Headbolt Lane progress updates

[Skie]

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?

I believe it's pneumatic.

I thought the battery 777s switched at Kirkby?

They auto switch when going over a balise, but it can be manually switched if needed.

 

[mcnw35282]

Think it was posted on here that class 507/508 and 777/0’s were forbidden from operating beyond Fazakerley?

Sorry, just to add that my post should’ve read approaches Fazakerley heading towards Kirkby.

 

[prod_pep]

Think it was posted on here that class 507/508 and 777/0’s were forbidden from operating beyond Fazakerley?

Clearly not as the XX35 service from Liverpool Central, the Kirkby terminating service, is being worked by a 777/0.

 

[mcnw35282]

Yeah, I got that wrong because when the half-hourly service to Kirkby resumed after the 6 week blockade, 777/0’s were used. Apologies for this oversight.

Is it the 507/8’s that can’t go beyond Fazakerley anymore? (Except to shunt)

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Is it the 507/8’s that can’t go beyond Fazakerley anymore? (Except to shunt)

They have also been still going to Kirkby

 

[Brissle Girl]

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)

Worcestershire Parkway opened a month before lockdown, which may have something to do with the long delay.

 

[prod_pep]

Is it the 507/8’s that can’t go beyond Fazakerley anymore? (Except to shunt)

Not as yet as far as I know. There were 507/8s in service on the Kirkby line as recently as last week.

 

[mcnw35282]

Having an absolute mare here, aren’t I?

Am I right in thinking I read on here that the 3rd rail was to be lifted for the entire platform length and this was why only 777/1s were allowed beyond Fazakerley…but they must’ve changed their minds and only removed half the platform length instead so all units could at least use the top part of Kirkby station?

 

[snowball]

Having an absolute mare here, aren’t I?

Am I right in thinking I read on here that the 3rd rail was to be lifted for the entire platform length and this was why only 777/1s were allowed beyond Fazakerley

I seem to remember reading that too.

 

[prod_pep]

Having an absolute mare here, aren’t I?

Am I right in thinking I read on here that the 3rd rail was to be lifted for the entire platform length and this was why only 777/1s were allowed beyond Fazakerley…but they must’ve changed their minds and only removed half the platform length instead so all units could at least use the top part of Kirkby station?

Not to worry. There have been some misinformed claims on here about the Kirkby situation. One of these was the claim that 507/8s would not be allowed past Fazakerley following the lifting of the previous blockade, but this turned out to be untrue, at least for the time being.

 

[jamesst]

The 777/1s lift the shoes on approach to Fazakerley (towards Kirkby) and drop them on approach to Kirkby (towards Liverpool).

At present both 777/0s and 507/8s can run as far as Kirkby from Liverpool. This is only under a temporary agreement with Network Rail and involves the driver having to contact the signaller on every trip before restarting at Kirkby towards Liverpool.

Once more 777/1s are ready for passenger service then they will solely run to Headbolt Lane on a 15min frequency.

When this occurs then the temporary agreement will be ended, Kirkby will no longer be a turnaround point and all 777/0s and 507/8s will no longer be allowed past Fazakerley.

Hope this clears it up!

 

[karlbbb]

The 777/1s lift the shoes on approach to Fazakerley (towards Kirkby) and drop them on approach to Kirkby (towards Liverpool).

At present both 777/0s and 507/8s can run as far as Kirkby from Liverpool. This is only under a temporary agreement with Network Rail and involves the driver having to contact the signaller on every trip before restarting at Kirkby towards Liverpool.

Once more 777/1s are ready for passenger service then they will solely run to Headbolt Lane on a 15min frequency.

When this occurs then the temporary agreement will be ended, Kirkby will no longer be a turnaround point and all 777/0s and 507/8s will no longer be allowed past Fazakerley.

Hope this clears it up!

Just on the final point - will they not be allowed past Fazakerley as a passenger service, but could still shunt as far as the the single line junction to then turn back to Fazakerley?

 

[jamesst]

Just on the final point - will they not be allowed past Fazakerley as a passenger service, but could still shunt as far as the the single line junction to then turn back to Fazakerley?

Spot on

 

[mcnw35282]

The 777/1s lift the shoes on approach to Fazakerley (towards Kirkby) and drop them on approach to Kirkby (towards Liverpool).

At present both 777/0s and 507/8s can run as far as Kirkby from Liverpool. This is only under a temporary agreement with Network Rail and involves the driver having to contact the signaller on every trip before restarting at Kirkby towards Liverpool.

Once more 777/1s are ready for passenger service then they will solely run to Headbolt Lane on a 15min frequency.

When this occurs then the temporary agreement will be ended, Kirkby will no longer be a turnaround point and all 777/0s and 507/8s will no longer be allowed past Fazakerley.

Hope this clears it up!

Thank god…I’m not going senile!

I wonder if they will be removing the rest of the third rail once enough 777/1s are in service

 

[8A Rail]

Thank god…I’m not going senile!

I wonder if they will be removing the rest of the third rail once enough 777/1s are in service

Why? The third is already in place and a good safeguard to allow Class 777/0's to operate as far as Fazakerley when the need arises. Better to operate bus replacement service from there rather than Kirkdale or Walton.

 

[mcnw35282]

I meant the rest of the 3rd rail at Kirkby station..but I've since remembered that the traction switch towards Liverpool happens on approach to Kirkby, so I doubt they'll remove any more.

 

[H&I]

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

​

I travelled to the station specifically to be the first passenger there and travel on the first service. However, as someone who does not drive, I had no choice but to arrive early to be on the first passenger service. Because of the strikes on Wednesday, I had to catch the 18:00 550 National Express coach service from Victoria Coach Station to Liverpool, which arrived at Liverpool One Bus Station just after midnight. I then took a taxi to Headbolt Lane, meaning I was waiting there from around 01:30. Although I understand why, I find it ironic that it is difficult to get to inaugurations of public transport infrastructure and services by public transport.

 

[Llandudno]

​

I travelled to the station specifically to be the first passenger there and travel on the first service. However, as someone who does not drive, I had no choice but to arrive early to be on the first passenger service. Because of the strikes on Wednesday, I had to catch the 18:00 550 National Express coach service from Victoria Coach Station to Liverpool, which arrived at Liverpool One Bus Station just after midnight. I then took a taxi to Headbolt Lane, meaning I was waiting there from around 01:30. Although I understand why, I find it ironic that it is difficult to get to inaugurations of public transport infrastructure and services by public transport.

Jeez that’s dedication waiting at Headbolt Lane, Kirkby for 5 hours in the middle of the night!

I think I would have found a 24 hour McDonalds, or a dodgy pub in the City Centre and bided some time in there before getting a cab to Kirkby!

 

[Gathursty]

If I needed to kill several hours through the night in Liverpool, I'd probably have took a taxi to Hightown, walked to the seafront, set a timer and fell asleep in the dunes before booking another taxi to Kirkby. There's other places to snooze nearby but certainly not on Headbolt Lane forecourt.

*Certainly avoid Otterspool/Crosby/Formby in the middle of the night. Do not try Sefton Park or any other urban park either.

Only sensible thing would be just to ask hotel to delay check out time so you can catch up on sleep.

 

[LPJOHN]

It does not look like the table table for Liverpool Central to Headbolt Lane via Kirkby has been uploaded yet for the week commencing 16/10/2023

Anyone got any idea why? other than maybe the frequency will increased if they are happy with ways are going or keep it at an hourly service for a while longer.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Headbolt Lane also doesn't yet appear to be in the search facility on National Rail Enquiries.

 

[GusB]

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

The video is here, for anyone who's interested:

 

[Djgr]

The video is here, for anyone who's interested:

Pleased to see the station "name" gets a lot of slagging off.

 

[Parjon]

Do Green Lane, Eastham Rake, Hall Road also get slated...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do Green Lane, Eastham Rake, Hall Road also get slated...

None of them are termini. The issue with Headbolt is that it appears on displays in places like Manchester Victoria, as such it could do with being prefixed with where it is.

 

[Djgr]

None of them are termini. The issue with Headbolt is that it appears on displays in places like Manchester Victoria, as such it could do with being prefixed with where it is.

And apparently is happening on the train itself

 

[peter.owen]

There will be two Merseyrail trains an hour to and from Headbolt Lane from Thursday of this week (12 October).

Increased services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central

 

[Kite159]

And apparently is happening on the train itself

And advertised at Liverpool Central as "Headbolt Lane Via Kirkby"

Kirkby (Headbolt Lane) would have been a much better station name for passengers coming from Manchester. Also shame ticket barriers weren't installed (although as there seems to be an exit to the south of the station that might be harder)

 

[Bletchleyite]

And advertised at Liverpool Central as "Headbolt Lane Via Kirkby"

Kirkby (Headbolt Lane) would have been a much better station name for passengers coming from Manchester

It seems Merseyrail is being sensible over this, but Northern isn't. To be fair, it'd not be hard for Northern to change the station name in their systems.

 

[py_megapixel]

If we stopped stubbornly refusing to use route numbers, then the destination would only be needed to distinguish directions, so its name would be fairly arbitrary. Just imagine if buses didn't have route numbers and you could only work out which one was yours by looking at the destination!

If any bit of railway in the UK is suitable for this it's Merseyrail, which is (get your RailUK bingo cards out, sorry), in concept identical to an S-bahn. You could repaint everything and write "S-Bahn Mersey" on the 777s and it would appear to be straight out of a German city.

It seems Merseyrail is being sensible over this, but Northern isn't. To be fair, it'd not be hard for Northern to change the station name in their systems.

Individual TOCs changing the name in their own systems (so the TOC websites and screens don't match the platform signs and NRE) is surely worse than a consistent but uninformative name!