Headbolt Lane progress updates

[AMD]

The reason Merseyrail have been asked/told to hold for Northern is that initially they're only running an hourly service to Headbolt Lane, once the Merseyrail frequency goes up, then this instruction will no longer apply.
Although our concern is that we have to do Long Train Short Platform at Orrell, Upholland and Rainford, which normally adds to dwell time, so we will see how things go

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not too different from Class 331 ran journeys being "Pathed as Electric locomotive, trailing load 331 tonnes"
I think it's nothing but things being done to save time, everyone reading it probably knows what it means.

Suspect it's just that the data feed uses "diesel/electric locomotive, trailing load <class number> tonnes" for any multiple unit, with it obvious what it means (as you say), but to display it sensibly RTT has to interpret it which means keying in each MU class number, and they haven't entered the pair "diesel"* and "777" yet.

* Presumably meaning "self powered"

 

[jamesst]

Just a heads up if anyone is thinking of going on Sunday its replacement buses between Liverpool and Headbolt Lane (as well as Aintree/Formby) due to preplanned engineering works

 

[H&I]

I have arrived outside the station, but the fencing is still up. I assume the fencing will be removed just before the first train. I have a four-hour wait until the 05:39 to Liverpool Central.

 

[scrapy]

Although our concern is that we have to do Long Train Short Platform at Orrell, Upholland and Rainford, which normally adds to dwell time, so we will see how things go

The Atherton and Kirkby lines are notoriously slippy once the leaves start falling so it is unlikely many Northern services will make it to Headbolt on time. How long have Merseyrail been instructed to wait? A few minutes may mean 2 minutes to one guard or 10 minutes to another.

This is good news regards to the connection front. I retract my earlier comments! So its gone from a terrible connection to an amazing one by the power of putting the passenger first.

If the picture attachment to this post is an internal memo or a notice in a notice case which it appears to be, and you are a Northern employee you can face disciplinary action for posting it on a public forum. Is it really worth risking this? I know people have been spoken to by Northern management over similar postings on public sites.

 

[H&I]

Here are a few photographs taken of Headbolt Lane.

 

[03_179]

Morning all,

Please can anyone advise how many miles and chains from Kirkby to Headbolt Lane?

I calculated as being 0m 65ch

It's not on Railmiles yet.
Thanks

 

[karlbbb]

Morning all,

Please can anyone advise how many miles and chains from Kirkby to Headbolt Lane?

I calculated as being 0m 65ch

It's not on Railmiles yet.
Thanks

The NR sectional appendix lists the buffer stops at Headbolt Lane as 28m56ch and Kirkby at 29m41ch which comes to the same 0m65ch. I'm assuming you did the same calculation.

 

[03_179]

Thanks.
I got my info off Railway Codes

 

[Geeves]

The Atherton and Kirkby lines are notoriously slippy once the leaves start falling so it is unlikely many Northern services will make it to Headbolt on time. How long have Merseyrail been instructed to wait? A few minutes may mean 2 minutes to one guard or 10 minutes to another.


If the picture attachment to this post is an internal memo or a notice in a notice case which it appears to be, and you are a Northern employee you can face disciplinary action for posting it on a public forum. Is it really worth risking this? I know people have been spoken to by Northern management over similar postings on public sites.

Any notices that have a specific note at the bottom saying not to be disclosed obviously would not post. I have removed the attachment

Anyway

First three departures from Vic have arrived near enough on time!

Great to see the first train made it (from both sides) I was tracking the Liverpool Central departure and saw it had not left after 5 mins of waiting... Was expecting a breakdown!

 

[karlbbb]

Looks like the new (temporary until full service) headcodes are:

2Kxx - Central to Headbolt Lane
2Fxx - Headbolt Lane to Central
2Qxx - Central to Kirkby
2Txx - Kirkby to Central

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I have arrived outside the station, but the fencing is still up. I assume the fencing will be removed just before the first train. I have a four-hour wait until the 05:39 to Liverpool Central.

Exceptional dedication, above and beyond etc. Unless you are the overnight security or something, in which case, carry on.

 

[Bevan Price]

777.142 was working the 12:05 from Liverpool Central and 12:39 return from Headbold Lane today (5 October 2023) . The latter was delayed by about 5 minutes waiting for a "faulty" Class 508 to decant its passengers and shunt into Sandhills reversing siding (on the 12:12 Southport - Hunts Cross).

On the way to Headbolt Lane, the internal information display on the 777 was showing "Kirkby H'bolt Lane" rather than "Headbolt Lane"

 

[Merseyrailfan]

Are Rainford semaphores still there?

 

[Gathursty]

Had a lovely evening after work having a nosey at Headbolt Lane. A couple of locals having a look too. It dawned on me that every station map in Merseyrail and Northern will be updated with this new terminus. I always forget about this. What is the cost of removing, printing and replacing the maps at each station?

Having thoughts of staff battling winds at somewhere remote like Ribblehead or Flimby unfurling new maps for little Headbolt Lane.

 

[Gostav]

Are Rainford semaphores still there?

Yes, and with physical token.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Had a lovely evening after work having a nosey at Headbolt Lane. A couple of locals having a look too. It dawned on me that every station map in Merseyrail and Northern will be updated with this new terminus. I always forget about this. What is the cost of removing, printing and replacing the maps at each station?

Having thoughts of staff battling winds at somewhere remote like Ribblehead or Flimby unfurling new maps for little Headbolt Lane.

They may follow TfL's example and apply little stickers to show the new station.

 

[Northerngirl]

Any notices that have a specific note at the bottom saying not to be disclosed obviously would not post. I have removed the attachment

Anyway

First three departures from Vic have arrived near enough on time!

Great to see the first train made it (from both sides) I was tracking the Liverpool Central departure and saw it had not left after 5 mins of waiting... Was expecting a breakdown!

Thankfully the merseyrail staff seem to have been told to wait, i was on a northern that arrived 1m late at :38, and the Merseyrail was scheduled for :39, but the guard kept one door open until :41, because its quite a long walk from one to the other

 

[WAO]

the Merseyrail was scheduled for :39, but the guard kept one door open until :41, because its quite a long walk from one to the other

Nice to see a modern, passenger focussed station.

WAO

 

[Bikeman78]

Thankfully the merseyrail staff seem to have been told to wait, i was on a northern that arrived 1m late at :38, and the Merseyrail was scheduled for :39, but the guard kept one door open until :41, because its quite a long walk from one to the other

Do you need to use a bridge or subway? Rather surprised that it's not been designed to allow cross platform interchange. That said, most people will have 15 minutes there. When Merseyrail runs every 15 minutes, few people would risk the XX:44 arrival for the hourly XX:46 Northern departure.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Do you need to use a bridge or subway? Rather surprised that it's not been designed to allow cross platform interchange. That said, most people will have 15 minutes there. When Merseyrail runs every 15 minutes, few people would risk the XX:44 arrival for the hourly XX:46 Northern departure.

Have Northern and Merseyrail had meetings where timetabling connectional matters would have been on the agenda?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Do you need to use a bridge or subway? Rather surprised that it's not been designed to allow cross platform interchange. That said, most people will have 15 minutes there. When Merseyrail runs every 15 minutes, few people would risk the XX:44 arrival for the hourly XX:46 Northern departure.

There's no bridge or subway. It's a relatively small walk between the Northern and the Merseyrail.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Do you need to use a bridge or subway? Rather surprised that it's not been designed to allow cross platform interchange. That said, most people will have 15 minutes there. When Merseyrail runs every 15 minutes, few people would risk the XX:44 arrival for the hourly XX:46 Northern departure.

There are two platforms for Merseyrail, connected by a walkway (removable at some future point) and the Northern served platform is an extension of the main Merseyrail platform, off-set.

As per this drawing, assuming that is the final layout.

 

[Bikeman78]

There are two platforms for Merseyrail, connected by a walkway (removable at some future point) and the Northern served platform is an extension of the main Merseyrail platform, off-set.

As per this drawing, assuming that is the final layout.

Thanks. Not much different to the walk at Kirkby then. Under normal running, will there only be one Merseyrail there at a time? Looking at the timings, they would pass near Kirkby.

 

[lrailadventure]

Thanks. Not much different to the walk at Kirkby then. Under normal running, will there only be one Merseyrail there at a time? Looking at the timings, they would pass near Kirkby.

Current plan is as the inbound arrives at Headbolt Lane the outbound will depart due to the single track section. Similar to what happens with Merseyrail services at Southport currently.

 

[Bevan Price]

Some daylight photos may help understand the layout.
Towards Kirkby, there are two separate single lines meeting at a junction just before Kirkby station.
Three photos, one looking towards Kirkby; one looking towards Headbolt Lane buffer stops (Merseyrail line), and one (without a train) showing the platform for Rainford & Wigan.



There is a single track and platform for trains towards Rainford & Wigan. The connection (Dale Lane Junction) for the Knowsley (waste disposal) branch is on the right somewhere near the footbridge seen in the distance

 

[mcnw35282]

Geoff Marshall is currently here (doing the YouTube video for his All The Stations project I suspect). He’s getting lots of attention.

I love the new station. It’s just a shame that for 35 years I had to get the bus to Kirkby station when I wanted to go to town…now that I’ve moved to St Helens, a station opens 5 mins from my front door!

Contractors are on site finishing the footpath that will lead to the St Kevin’s Drive (Northwood) exit.

As I suggested, the only things that need finishing are the car park, the exit to Northwood and a bit of landscaping. Overall, very impressed.

The walk from the end of platform 2 to the middle of platform 3 took me roughly 3 mins on a slow amble, so it’s not like you have to run a marathon to switch services.

Local buses have started stopping here too. As there is only an hourly train service at the moment, Merseyrail have put on a shuttle bus between Headbolt Lane and Kirkby to save passengers having to wait an hour if they miss a train…which I thought was a nice touch.

 

[Farigiraf]

Geoff Marshall is currently here (doing the YouTube video for his All The Stations project I suspect). He’s getting lots of attention.

Seems it's a bit random how he does new stations, he was there opening day for Marsh Barton and Portway, he only did a YouTube short and no video on Thanet, then he goes out to HBL the weekend after opening and does a full video on it (And then there's Worcestershire Parkway which he took about a year to visit if I remember correctly)

 

[mcnw35282]

Are the DC shoes held in place by air?

Only when the train approaches Fazakerley, there’s a sound of air escaping…I’m guessing this is the shoes lifting off the conductor rail?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Only when the train approaches Fazakerley, there’s a sound of air escaping…I’m guessing this is the shoes lifting off the conductor rail?

I thought the battery 777s switched at Kirkby?