Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[superkev]

Yet another Blackpool YouTube vid from nodrog

.
Pity network rail don't have a webcam.
Also isn't the tramway link supposed to be done before the start of the summer season. Not heard of any progress here.
K

 

[Elecman]

The switching substations are just north of Clifton Station, Lostock Parkway Station Carpark and Blackrod just north of the station, all on the Downside

 

[Elecman]

The tramway works have started on Talbot road. Pity they ripped the old tracks out less than 4 years ago, 5hey shoul£ hav3 left them till now and done the job in 1 go. But hey ho it’s Blackpool living upto it’s motto. Progress.

 

[snowball]

The tramway works have started on Talbot road. Pity they ripped the old tracks out less than 4 years ago, 5hey shoul£ hav3 left them till now and done the job in 1 go. But hey ho it’s Blackpool living upto it’s motto. Progress.

It appears Blackpool Council is taking a risk in starting these works when Transport and Works Act appoval for the tramway extension has not been received from the DfT. See this post that I've just made in the Blackpool Trams thread:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/blackpool-trams.120986/page-4#post-3213443

 

[LDECRexile]

Reg has followed up with another shot at Bolton West, this one showing a new base next to the platform 4 line.

I've added it to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157671732263863

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Reg.

Please see trackman's very welcome correction to my caption to Photo 8720m. That breaks the duck for bases between the bridges immediately west of Bolton. Yippee!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

An outstanding day out with Dave aka LDECREXILE today and we covered Fylde Jct to Blackpool North and Dave will post photos some time in the next few days. Unfortunately my photography and computer skills were lacking and some of my photos will be missing. Huge amounts of activity and progress. Masting is almost complete with just a short length either side of Kirkham missing and also Blackpool North . Masting looks complete at Layton but also missing at Tulketh viaduct but mainly complete. Endanglyment of most masts I would say is about 80% complete too. No wires yet. Loads of spoil trains. Loads of signal work in progress. Poulton , Kirkham and Salwick boxes still standing . More to follow.

 

[LDECRexile]

Seriously fab day with Gralistair, will take a while to process our 4 zillion photos.

Meanwhile ALX400 has kindly sent shots of increasingly dangly metalwork at Chorley.

I've added them to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651121057352

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you ALX.

 

[snowball]

From the Twitter feed, another video:

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/934032512778633217

and a picture of a new set of points somewhere on the South line:

https://twitter.com/TheGNRP/status/933779972086484992

 

[Senex]

There seems to be an awful lot of news from Network Rail on the Preston-Blackpool modernisation and electrification which seems to be going so well, but much less about fiasco of Manchester-Euxton with all its delays. When was the original date it was promised for?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There seems to be an awful lot of news from Network Rail on the Preston-Blackpool modernisation and electrification which seems to be going so well, but much less about fiasco of Manchester-Euxton with all its delays. When was the original date it was promised for?

In Dec 2009, Andrew Adonis announced Huyton-Wigan, Ordsall Lane-Euxton and Preston-Blackpool, "opening in sequence between 2014 and 2016".
By the time the first real CP5 plans were published, the Bolton route was Dec 2016 (with Blackpool being Mar 2017 because of the scale of rebuild needed).
The Chat Moss and Wigan phases came in reasonably to time (Dec 2013/Mar 2015), but then NR lost a year without really admitting it, over contractual issues.
The slippage was masked by the bigger GW problems and the Hendy review.
It then became Dec 2017 (Mar 2018 for Blackpool), but this at one time also included Victoria-Stalybridge.
Now it looks like May 2018 for both schemes (plus a few hundred yards east of Victoria).

 

[Viscount702]

But the question is why are NR on their GNRP (whatever that is) twitter page doing sometimes multiple daily tweets on Preston- Blackpool but absolutely nothing for months on Manchester- Preston. I don't think it will be ready by May and a post some weeks back on this forum indicated that NR internally were suggesting it won't be ready.

I have come to the conclusion that ground conditions etc are not the real issue. What I think is that political or other pressures are insisting that Blackpool has to be ready by May so Virgin can run a few Pendos to Euston and that has priority over the rest of the North. There are as we know limited resources (bearing in mind GW electrification) and these are being concentrated on the Blackpool end.

 

[snowball]

But the question is why are NR on their GNRP (whatever that is) twitter page doing sometimes multiple daily tweets on Preston- Blackpool but absolutely nothing for months on Manchester- Preston.

Because there's currently a complete closure at Blackpool so they can do a lot.

 

[Viscount702]

Because there's currently a complete closure at Blackpool so they can do a lot.

That is irrelevant.

The fact that there hasn't been any tweets or info given out by NR for months on Manchester -Preston upgrade/electrification leaves me to the conclusion that it won't be finished even by May and they don't want to admit it (happened before on this section). If that is so where does that leave the whole of the May 18 timetable change without the cascade of diesels which should be happening consequent on Manchester -Preston electrification and the continued delay in getting units from GW and LM

 

[Jonny]

That is irrelevant.

The fact that there hasn't been any tweets or info given out by NR for months on Manchester -Preston upgrade/electrification leaves me to the conclusion that it won't be finished even by May and they don't want to admit it (happened before on this section). If that is so where does that leave the whole of the May 18 timetable change without the cascade of diesels which should be happening consequent on Manchester -Preston electrification and the continued delay in getting units from GW and LM

That's assuming that they've not been getting on with it and keeping quiet. Even in the worst case scenario, all that would be needed is service-splitting at Preston and there would still be a load of cascade-able units available.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Blackpool work is more time-critical as it involves major remodelling and resignalling as well as electrification.
Once you close a route for 4 months you really have to finish punctually.
I can't really fathom why progress on the Bolton route has been (and continues to be) so patchy, but I doubt pork-barrel politics comes into it.
It seems to be a sequence of technical/contractual issues that have held things up.
Cutting Stalybridge back also suggests there is a resource problem.

 

[TBSchenker]

I’ve said the same about the route via Bolton. They have had night closures for over a year, and either Sunday blocks or all weekend blocks in the last few months.

Chorley Tunnel/Flying Arches remains a critical piece of the jigsaw, no signs of any work in that area as of yet.

 

[Senex]

It seems to be a sequence of technical/contractual issues that have held things up.

But why has this line been so bad in that respect, and how many of the problems could/should have been foreseen?

Cutting Stalybridge back also suggests there is a resource problem.

Could this actually be a sensible decision rather than a resource problem? If we really are going to get an announcement of a proper upgrade of the Manchester-Leeds line, then it's only sensible not to electrify to Stalybridge before the possible realignments are done. Or is that attributing a degree of rationality to DfT/Grayling/NR that is a bit too much?

 

[superkev]

The Blackpool work is more time-critical as it involves major remodelling and resignalling as well as electrification.
Once you close a route for 4 months you really have to finish punctually.
I can't really fathom why progress on the Bolton route has been (and continues to be) so patchy, but I doubt pork-barrel politics comes into it.
It seems to be a sequence of technical/contractual issues that have held things up.
Cutting Stalybridge back also suggests there is a resource problem.

The Blackpool work is more time-critical as it involves major remodelling and resignalling as well as electrification.
Once you close a route for 4 months you really have to finish punctually.
I can't really fathom why progress on the Bolton route has been (and continues to be) so patchy, but I doubt pork-barrel politics comes into it.
It seems to be a sequence of technical/contractual issues that have held things up.
Cutting Stalybridge back also suggests there is a resource problem.

Could someone enlighten me what "pork belly politics is"

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Could someone enlighten me what "pork belly politics is"

Pork barrel politics is an American term. See Bridge to Nowhere. Politicians get credit and adulation for spending money even if not needed. They get hate for cutting and trimming fat. They like to spend and fatten the pig rather than trimming fat/cost .

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Could someone enlighten me what "pork belly politics is"

In this context, it would apply if Blackpool was electrified because its MP (Paul Maynard, Blackpool North and Cleveleys) happens to be Rail Minister.
It wasn't, the decision was taken by a Labour DfT (2009) and confirmed by the Con-Lib coalition (2011) before Maynard was appointed.
Similarly, I don't believe it is getting preference so that Virgin can run Euston-Blackpool (suggested upthread).
The Blackpool project was in gestation for a long time, but seems to have benefitted on the ground as a result.
In fact it followed the model that Mark Carne now prefers - do your detailed planning before sending the diggers in.
The Bolton project has been going for something like 3 years on site, and has had several setbacks.
Hendy cut the overall CP5 project funding which was probably why Stalybridge was cut, but NR was not in a position to complete it anyway.
The whole project might have been impacted by resources diverting to bail out the GW scheme, which is much more political.

 

[edwin_m]

Chorley Tunnel/Flying Arches remains a critical piece of the jigsaw, no signs of any work in that area as of yet.

We established on here some years ago, possibly on this very thread, that the rebuild of the flying arches at the time allowed for OLE supports simply to be bolted to them when ready. So there will be no bases or steelwork to look out for in this area - it will go straight to "danglies". I don't recall what solution was chosen for the tunnel.

 

[LDECRexile]

Gralistair and I "did" Preston to Blackpool North yesterday.

I've added Graham's photos to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651259517065

and all our shots to the Combined Volume here:

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

What a cracking day we had, we found a good pair of viewing points at Blackpool, too, both safe, legit and next to the action. Please see photos.

 

[Kendalian]

Allowing for testing/staff training etc, for electric trains to be running from May 2018 timetable change, (Manchester-Euxton) the work would have to be completed by mid February? That's just about do able I reckon, but no allowances left for bad weather etc.
How long is this taking to do? It's 3 years since the project started to wire approx 45 route miles (through to Blackpool) and not finished.
BR wired Hitchin-Edinburgh, Doncaster-Leeds, Edinburgh-Carstairs and Drem-North Berwick, about 425 route miles, in 7 years, but BR was "deeply inefficient" to quote Sir John Major. Perhaps he could give us his opinion on the current electrification fiascos?

 

[Railrover700]

Gralistair and I "did" Preston to Blackpool North yesterday.

I've added Graham's photos to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651259517065

and all our shots to the Combined Volume here:

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

What a cracking day we had, we found a good pair of viewing points at Blackpool, too, both safe, legit and next to the action. Please see photos.

Splendid job! A great record of the amazing progress that has been made over the last week or so. Loved the videos at Kirkham. Any idea why work is being done on Darkinson Lane bridge? Minor correction - St. Mark's Rd not St. Mary's.

 

[LDECRexile]

Splendid job! A great record of the amazing progress that has been made over the last week or so. Loved the videos at Kirkham. Any idea why work is being done on Darkinson Lane bridge? Minor correction - St. Mark's Rd not St. Mary's.

Thanks for the bouquet.

Thanks for the correction, now corrected.

As per the captions, we believe the work on Sidgreaves/Darkinson and other bridges is to raise the parapets to conform to revised regulations. That was confirmed to us at Lea Lane bridge by one of the Orangemen doing the work.

 

[Railrover700]

Thanks for the bouquet.

Thanks for the correction, now corrected.

As per the captions, we believe the work on Sidgreaves/Darkinson and other bridges is to raise the parapets to conform to revised regulations. That was confirmed to us at Lea Lane bridge by one of the Orangemen doing the work.

Thanks for the clarification. I was not expecting this work to be necessary - maybe quite a few more will need modifications.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well since the line is under blockade I thought there would be progress each day. I drove my daughters down TB Way in the dark last night and there was a road railer with a mast so I assume it was going up last night. When I went today there definitely seems a few extra masts up between Fylde Junction and Darkinson Lane since Dave and my jaunt Friday. I also went to Spen Lane which is between Salwick and Carr Lane bridge in Treales since Dave and I missed on our jaunt Friday. I have sent some photos to Dave so I assume he will post soon. I am traveling back to Dayton tomorrow so I will not be photographing in the area until December 22nd. We have loads of photographers contributing to this thread so no worries

 

[LDECRexile]

Well since the line is under blockade I thought there would be progress each day. I drove my daughters down TB Way in the dark last night and there was a road railer with a mast so I assume it was going up last night. When I went today there definitely seems a few extra masts up between Fylde Junction and Darkinson Lane since Dave and my jaunt Friday. I also went to Spen Lane which is between Salwick and Carr Lane bridge in Treales since Dave and I missed on our jaunt Friday. I have sent some photos to Dave ....

..and here they are, in Graham's album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651259517065

and in the Combined Volume:

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

With this weekend's contributions Graham has passed the 300 photo mark. Pretty darned good for someone only here a few days each year.

Have a good flight. I look forward to another fine jaunt just after Yule.

 

[turboslug]

I didnt think chat moss would of been ready as i was travelling over it most days from advantage of cab view, i remember them announcing that it was finished when i knew there was a gap west of Astley box, 4 days later it was done & trains ran from date advertised, i think it will be open on time the main areas are mostly done, the masts will appear quickly & the wiring if together a good run wont take long, the tunnels bridges & stations are done, on chat moss wiring finished only few weeks before services ran & they were testing trains up to week before, also new signalling is being put in or mostly in, when lostock to Bolton is wired you see how much quicker rest of line is done, when is lostock to Wigan due to be done, in the long term I can see stalybridge getting done plus windermere will eventually get done as hard work is done

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I agree that wiring will not take long but the worry is that some bases are still missing. If bad weather continues it could ve a struggle. Blackpool to Preston section though is making amazing progress.