Calder Valley line improvement works

[superkev]

Pics from Sowerby Bridge bus substitution day today (mon) of departure screen and new base for platform 1 ticket machine.
No progress on the short platform extensions since last pi kcs despite the opportunity of having no rains.
K

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Seems like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing... surely the signalling blockade was the perfect opportunity to get the platform extensions well on their way to completion.

Anyone got Anneka Rice's phone number? She'd only need a weekend!

 

[Sowerbylad]

Just seen possibly the first movement through sowerby bridge station since last Friday. What looked like a 2 car heading east at speed.

 

[Geeves]

There is a 5Z10 on its way through Brighouse.

There is also a 1Q14 at Huddersfield presumably heading that way too. Unsure how the testing went as someone stole the cables at Morley earlier. Hopefully the new cables go along both the Morley route and the Bradford ways for some kind of failsafe in the future.

 

[4630]

Neither 1Q14 or the return, 1Q15, are going near the Calder Valley this evening.

1Q14 is going directly to Manchester Piccadilly from Huddersfield and the return, 1Q15, is booked to Derby RTC via Huddersfield, Leeds, Swinton & Chesterfield.

 

[rich-leeds]

Just seen possibly the first movement through sowerby bridge station since last Friday. What looked like a 2 car heading east at speed.

I saw 150133 (old Northern Rail livery) head out of Bradford Interchange towards New Pudsey at around 1745 today. Could have been the same unit if this is scooting around the area under possession? I took this to be either part of the commissioning of the new signalling, or driver training on the new bits of infrastructure (or both?). Appeared to have a cab full of people.

 

[rich-leeds]

I took a nose around Bradford earlier to see if there was anything interesting going on. First picture is of the new Ripley Junction, south of Mill Lane Junction, as seen looking north from the Ripley Street overbridge. It was installed in summer, but comes into use with the resignalling. It was October 2008 when the layout around Mill Lane junction was last expanded - so exactly ten years ago. Pic beneath that shows the revised layout in Bradford Interchange station throat as seen from Caledonia Street, which also comes into full use tomorrow.

New 'MU' speeds have been introduced alongside the resignalling. In the Bradford / Low Moor area the basic line speed remains 55, but just south of Low Moor station heading 'up' toward Halifax the MU speed is 80, and at the northern portal of Bowling Tunnel it is posted as MU 70. These seem like decent increases. Not much help for TPE traffic on diversion though - I assume 185s are still not able to take advantage?

 

[takno]

I've updated Traksy with a very rough attempt at a diagram for the area at https://traksy.uk/live/M+22+RTHP+18. Until there's a bit more data through then the signal positions around Bradford are total guesswork, as is the location of Low Moor. Locations around Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge could also be sketchy.

 

[rich-leeds]

Looking good. That's a big increase in the number of signal locations between Halifax and Bradford Interchange. If it's of any help, I can tell you that new signal MM6237 is located around 350 m north of the platform end of Low Moor station on the down line.

 

[takno]

Think it's pretty much there now. There's a *lot* more signals in the Hebden Bridge, Milner Royd and Halifax areas, as you would expect. The Mill Lane area seems fairly similar - might have been a like-for-like changeover

 

[rich-leeds]

Network Rail press release on the fact they have started work on extending the Platform 3/4 island at Bradford Interchange. Started yesterday apparently.
https://www.networkrailmediacentre....next-week-as-part-of-great-north-rail-project

 

[Sowerbylad]

Think it's pretty much there now. There's a *lot* more signals in the Hebden Bridge, Milner Royd and Halifax areas, as you would expect. The Mill Lane area seems fairly similar - might have been a like-for-like changeover

Working well, thanks.

 

[bengley]

I took a nose around Bradford earlier to see if there was anything interesting going on. First picture is of the new Ripley Junction, south of Mill Lane Junction, as seen looking north from the Ripley Street overbridge. It was installed in summer, but comes into use with the resignalling. It was October 2008 when the layout around Mill Lane junction was last expanded - so exactly ten years ago. Pic beneath that shows the revised layout in Bradford Interchange station throat as seen from Caledonia Street, which also comes into full use tomorrow.

New 'MU' speeds have been introduced alongside the resignalling. In the Bradford / Low Moor area the basic line speed remains 55, but just south of Low Moor station heading 'up' toward Halifax the MU speed is 80, and at the northern portal of Bowling Tunnel it is posted as MU 70. These seem like decent increases. Not much help for TPE traffic on diversion though - I assume 185s are still not able to take advantage?

View attachment 54203

View attachment 54204

185s can do MU speeds. They can't do SP (sprinter) speeds.

 

[rich-leeds]

You've prompted me to check - there's a 'national exemption' on class 185s that prevents them from taking advantage of 'MU' or 'DMU' speed differentials. I've started a new thread on speed differentials here, as I was quite interested to revisit the source info.

I know there's much in the way of route clearance hurdles for Mk5s and the 802s still to overcome on the Calder Valley, but at present looks like only the 802s in TPE's emerging fleet have any prospect of taking advantage of the higher speed restrictions in the case of future diversions. There are also some pretty decent MU differentials on the Calder Valley line west of the Pennines between Rochdale and Newton Heath (up to 90mph in places over a base restriction of generally 70mph) that were delivered as part of the first phase of Calder Valley upgrade work on the LNW side a couple of years ago.

 

[142Pilot]

158's are good for 90. However if coming out of manchester means that you are getting the curly finger as the max line speed is 80.

It's 90 from Castleton Junction to Moston.

 

[Sowerbylad]

What's the line speed milner royd to hebden bridge please?

 

[rich-leeds]

What's the line speed milner royd to hebden bridge please?

On the up: 60 | MU80 from Milner Royd junction to Mytholmroyd, then 60 | MU70 from Mytholmroyd to (and beyond) Hebden Bridge.
On the down: 60 | MU75 all the way from Hebden Bridge to Milner Royd.
The speed restriction through Milner Royd junction on the movement from / to Halifax is 40 on the up and 40 | MU50 on the down.

 

[Calderfornian]

I’m on the 05:47 Hebden to Leeds this morning and just saw the most bonkers stock movement. ECS arrived into Manchester bound platform (1). Reserved out across the crossing to the Leeds line. Reversed back into the Leeds platform (2) to await departure. This train and the later GCR stock departure to Leeds were always the two short services that went from the ‘wrong’ platform. Weird thing is whilst the Manchester bound line was freed up by the move, it was unused.

 

[chrissawer]

There's a *lot* more signals in the Hebden Bridge, Milner Royd and Halifax areas, as you would expect.

This is resulting in a lot more detailed information on RTT for trains running down the valley, which is a nice bonus. Previously there was nothing between Milner Royd and Hebden Bridge.

 

[crosscity]

I’m on the 05:47 Hebden to Leeds this morning and just saw the most bonkers stock movement. ECS arrived into Manchester bound platform (1). Reserved out across the crossing to the Leeds line. Reversed back into the Leeds platform (2) to await departure. This train and the later GCR stock departure to Leeds were always the two short services that went from the ‘wrong’ platform. Weird thing is whilst the Manchester bound line was freed up by the move, it was unused.

In the two weeks prior to the closure of Hebden Bridge Signalbox the crossover was not used and the stock went up to Hall Royd Jct to reverse. Indeed the last movement at HB Signalbox was the ECS from the Leeds terminator, which went up to Hall Royd Jct and came back a few minutes later.

The movement might be bonkers from an operational point of view, but not from a customer service one. Why make eastbound passengers walk to the westbound platform?

 

[Bungle965]

In the two weeks prior to the closure of Hebden Bridge Signalbox the crossover was not used and the stock went up to Hall Royd Jct to reverse. Indeed the last movement at HB Signalbox was the ECS from the Leeds terminator, which went up to Hall Royd Jct and came back a few minutes later.

The movement might be bonkers from an operational point of view, but not from a customer service one. Why make eastbound passengers walk to the westbound platform?

It is actually signposted at the station that some early morning services depart from the Manchester bound platform!
Sam

 

[crosscity]

It is actually signposted at the station that some early morning services depart from the Manchester bound platform!
Sam

Sounds like someone needs to remove the sign (or is it a sheet of A4?).

 

[Ianigsy]

Sounds like someone needs to remove the sign (or is it a sheet of A4?).

It's a permanent sign (i.e. on metal or plastic, not just a piece of paper stuck on the wall).

 

[geoffk]

Rode from Walsden to Bradford and back today. There had been disruption from 0915 onwards, caused by a track machine or similar at or near Greetland Junction. Anyone know what happened?

The new signals have numberplates prefixed HG between Hebden Bridge and Milner Royd (also the signals approaching MRJ from the east), MM between MRJ and Bradford and DH on the bank down from Dryclough Junction. I'm guessing that these initials stand for "Hebden Bridge to Greetland", "Milner Royd to Mill Lane" and "Dryclough to Heaton Lodge"

The journey between Halifax and Bradford was noticeably quicker than before, with trains now covering this stretch in nine minutes. It's now 20p for a pee at Bradford Interchange!

Platform extensions at Sowerby Bridge are almost complete - on the down line it's a reinstatement of part of the disused platform. The same applies at Todmorden on the down line. I assume these extensions, most of which are very short, are to allow class 195 trains to call when coupled in multiple (i.e. four cars), as the driving cars are 24m long.

 

[superkev]

Today's update from the 12week Sowerby bridge short platform extensions and new platform 1 ticket machine and mystery machine. Apparently shutting line Sunday to do more. Words fail me. Glad I'm not paying for it.
K

 

[Halifaxlad]

Just next door, it looks like Mytholmroyd is also getting another Ticket Machine upon the Manchester bound platform!

Does anybody know if Brighouse will be getting a single Ticket Machine and why it doesn't already have one?

 

[Bungle965]

View attachment 54538

Just next door, it looks like Mytholmroyd is also getting another Ticket Machine upon the Manchester bound platform!

Does anybody know if Brighouse will be getting a single Ticket Machine and why it doesn't already have one?

Brighouse will be getting a ticket machine. As for the reason it has not got one yet, it is most likely on the list but that the engineers have just not got round to that station yet.
Sam

 

[superkev]

Today's (fri) update from Sowerby Bridge. Someone actually working on the 13weeks so far platform extensions pic attached.
No more progress on Platform 1 ticket machine and adjacent mystery machine.
Friends of Sowerby Bridge station have again won the platinum award with the station gardens pic attached.
K

 

[Eric]

Bradford tonight.

 

[vvd]

Why are they extending the platform at BDI?