Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Magicake]

The bad news is that work appears to have stopped some time ago on Yarrow Viaduct. Bill Morton and I corresponded after his photos yesterday and what he described of the more northerly workings on the viaduct it looks as if work came to an abrupt halt shortly after my last photoset there on 22nd March. The blokes doing the work appeared to be specialist subcontractors, were they victims of the Carillion collapse?

I have heard rumours of a large void discovered inside the viaduct, is it possible that this might be leading to the delay?

Also on the grapevine it's being suggested that the delay to energising Preston to Blackpool is down to significant cable theft. Unconfirmed but a great shame if so.

Thanks as ever for all the updates.

 

[59CosG95]

I have heard rumours of a large void discovered inside the viaduct, is it possible that this might be leading to the delay?

Also on the grapevine it's being suggested that the delay to energising Preston to Blackpool is down to significant cable theft. Unconfirmed but a great shame if so.

Thanks as ever for all the updates.

I think that was mentioned further upthread, can't quite remember where.

 

[LDECRexile]

An authoritative Orangeman has told me to say that switch on is scheduled for 6th May, to be followed by test runs by a Pendolino, not MENTOR. S/he will tell me when the date for these runs is known and I will publish it.

On Chat Moss a Pendolino with extra equipment was used for some testing, as per these films (look out for an upward-pointing searchlight illuminating a pantograph in action):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157691411522805

 

[furnessvale]

Also on the grapevine it's being suggested that the delay to energising Preston to Blackpool is down to significant cable theft. Unconfirmed but a great shame if so.

Sadly engineers (and many other sectors of society) are very naive when it comes to matters of crime.

You cannot string up miles of copper wire, leave it unenergised for months and expect the 40 thieves not to assist in its removal. It should be part of the engineering design that such structures are powered up ASAP after installation.

 

[edwin_m]

Sadly engineers (and many other sectors of society) are very naive when it comes to matters of crime.

You cannot string up miles of copper wire, leave it unenergised for months and expect the 40 thieves not to assist in its removal. It should be part of the engineering design that such structures are powered up ASAP after installation.

I belive they try to do that for trams but it's extremely difficult for AC electrification as the feeder station may be tens of miles away and all the wiring in between must be intact (or "extension leads" provided) for the power to reach the section in question. This would mean having to install the wire starting at the feeder end and working away from it, rather than the apparently random process they use today. Which in turn almost certainly has some reasoning behind it that we aren't privy to, so working in a "logical" way from one end to the other is likely to make it take even longer.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Haven't they had cases in the past where railway staff or contractors/suppliers "in the know" were party to cable theft?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Haven't they had cases in the past where railway staff or contractors/suppliers "in the know" were party to cable theft?

I would be willing to bet most if not all cable theft has some insider knowledge.

 

[furnessvale]

I belive they try to do that for trams but it's extremely difficult for AC electrification as the feeder station may be tens of miles away and all the wiring in between must be intact (or "extension leads" provided) for the power to reach the section in question. This would mean having to install the wire starting at the feeder end and working away from it, rather than the apparently random process they use today. Which in turn almost certainly has some reasoning behind it that we aren't privy to, so working in a "logical" way from one end to the other is likely to make it take even longer.

Correct. The present method of installation is based around engineering convenience.

When the cost of theft rises to the point where alternative engineering solutions would be cheaper perhaps they will change the engineering. Until then they will have to bear the cost.

 

[furnessvale]

Haven't they had cases in the past where railway staff or contractors/suppliers "in the know" were party to cable theft?

Certainly arrests have been made amongst railway staff and contractors in the past.

Mind you the railway doesn't help itself at times. When the Woodhead was switched off, the threat of theft was considered so great in some areas that BR took down the wires ASAP. They then left the wire coiled at the trackside for later collection! YES, you guessed it, the wire was collected and the 40 thieves were most grateful to BR for all the effort they had saved them!

 

[Buspilot]

I have just returned from the UK, actually, Blackpool and Manchester and have had the misfortune to have used the one train per hour between Blackpool North and Manchester Airport on several occasions. To put it mildly, it is a shambles and is having knock on effects of inconveniencing passengers using Preston on other services. Trains are quite often late or cancelled at short notice and unfortunate passengers forced on to Blackpool Corporation's double deck buses, providing the rail replacement service, with connections at Preston then not possible and journey times extended/rerouted as a result. Having seen the number of buses allocated to this replacement service, one does wonder as to how much Northern have paid as there are always more than sufficient vehicles parked at Preston and Blackpool North. Is this why Northern feel free to cancel services?
At Preston, on three occasions, I had to change platform for a service, as 142 units allocated for training drivers to Blackpool were blocking platforms, with no drivers allocated to train on them or move them. A Virgin Trains dispatcher assured me that it was a quite frequent occurence, as was drivers arriving for training and there being no units for them to drive.

On the subject of cable theft in the area, I attempted to get to Fleetwood by tram last Saturday. However trams were not going past Bispham, as the overhead line had been stolen during the night. It appears the the power was turned off after the last tram had got back to the depot the night before.

 

[LDECRexile]

ALX400 has dropped me a line to say that the footbridge which has replaced Anderton Hall foot crossing is now officially open to the public.

 

[59CosG95]

ALX400 has dropped me a line to say that the footbridge which has replaced Anderton Hall foot crossing is now officially open to the public.

That's the one near Red Moss, isn't it?

 

[Malay States]

I have just returned from the UK, actually, Blackpool and Manchester and have had the misfortune to have used the one train per hour between Blackpool North and Manchester Airport on several occasions. To put it mildly, it is a shambles and is having knock on effects of inconveniencing passengers using Preston on other services. Trains are quite often late or cancelled at short notice and unfortunate passengers forced on to Blackpool Corporation's double deck buses, providing the rail replacement service, with connections at Preston then not possible and journey times extended/rerouted as a result. Having seen the number of buses allocated to this replacement service, one does wonder as to how much Northern have paid as there are always more than sufficient vehicles parked at Preston and Blackpool North. Is this why Northern feel free to cancel services?
At Preston, on three occasions, I had to change platform for a service, as 142 units allocated for training drivers to Blackpool were blocking platforms, with no drivers allocated to train on them or move them. A Virgin Trains dispatcher assured me that it was a quite frequent occurence, as was drivers arriving for training and there being no units for them to drive.

On the subject of cable theft in the area, I attempted to get to Fleetwood by tram last Saturday. However trams were not going past Bispham, as the overhead line had been stolen during the night. It appears the the power was turned off after the last tram had got back to the depot the night before.

You are right that the MA-BPN service has been a shambles. This and Colne-BPS have been suffering multiple cancellations since the beginning of last week, and late running and short turn backs are rife. As an example, on Saturday the 10.39 from Preston (MA-BPN) was cancelled and the 11.39 was short formed of one 156. It was ram packed and about 70 people were left behind. 2 carriages in 2 hours on an early season Saturday service to Blackpool! What is most irritating is that most cancellations are due to staffing issues, yet Northern staff are in groups everywhere on Preston refreshing the route. As regards short formed services, it is maddening to watch from my window that the refresher trips are often formed of coupled units, empty of course but for the front cab.

 

[randyrippley]

Yesterday evening there were substitute buses running to Blackpool South, so there are bigger problems beyond electrification issues.
Maybe no coincidence, but Radio Lancashire have announced "driver" or "staff" shortages causing bustitution on random Northern services every day this week so far

 

[td97]

Thread for Northern's recent delays/cancellations
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/northern-rails-problems-in-lancashire.163590/

 

[L+Y]

Also the May timetable shows 50 minute off peak journey times Preston to Lime Street, which is a significant improvement. Unfortunately, peak morning services will be stoppers though.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y23223/2018/05/21/advanced

I hadn't noticed that improvement.
It's the first time the 319s have been had their capability properly exploited.

Good spot. Ten minutes off an hour is significant.

Not such an improvement- in 1969, the semi-fasts from Liverpool Exchange to Preston were managing it in 47 minutes! Operated with slam-door DMUs with calls at Aintree, Ormskirk, Burscough Junction and Croston- it makes you wonder about the possibilities had the ex-L&Y line never been cut at Ormskirk.

1P22, the Saturdays only lunchtime Liverpool-Preston express, was timed for just 31 minutes!

 

[notlob.divad]

Given this..

Sadly engineers (and many other sectors of society) are very naive when it comes to matters of crime.

You cannot string up miles of copper wire, leave it unenergised for months and expect the 40 thieves not to assist in its removal. It should be part of the engineering design that such structures are powered up ASAP after installation.

Isn't posting this ..

An authoritative Orangeman has told me to say that switch on is scheduled for 6th May,

On a publicly accessible forum, close to aiding and abetting. Much as I, along with everyone on here, very much appreciate the updates and detail that is available, giving the less honest members of the public knowledge of when they are able to thieve without killing themselves, may not be the best idea.

That said, cables are regularly stolen from other places, even when they are energised. I even heard a story of someone caught on CCTV over a series of nights systematically stripping an old building of its internal wiring, turning off the individual circuit breakers as he went, before re-energising, to ensure he still had lights to do the rest of the job.

 

[edwin_m]

The energisation dates have to be transmitted to the workforce for safety reasons, as they have to regard the wire as being live and obtain confirmation it is isolated before doing any further work near it. They are also displayed on notices on the trackside, which give advance warning of the date for similar reasons. So the fact of an orange person telling a forum member the date isn't really a security breach.

Safety of the workforce will win every time over a slight increase in theft risk.

 

[LDECRexile]

That's the one near Red Moss, isn't it?

No, Anderton Hall ex-crossing/now-footbridge is a few hundred yards north of Blackrod, just visible from the station.

Red Moss crossing/footbridge-to-be is a few hundred yards north of Horwich Parkway station. Alas, after a very long time in limbo (closed, but no work started) things picked up earlier this year when hard standing was created next to the track and work looked to be under way. Then it stopped dead, plant has been removed and nowt is happening on the ground. Someone posted that there is a problem with the landowner, I know not what.

I use the locations function on all the flickr images by the way, that should help anyone tie down where photographs depict, though I must confess I've never used it as a reader, only as a writer, so I don't know how to search using it or how to interpret a location whilst looking at a photo or film. Maybe another reader could help out?

 

[LDECRexile]

I've updated the worry list, from which four items have disappeared as "Sorted":

1. Missing bases Salford Crescent Platform 2 "Hung on complex design issues and consents issues with Salford Uni, who own land adjacent." Repositioned spraypainted mast numbers suggest action coming?
2. Sorted
3. Missing bases North of Agecroft Road bridge
4. Staff access walkway south of Clifton station. Work well advanced on this next to Bridge MVE1/16 off Lumns Lane.
5. Power lines oversailing between M60 and Kearsley? Reported to be done, informed confirmation would be welcome.
6. Foot crossings either side of M60 Work well under way diverting the footpaths to meet at a new footbridge which has ben erected, expected completion late April 2018.
7. Sorted
8. Sorted
18. Major problem base south of Lever Street footbridge?
9. Lever Street footbridge, demolish, replace, leave as is? New electric wires warning signs suggest the bridge is expected to survive past electrification.
10. Sorted
11. Sorted
12. Missing base(s) between Bullfield Tunnel and Newport Street, Bolton.
13. Sorted
14. Sorted
15. Red Moss foot crossing between Horwich and M61 Work has started on a replacement footbridge, but has been stopped supposedly because of a land dispute.
16. Missing bases on Yarrow viaduct south of Chorley Work well advanced on fixings ("bases") on the outside of the structure, but work appears to have stopped. Rumour of large void found inside the structure.
17. Sorted

This complements the GSoP, which is a superb contribution. The notion of "worries" in this context is things containing too many unknowns. I maintain that if solid bases are in place the remaining work is under control. I do not for one second diminish the skill, effort or responsibility of people putting up masts, hanging wires and the like, but those tasks are handling "knowns", largely under control, unlike drilling into the earth.

 

[Elecman]

Agreed once all the foundations are in the steelwork and SPS don’t take long to erect and once those are in place wiring can be completed very quickly

 

[mic505]

From the December 2019 timetable change the 350/4's enter traffic with West Midland Trains.

 

[59CosG95]

From the December 2019 timetable change the 350/4's enter traffic with West Midland Trains.

That does of course hinge on the Class 397s being delivered on time, with a smooth introduction into service...

 

[LDECRexile]

ALX400 has kindly sent two shots from Blackrod.

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.

 

[42626]

Added some shots of the new crossing at Anderton Hall/Lane here, and a handful of shots at Blackrod here.

 

[mic505]

Plus TPE are not releasing 22 185's until all their new stock is in passenger service. Thus 185's can cover for unavailable 350/4's. 22 185's won't be available to other TOC's until at least mid-late 2020.

 

[skifans]

Sorry for the very poor quality photo but this was taken out of a bus heading just to the west of Buxshaw parkway station. As far as I could tell no sign of the main wires, all poles looked up but the arms (technical term?) were folded back rather then being over the track

 

[59CosG95]

Sorry for the very poor quality photo but this was taken out of a bus heading just to the west of Buxshaw parkway station. As far as I could tell no sign of the main wires, all poles looked up but the arms (technical term?) were folded back rather then being over the track

The earth wires seem to all be up, but the main catenary/contact wires do indeed look absent.
And yes, the arms (or registration arms, commonly referred to as SPS (Small Part Steelwork) or "Dangly bits") are indeed folded to the side.

 

[LDECRexile]

Added some shots of the new crossing at Anderton Hall/Lane here, and a handful of shots at Blackrod here.

Classy shots as always, thank you.

They reinforce my puzzlement why the crossing was closed for months until the bridge opened. The bridge is offset by several yards from the crossing, as can clearly be seen from a number of shots. The fine precedent for minimal pedestrian disruption was set by the new footbridge between Kearsley station and Farnworth tunnel, where the crossing remained open throughout preparation and building work.

 

[superkev]

There's 2 new YouTube videos from paul Wilkinson showing cab rides from Blackpool north to kirkham and kirkham to preston.

I was struck by the windswept unwelcome look of Blackpool north despite all that money spent and the fairly low line speeds although perhaps I missed some signs. Is 70mph the maximum?
K