

Incidentally, is there a current speed limit for passenger trains taking this particular route, through Parkside Junction? I ask this with the proposed EMU service from Manchester to Scotland in mind, that will be taking this route. Could any track alignment be improved?

John55 · 24 Oct 2011

The Pacer units certainly do not like having to take the route through Parkside Junction

Incidentally, is there a current speed limit for passenger trains taking this particular route, through Parkside Junction? I ask this with the proposed EMU service from Manchester to Scotland in mind, that will be taking this route. Could any track alignment be improved?

I travelled on this route in both directions today and have to say the passage of the Pacer through the link from Parkside Jcn to Golborne Jcn seemed no more traumatic than any other part of the journey. Although I was surprised to see so many 30ft lengths of rail near Lowton Jcn still in use.

With 3 junctions within about half a mile and a sharp curve going round about 110 degrees there would have to be a new railway built to increase the speed from the Chat Moss direct to the north bound WCML. In particular on the existing route the junction at Golborne has the line from Lowton Jcn joining a highly canted curve on the WCML up fast from the wrong direction. This means a dramatic reversal in cant for a train crossing that junction and would require a complete rebuild to go any faster. I was pleasantly surprised how well the Pacer managed that manoeuvre compared to my memories of the mk1s and mk2s on Liverpool-Scotland trains many years ago which really did not like that rapid change of cant. Perhaps one advantage of a short wheelbase!

gnolife · 24 Oct 2011

The double Sprinter I was on for that on Saturday took the junction from the Chat Moss making squeals worse than a Pacer makes round Skelton Junction in Timperley. It was awful to travel on. At least it was carting at least 3 cars worth of fresh air around, so not to many people had to endure it. It seemed to cope better on the return run though.

Xenophon PCDGS · 24 Oct 2011

gnolife said:
The double Sprinter I was on for that on Saturday took the junction from the Chat Moss making squeals worse than a Pacer makes round Skelton Junction in Timperley. It was awful to travel on. At least it was carting at least 3 cars worth of fresh air around, so not to many people had to endure it. It seemed to cope better on the return run though.

Thanks for your input...I heard the same sounds of complaint from the Pacers that you did. I too was on a train comprised of 2 x Class 142 Pacers. The loadings on our train were quite good when it arrived at platform 3, but it seemed that being half-term, there were more young people on this service than there would have been on a normal school day, at the time that I travelled.

M60lad · 25 Oct 2011

Is there a reason why during these engineering works a service cant run from Manchester Airport-Wigan Northwestern calling at the same places the normal Airport-Southport services would call at ie Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Deansgate then express to Wigan Northwestern.

Also what platforms are the Victoria services using at Wigan Northwestern

Xenophon PCDGS · 25 Oct 2011

M60lad said:
Also what platforms are the Victoria services using at Wigan Northwestern

Platform 6 when I caught my train. There was already a stationary DMU behind it....Liverpool bound?

What are all those works concerned with around platforms 1,2 and 3?

LNW-GW Joint · 25 Oct 2011

Paul Sidorczuk said:
Incidentally, is there a current speed limit for passenger trains taking this particular route, through Parkside Junction? I ask this with the proposed EMU service from Manchester to Scotland in mind, that will be taking this route. Could any track alignment be improved?

Paul, the limit is 20mph from the Chat Moss line (both ends) and through Lowton Jn, but then reduces to 15 where the line singles and through Golborne Jn.
Once over the single line junction with the WCML up line, there is then a 25mph single crossover to reach the down.

This is from the online 2009 Sectional Appendix.
The crossovers to/from the Chat Moss line have only recently been replaced, not sure about the Lowton Jn/Golborne Jn end.

Xenophon PCDGS · 25 Oct 2011

LNW-GW Joint said:
Paul, the limit is 20mph from the Chat Moss line (both ends) and through Lowton Jn, but then reduces to 15 where the line singles and through Golborne Jn.
Once over the single line junction with the WCML up line, there is then a 25mph single crossover to reach the down.

This is from the online 2009 Sectional Appendix.
The crossovers to/from the Chat Moss line have only recently been replaced, not sure about the Lowton Jn/Golborne Jn end.

Thank you for this up-to-date information. I was wondering how the proposed EMU services from Manchester to Scotland would be affected by the current trackwork situation.

As we had passed this section towards the Wigan direction, on the left hand side, I noticed the lines diverging at Bamfurlong junction to Ince Moss junction. What type of traffic uses that particular route these days?

dggar · 25 Oct 2011

Paul Sidorczuk said:
Platform 6 when I caught my train. There was already a stationary DMU behind it....Liverpool bound?

What are all those works concerned with around platforms 1,2 and 3?

I arrived into Wigan on the 11:26 ex Manchester yesterday.
We arrived into platform 6. There was a train to Colne at the north end of the platform, a train to Liverpool (12;08) south of it and then the Manchester train (12:02) Ten coaches in total.

North bound Virgin trains were running about 35 mins late

Xenophon PCDGS · 25 Oct 2011

dggar said:
I arrived into Wigan on the 11:26 ex Manchester yesterday. We arrived into platform 6. There was a train to Colne at the north end of the platform

I was not aware that there were direct trains to Colne from Wigan North Western. I would have thought a change of train at Preston would have been required.

MidnightFlyer · 25 Oct 2011

dggar said:
We arrived into platform 6. There was a train to Colne at the north end of the platform, a train to Liverpool (12;08) south of it and then the Manchester train (12:02) Ten coaches in total.

Paul Sidorczuk said:
I was not aware that there were direct trains to Colne from Wigan North Western. I would have thought a change of train at Preston would have been required.

Correct, no Colne trains from Wigan NW.

p1, 2 and 3 are out of work for platform resurfacing etc. p6 is being used as p4 / 5 would block the main line, and I'm not sure if they are bi-di or not (p6 is).

WatcherZero · 25 Oct 2011

They are increasing the line speed of the junction during electrification works from 15mph to 30mph I think it was. They are also increasing the linespeed of a short section from Huyton to Kenyon or Glazebury, I forget which. Presumably part of the line which isnt on a raft. Something like 75mph to 90mph.

Before the project was greenlit they were considering increasing the whole line speed to 90mph but rejected it, possibly for technical raft related issues.

mullin · 25 Oct 2011

Can anyone tell me what has been in Parbold station today? Besides cutting down vast numbers of trees and resurfacing around the level crossing over the last few days, there was a yellow vehicle parked in the station, running on the lines like a crane with a long extension on one end, but it had tyres on too.

Poss Planner · 25 Oct 2011

Paul Sidorczuk said:
Platform 6 when I caught my train. There was already a stationary DMU behind it....Liverpool bound?

What are all those works concerned with around platforms 1,2 and 3?

Paul,

The work at Wigan NW on the platforms is platforms 1, 2 & 3 is platform refurbishment - new surfacing, copers, drainage etc (similar to that being undertaken at Warrington BQ). The other platforms will also be done but 1, 2 & 3 can be "got at" under cover of the blockade works....

Regards

dggar · 25 Oct 2011

MattE2010 said:
Correct, no Colne trains from Wigan NW.

p1, 2 and 3 are out of work for platform resurfacing etc. p6 is being used as p4 / 5 would block the main line, and I'm not sure if they are bi-di or not (p6 is).

It said Colne on the destination blind on the train.

driver9000 · 26 Oct 2011

dggar said:
It said Colne on the destination blind on the train.

That doesn't necessarily mean its going there. Colne may have been its last destination (or intended) before coming off that circuit. There are no Colne-Wigan NW services. Colne is served exclusively by services to/from Blackpool South (and one early morning service from Blackpool North).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

MattE2010 said:
p1, 2 and 3 are out of work for platform resurfacing etc. p6 is being used as p4 / 5 would block the main line, and I'm not sure if they are bi-di or not (p6 is).

Platforms 4 and 5 at Wigan North Western aren't bi-directional. Platform 6 has been given temporary permissive working status while the works are going on.

WatcherZero · 27 Oct 2011

Bit of good news, the viaduct bridge will be getting a £40,000 facelift, works start next week and will be finished by the first weekend of December. Repainting, pigeon netting, and new street lights underneath. There will be a temporary reduced height clearance of 3.5m while the works done.

For those that dont know what their looking at, thats four bridges carrying between 6-8 tracks of the WCML and the tips of Wigan North Westerns platforms over the road, the road then rises over the Southport and Kirkby lines and thats what the weak bridge sign is refering to.

Xenophon PCDGS · 29 Oct 2011

For those members local to this area, who have not sampled this non-stop Manchester Victoria to Wigan North Western route (and vice-versa), over Chat Moss, round Parkside Junction and up the WCML, Sunday 30th October gives you your last chance. Services are running on a hourly basis.

WatcherZero · 30 Oct 2011

I was going to on Friday, but my alarm clock didnt go off :P

That said I have done it as part of the extra morning high peak service which uses that route.

yorksrob · 30 Oct 2011

I had reason to use the Wigan Flyer yesterday and have to say I was very impressed by the operation. Far preferable to a replacement bus and the chance to get some unusual track in.

Engineering work in the Wigan area

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