Disruption At Bradford Interchange - 16/11/20 - Lineside Fire

[Mcr Warrior]

Believe that two individuals are now helping West Yorkshire Police with their enquiries, charges of arson having been made.

Suggestions by some that the tyres had spontaneously "self-ignited" always had seemed unlikely.

Two arrested in connection with scrap tyre fire

POLICE have arrested two people in connection with the large scrap tyre fire in Bradford.

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

West Yorkshire Police officers arrested a 59-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman in North Yorkshire in connection with the fire on Tuesday, November 17.

Both individuals are from Harrogate.

They were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson.

Both suspects were interviewed by police last night and have been released on bail.

Enquiries remain ongoing.

West Yorkshire Police is continuing to support WYFRS and other partner agencies, who remain at the scene of the fire.

There were still 60 crew members out last night trying to bring the fire under control.

 

[1D53]

Lines to remain closed tomorrow too.

 

[Class 170101]

Believe that two individuals are now helping West Yorkshire Police with their enquiries, charges of arson having been made.

Suggestions by some that the tyres had spontaneously "self-ignited" always had seemed unlikely.

Two arrested in connection with scrap tyre fire

POLICE have arrested two people in connection with the large scrap tyre fire in Bradford.

www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

Send them the bill for the delays if found guilty.

 

[175001]

Same again today folks. Fire still burning slowly unfortunately

 

[Halifaxlad]

Same again today folks. Fire still burning slowly unfortunately

Maybe we need a new avoiding line ?

Not so long ago all services were disrupted due a bomb scare at the Interchange (in the bus part) admittedly that only went on for several hours not days.

 

[zwk500]

Maybe we need a new avoiding line ?

Not so long ago all services were disrupted due a bomb scare at the Interchange (in the bus part) admittedly that only went on for several hours not days.

What's wrong with the avoiding line that's been used for the past 3 days?

 

[AndyW33]

What's wrong with the avoiding line that's been used for the past 3 days?

It doesn't just avoid Bradford Interchange, it also avoids Halifax and several other stations. The avoiding line mentioned, which has been closed for quite a few years now, linked the lines from Halifax/Low Moor and Leeds/New Pudsey, so no stations other than Bradford Interchange were missed.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Maybe we need a new avoiding line ?

As AndyW33 mentions, didn't there used to be one? From Bowling Junction (about half a mile South of Bradford Interchange) towards Laisterdyke. Probably been partly built over now!

 

[zwk500]

It doesn't just avoid Bradford Interchange, it also avoids Halifax and several other stations. The avoiding line mentioned, which has been closed for quite a few years now, linked the lines from Halifax/Low Moor and Leeds/New Pudsey, so no stations other than Bradford Interchange were missed.

The value of the line would be very limited in everyday use, as going through Bradford but not calling is not attractive to any TOC and the potential usage for freight would be near-as-makes-no-difference 0. Halifax is still being served via a reversal, it's an emergency so running a degraded or replacement service is a reasonable solution. Given how often Bradford Interchange only is blocked, maintaining the avoiding line would not seem to make financial sense.

 

[30907]

The value of the line would be very limited in everyday use, as going through Bradford but not calling is not attractive to any TOC and the potential usage for freight would be near-as-makes-no-difference 0. Halifax is still being served via a reversal, it's an emergency so running a degraded or replacement service is a reasonable solution. Given how often Bradford Interchange only is blocked, maintaining the avoiding line would not seem to make financial sense.

Quite, it's really only of benefit to New Pudsey and Bramley - though it would allow Halifax a more frequent service. And if the fire had been at Laisterdyke or Low Moor....

 

[Crossover]

The value of the line would be very limited in everyday use, as going through Bradford but not calling is not attractive to any TOC and the potential usage for freight would be near-as-makes-no-difference 0. Halifax is still being served via a reversal, it's an emergency so running a degraded or replacement service is a reasonable solution. Given how often Bradford Interchange only is blocked, maintaining the avoiding line would not seem to make financial sense.

The only TOC it may benefit is TPE as a diversionary route (the section through Mirfield is the only one TPE can't avoid currently) but would still be unlikely to be worth the cost of reinstatement and maintenance

 

[Andyh82]

As AndyW33 mentions, didn't there used to be one? From Bowling Junction (about half a mile South of Bradford Interchange) towards Laisterdyke. Probably been partly built over now!

Not that it matters, but looking on Google maps, it looks like none of it has been built over

 

[M1544]

Bradford Interchange now partially open again from 1630ish, 19/11/20 the 1 train per hour to and from Hull which has been terminating at New Pudsey is now able to run down into the Interchange to terminate/restart. Lines to/from Halifax from Bradford Interchange still closed however.

 

[Halifaxlad]

I wasn't necessarily suggesting reinstating the old bypass but generally the principle.

What's wrong with the avoiding line that's been used for the past 3 days?

If it wasn't for COVID then this could have been quite significant!

Also if work on TRU between Huddersfield & Dewsbury had started and the route closed as planned then this fire would have been a disastrous state of affairs.

 

[Rikki Lamb]

Not that it matters, but looking on Google maps, it looks like none of it has been built over

It has been built over at the southern end plus the Bowling viaduct collapsed in 1995 so it is an impossibility. The northern end is still used occasionally for scrap yard traffic or was until recently.

 

[JRT]

, didn't there used to be one? From Bowling Junction (about half a mile South of Bradford Interchange) towards Laisterdyke. Probably been partly built over now!

The line was in regular use in steam days (to avoid running round at Bradford Exchange) but closed as a regular, through freight route in 1964. It remained in situ after that, although disconnected at the east (Laisterdyke) end.
In the 1970s MacIntyre's used the line as their Scrap Yard and siding were still directly connected, freight trains arriving and leaving the main line via the south end (Bowling Junction/ Low Moor).
From the 1980s trains from EM Laisterdyke run into Bradford Interchange (then reverse to continue their journey) as the siding is now linked directly to the Leeds - Bradford Interchange line (but only in the Bradford direction).
There was a proposal for a Leeds - Manchester Airport express along the route, calling at an unspecified 'Bradford Parkway' station but this never found favour.

 

[zwk500]

I wasn't necessarily suggesting reinstating the old bypass but generally the principle.

What were you suggesting should be built then? I'm genuinely curious because Bradford continued to be served by Forster Square, with it's intercity options and regular commuter trains to Leeds, Skipton and Ilkley. Halifax continued to be served by an amended service. OK it's not ideal, but it's still something. The only infrastructure it might be worth installing and maintaining is a crosssover at the Leeds end of New Pudsey (or possibly Bradford end of Bramley) to allow services to terminate short. Low Moor is probably close enough to Bradford and Halifax that Buses could cover it, if long-distance passengers for Bradford were intercepted early enough to change at Leeds for Forster Square.

For all your ifs and buts about COVID and the TRU the bigger If is 'What if the fire happened further up the line?' e.g. at Bramley or Low Moor stations. A bypass of Bradford would not be a lot of good in that instance.

 

[Tractor37]

The xx12 departures from Leeds to Manchester and xx58 from Manchester to Leeds are still cancelled today.

 

[Crossover]

There remains "STOP" and "ET3*" on the lines from New Pudsey to Bradford Interchange but there is the hourly service running - does anyone know if the TD reminders are removed for passage of each train or if services are crossoing over at Hammserton St (name as marked on Traksy) and then running wrong line from there?

 

[wensley]

There remains "STOP" and "ET3*" on the lines from New Pudsey to Bradford Interchange but there is the hourly service running - does anyone know if the TD reminders are removed for passage of each train or if services are crossoing over at Hammserton St (name as marked on Traksy) and then running wrong line from there?

The latter is correct, running bi-di from Hammerton St Jn over the Up Bradford/E Line in and out of Platform 4 only. All other lines remain blocked at the moment.

The only infrastructure it might be worth installing and maintaining is a crosssover at the Leeds end of New Pudsey (or possibly Bradford end of Bramley) to allow services to terminate short. Low Moor is probably close enough to Bradford and Halifax that Buses could cover it, if long-distance passengers for Bradford were intercepted early enough to change at Leeds for Forster Square.

The turnback arrangements at New Pudsey worked relatively well with the 2KXX services (to/from Hull) having an hour to complete the shunt via Hammerton St Jn. It's a fair bit of distance to do the turnback but easily achievable based on the services operating.

 

[Adam0984]

A full service will return tomorrow (Saturday) from the start of service

 

[Crossover]

The blocks also look to have been lifted (though I think the service may be running as they have been for the last few days, albeit with trains no longer running bi-di from Hammerton St Jn

The latter is correct, running bi-di from Hammerton St Jn over the Up Bradford/E Line in and out of Platform 4 only. All other lines remain blocked at the moment.

Thanks - is this do-able under normal signalling or does it require pilotman working?

 

[Adam0984]

The blocks also look to have been lifted (though I think the service may be running as they have been for the last few days, albeit with trains no longer running bi-di from Hammerton St Jn

Thanks - is this do-able under normal signalling or does it require pilotman working?

Its fully signalled as Bi-Di from Hammerton St

 

[Crossover]

Its fully signalled as Bi-Di from Hammerton St

Thanks - that’s rather fortuitous!