Chase Line electrification

[The Planner]

I like your optimism there, its just an over-run!

 

[Elecman]

First contact wire run out

 

[snowball]

Have people and kit that were working on Bromsgrove moved here?

 

[jfollows]

National Rail Enquiries tells us today:

"Damage to the overhead electric wires between Bloxwich and Walsall is causing disruption to trains between Rugeley Trent Valley and Tame Bridge Parkway. Trains may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or cancelled. Disruption is expected to continue until 10:45."

 

[thecrofter]

Not a great start. Anyone know what went wrong?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

First contact wire run out

National Rail Enquiries tells us today:
"Damage to the overhead electric wires between Bloxwich and Walsall is causing disruption to trains between Rugeley Trent Valley and Tame Bridge Parkway. Trains may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or cancelled. Disruption is expected to continue until 10:45."

Are these one and the same piece of wire?
There were actually "overhead wire problems" between Manchester and Golborne before electric trains started running!

 

[swt_passenger]

Are these one and the same piece of wire?
There were actually "overhead wire problems" between Manchester and Golborne before electric trains started running!

...and on the GWML. Temporary securing straps or safety earth bonds (reports differed) were hanging down and would have been hit by passing trains. That appeared in online disruption info as “overhead wire problems”, long before energisation.

 

[Batman]

Had a ride up the Chase Line last Saturday for the first time in ages and the electrification work is coming on well. The lines now feels like a proper suburban railway and not just a colliery railway with a token passenger service. All they need to do now is redevelop the stations and replace the old wooden platforms.

 

[Heartland]

I noticed the electrification works have proceeded well since June 2017, with almost of the posts erected and wires in place from Rugeley towards Hednesford. I also noticed some of the posts have large square concrete foundations, could this provision made to allow for the former underground coal and ironstone mines.

The closure of the route for passengers had been made under the Beeching Report. Yet as said there were various collieries that still were linked with it at Hilton Main, Mid Cannock, West Cannock, Cannock Wood and Lea Hall. With the closure of Lea Hall the colliery dispatch by railway ended. Rugeley Power Station still retained coal traffic until that closed too, although the rail sidings are still there, and the buildings/ cooling towers still stand

Freight remained a key movement on the Chase Line, and in BR day passenger services were diverted over the Chase.

The reason to build the Chase railway was chiefly down to the mineral trade, when more pits were opened, because of it. In fact these were the deep pits that brought coal in waggons onto the network. There was also a very busy canal from Hednesford, which actually opened AFTER the railway. From Walsall, the Chase line is actually three separate lines. From Rugeley to Hednesford and Cannock, a railway scheme was proposed to include the section as part of a greater plan. This was cut short after only a short section was made and the route became the Cannock Mineral. From Cannock towards Ryecroft the line was built as the South Staffordshire Cannock Branch, whilst from Ryecoft the main line of South Staffordshire Railway continued to Walsall

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I noticed the electrification works have proceeded well since June 2017, with almost of the posts erected and wires in place from Rugeley towards Hednesford. I also noticed some of the posts have large square concrete foundations, could this provision made to allow for the former underground coal and ironstone mines.

Yes they are known as gravity pads. The shear size plus gravity keeps them in place.

 

[dangie]

Any latest news on the current completion date? Is it still on for December 2018?
If it is, will this be for the commencement of timetabled electric passenger trains?
How long beforehand would you expect the wires to be energised and test trains to be in operation?

 

[Class 170101]

No timetable change before May 2019 for West Midlands Trains

 

[dangie]

No timetable change before May 2019 for West Midlands Trains

So could they run electric trains but just keep to the current timetable?

 

[Old Hill Bank]

So could they run electric trains but just keep to the current timetable?

WMT have stated that Chase Line Electrification is off the agenda for December 2018. Could so screw up a lot of cascades!

 

[Class 170101]

WMT have stated that Chase Line Electrification is off the agenda for December 2018. Could so screw up a lot of cascades!

Is that because of the timetabling issues discussed elsewhere or because NR haven't actually finished wiring it yet though?

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Is that because of the timetabling issues discussed elsewhere or because NR haven't actually finished wiring it yet though?

WMT say the former but I suspect the latter is also true.

 

[The Planner]

Its more of the latter.

 

[Old Hill Bank]

And the TOC will get a kicking from the local media for yet another NR failure.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Did a turn over the Chase line today, and it appears to be fully wired from Rugeley TV almost to Ryecroft Jn, apart from a few registration arms not yet connected.
From Ryecroft Jn through Walsall to Pleck Jn is well advanced, with most steelwork up, plenty of registration gear and intermittent wires.
P1 at Walsall is bare however, no booms or registration gear visible.
The section between Walsall and Pleck Jn has had full portals over all 4 tracks for 50 years, with only the southern pair of tracks wired.
You'd have thought all that was needed was to wire the northern pair using the same portals.
But NR has erected a run of new twin track cantilevers for the northern wires, usually positioned right next to the original portals.
There's still a lot of lineside work in progress over much of the route.
But it shouldn't take too long to finish.

PS The Bromsgrove electrification thread is now closed, but I managed a first trip there too on a 323.
Good to see the 323 reaching maybe 70mph up the Lickey from a standing start (incorporating the running brake test at the very foot of the hill too).

 

[Batman]

Did a turn over the Chase line today, and it appears to be fully wired from Rugeley TV almost to Ryecroft Jn, apart from a few registration arms not yet connected.
From Ryecroft Jn through Walsall to Pleck Jn is well advanced, with most steelwork up, plenty of registration gear and intermittent wires.
P1 at Walsall is bare however, no booms or registration gear visible.
The section between Walsall and Pleck Jn has had full portals over all 4 tracks for 50 years, with only the southern pair of tracks wired.
You'd have thought all that was needed was to wire the northern pair using the same portals.
But NR has erected a run of new twin track cantilevers for the northern wires, usually positioned right next to the original portals.
There's still a lot of lineside work in progress over much of the route.
But it shouldn't take too long to finish.

PS The Bromsgrove electrification thread is now closed, but I managed a first trip there too on a 323.
Good to see the 323 reaching maybe 70mph up the Lickey from a standing start (incorporating the running brake test at the very foot of the hill too).

Twin track cantalivers have gone up over the tracks leading into platform 3 at Walsall as well. The old 1960’s OHLE between Walsall and Bescot is being replaced.

There’s still a small amount of work to do north of Ryecroft. The contact wires at Landywood and Bloxwich station are still being held in place by temporary supports. There’s still a lot of work to do on the new footbridge at the site of the old Bloxwich level crossing and work has started on the foundations for the platform extensions at Bloxwich and Bloxwich North.

I’m not sure if these are going to be simple extensions or the whole platform structures will be replaced. Didn’t this happen on a recent Scottish electrification where a station with old wooden platforms had them replaced with ones made out of concrete blocks over a weekend?

But there’s still 4 weekend closures left to go so plenty of time to get things finished off. I’m still confident it will all be tested and signed off by the end of the year.

 

[driver_m]

Latest weekly notices have 'treat as live' the remainder of the route from 22nd October . With the section from Rugeley to Hednesford going live earlier and some bits around Walsall already done .Crewe ECR taking over some sections of Route from Rugby as well.

 

[WesternS]

Some pictures of all of this on the Skyscraper City Birmingham Birmingham Transport | Rail | Chase Line Electrification thread..... Think the 'treat as live' notice is from Bloxwich - sure those closer to the action can advise on which bit of the scheme this covers or whether it is still valid.

 

[BloxwichStroll]

Some pictures of all of this on the Skyscraper City Birmingham Birmingham Transport | Rail | Chase Line Electrification thread..... Think the 'treat as live' notice is from Bloxwich - sure those closer to the action can advise on which bit of the scheme this covers or whether it is still valid.

That live notice pic was from Bloxwich North, but I've seen the same notice at Bloxwich station too.

 

[dangie]

Notice at Rugeley Town station saying overhead wires will be energised from 04:40hrs Monday 8th October.

When can we expect to see the first test trains?

 

[driver_m]

After the 22nd October. That's when the whole lot should be switched on. Obviously, this could change depending on whether the final bits get done to time.

Incidentally, are the teams planning to work on any other AC wiring projects or is that it? Sad that the skills gained will be lost again if so....

 

[absolutelymilk]

Still planning on switching on over the weekend?

 

[Old Hill Bank]

Lets not get to excited by an energisation notice there is often a lot of work and testing still to be done before the first test train.

 

[thecrofter]

Look out for a Class 92 that is to be hired for load testing

 

[dangie]

Speaking with a rail enthusiast friend earlier today, he says that an electric timetable will not run before next May (May was already mentioned on here a while ago).
From what I've read and heard, the travelling public on this line are still expecting a start in December as previously advertised.

 

[Class 170101]

Wouldn't be surprised to see electric trains on DMU timings operating at some point after December but before May 2019 on this route though.