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Ely - Peterborough Closure (Manea bridge repairs)

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crablab

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Not sure there is a thread for this, but it's a fairly major closure.

Network Rail press release here: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/news/...-close-the-line-between-ely-and-peterborough/

Network Rail will be carrying out a series of emergency works to replace 87 pairs of wheel timbers on the railway tracks on four bridges at Manea, between Ely and Peterborough, later this summer and early autumn. It will require closures of the line over several weekends and a 28-day full closure in September.

Following the derailment of a freight train on a wheel-timber bridge at Wanstead Park earlier this year, additional inspections were carried out on railway bridges with softwood timbers using new technology, to understand the internal condition of the timbers.

The four bridges at Manea were part of this additional inspection programme. It was found that 87 of the 140 pairs of wheel timbers across the structures now require urgent replacement.

If these timbers are not replaced soon, its almost certain that there will be further deterioration. This would then lead to either additional speed restrictions or the closure of the line, significantly disrupting train services. As a result, this work must take place as soon as possible.

There are currently 20 miles per hour speed restrictions over these bridges to make it safer for trains passing over them, and this will continue until the work begins.

The work is expected to be completed during a 28-day closure of the line from 6 September to 4 October 2020 and on the following dates:

Sunday 2 August

Saturday 22 to Sunday 23 August

Sunday 11 October

Saturday 31 October to Sunday 1 November

Sunday 8 November

Any passenger planning a journey during this time is urged to check with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries as to the alternatives available to help inform their travel plans.

Network Rail is looking at what additional work it can carry out across the closed line to maximise the time to make the railway better for passengers and freight users once the railway is back in use. Further details will be published nearer the time.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “I know this kind of disruption is incredibly frustrating for our passengers, and I’m sorry that it will impact people’s journeys for so long. Running a safe railway is my absolute priority, and so while I know it will be painful for passengers and our freight customers, I believe this is the right decision to get the work done as soon as possible.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, said: “Although there’s never a good time to carry out engineering work, particularly over this length of time, we understand the need for these urgent and important works. Running a safe, reliable railway is our first priority, so these remedial actions are necessary to prevent more disruptive works at a later date.

“A rail replacement bus service will run while the work takes place, to ensure customers can complete their journeys. Full timetables will be uploaded to our website soon. We would urge customers to plan their journeys in advance as they are likely to take significantly longer than usual.

“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank customers for their patience and understanding.”

Richard Morris, CrossCountry’s Regional Director for East Midlands & East Anglia, said: “We know long periods of engineering work can be an inconvenience, and have worked closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact on our customers as much as possible. We are sorry if anyone’s journeys are affected by this, but when complete this work will ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of our services through Manea for many years to come.”
 
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Ianno87

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It's no longer a 4 week closure.

It's now basically every Sunday and most Saturdays until mid-November ish
 

crablab

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Good news then. It's definitely closed this Saturday, however.

Got a link for the closure timetable?
 

TheBigD

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It hasn't entirely gone to plan today. Delays to engineering trains passing through the possession and one engineering train delayed over 3 hours.
 

crablab

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How are the works being structured? Presumably replacing bridge timbers requires lifting the track each time which would sound expensive, as @The Planner mentioned.
 

The Planner

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They will be replacing timbers in small numbers over many many weekends now, it won't be finished for a long time.
 

Class 170101

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Not surprisingly the freight operators objected to the blockade.

But now the passengers suffer rail replacement yet its work mostly caused freight operators and their heavy trains. Little pain for the FOCs but most of the Gain
 

GB

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They would have had RRBs anyway regardless. A full month also affecting Monday to Friday commuters as well as extra delays on other routes trying to accommodate rerouted freight services.
 

Bald Rick

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Indeed, paths via the GEML (and Canonbury single/Finsbury Park) and crewing arrangements was an impossibility.

All freight was able to be pathed in existing slots. The crews sign the route. More expensive for the FOCs, yes, and certainly more hassle, but not an impossibility.

They would have had RRBs anyway regardless. A full month also affecting Monday to Friday commuters as well as extra delays on other routes trying to accommodate rerouted freight services.

Give that Mon - Friday commuting is not exactly big business in that part of the world in normal times, let alone now, it wouldn’t have been a big issue. Whereas leisure traffic is relatively high at the moment, particularly at weekends...

And we wonder why things cost so much on the railway.
 

GB

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Sorry but there is no way all crew signed the route via GE/ECMl for all services.
 

8stewartt

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FL Ipswich I believe only had about 3/4 drivers that signed the diversion, GB in a similar situation I believe, nowhere near enough to cover all diverted services! It would have been impossible to crew all the diverted services.
 

Ianno87

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FL Ipswich I believe only had about 3/4 drivers that signed the diversion, GB in a similar situation I believe, nowhere near enough to cover all diverted services! It would have been impossible to crew all the diverted services.

How feasible would it have been for FL to route-learn the required number of drivers, given they'll have had some advance notice of the blockade?
 

crablab

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Give that Mon - Friday commuting is not exactly big business in that part of the world in normal times, let alone now, it wouldn’t have been a big issue.
Disagree. The XC service between Birmingham and Stansted would be packed in normal times.
 

306024

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Of course these timbers didn’t suddenly get in a bad state overnight. While it is good that new technology is being used to spot defects that might otherwise go un-noticed for longer, it isn’t the first time relatively short notice possessions have been requested to keep speed restrictions off these bridges.

Getting engineering access here isn’t easy, partly due to Whitemoor yard supplying engineering trains at all hours for other possessions, but perhaps NR could propose whether more routine maintenance possessions could be achieved in future, rather than hitting passenger services for numerous weekend closures once a backlog builds up.
 

TheBigD

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Of course these timbers didn’t suddenly get in a bad state overnight. While it is good that new technology is being used to spot defects that might otherwise go un-noticed for longer, it isn’t the first time relatively short notice possessions have been requested to keep speed restrictions off these bridges.

Getting engineering access here isn’t easy, partly due to Whitemoor yard supplying engineering trains at all hours for other possessions, but perhaps NR could propose whether more routine maintenance possessions could be achieved in future, rather than hitting passenger services for numerous weekend closures once a backlog builds up.

There are 10 engineering trains to/from Whitemoor booked through the possession this weekend. Up trains have to reverse across the crossover at Manea and travel wrong line through to Ely. From entering the possession at Stonea to leaving it at Ely west Jct was taking around 2hr45min for each train, and blocking Stonea level crossing for around 10 minutes and Manea level crossing for around 20 minutes.

The route already sees overnight possessions every 6 weeks Mondays to Thursdays, usually from around 2300 until 0400, with freight diverted via the NLL or retained to run later.
 

The Planner

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How feasible would it have been for FL to route-learn the required number of drivers, given they'll have had some advance notice of the blockade?
Its a cost not covered by Schedule 4 so unless there was another way of covering it then it tends to get knocked back. Same for most operators when it comes to blocks.
 

8stewartt

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How feasible would it have been for FL to route-learn the required number of drivers, given they'll have had some advance notice of the blockade?
Not very, it’s a lot to learn, which for each driver would probably be looking at....20 days maybe probably more, which they can only do around booked work, so a long time. I think the blockade suggestion didn’t give much advance notice for train planning either which was another reason it got knocked back.

Also, there’s a lot of complications. For example, some freight services at GB do out and back on one tank of fuel via Ely. To go via London adds 4 hours ish each way, which mans additional fuelling (cost) which also takes time (paths) and if you’ve got to do that for say 5 services a day, gets expensive and makes the service running time a lot longer, which then means you may need an additional driver per service.....
 

Bald Rick

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Ok so I misunderstood about driver route knowledge (which surprises me, I must admit, given then freight driver sive worked with in th past).

Re the state of the timbers - their condition has been known about for a while, but AIUI the recent deterioration has happened much more quickly than anticipated.
 

Class 170101

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All freight was able to be pathed in existing slots. The crews sign the route. More expensive for the FOCs, yes, and certainly more hassle, but not an impossibility.



Give that Mon - Friday commuting is not exactly big business in that part of the world in normal times, let alone now, it wouldn’t have been a big issue. Whereas leisure traffic is relatively high at the moment, particularly at weekends...

And we wonder why things cost so much on the railway.

Commuting is a fair business between Peterborough and Cambridge - not as much as London obviously but Cambridge as a centre is growing.

The pathing of some of the Freight slots was interesting to say the least.
 
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Ianno87

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I’m surprised they didn’t send the engineering trains from Whitemoor via Peterborough, the ECML and Royston.

Depends if you've got paths Peterborough-Huntingdon. And across at Peterborough to access the Yard to reverse.
 
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