Leicester Station remodelling

[Western Sunset]

With the mention of possible reinstatement of four running lines through the station above, do more freights run through Leicester nowadays compared to the mid-80s? More Freightliners appear to come down the Erewash Valley to by-pass the clearance-restricted Toadmoor Tunnel at Ambergate. Is the intention for them to continue further down the MML; possibly through Leicester?

 

[Senex]

Great stuff! Thanks!

 

[londonmidland]

With the mention of possible reinstatement of four running lines through the station above, do more freights run through Leicester nowadays compared to the mid-80s? More Freightliners appear to come down the Erewash Valley to by-pass the clearance-restricted Toadmoor Tunnel at Ambergate. Is the intention for them to continue further down the MML; possibly through Leicester?

Intermodal traffic has been running through Leicester for a good few years now. I think the route had been gauged cleared back in 2012? The majority of intermodal traffic through Leicester runs from Felixstowe to West Midlands freightliner terminals. However some continue north up the WCML at Nuneaton.

 

[londonmidland]

A picture from a friend of the work happening at the north end of the station this afternoon.

 

[John Hunt]

Excellent photo! Thank you.
Your friend was standing at the end of platform 1 - the staff at Leicester are very good; only platform 4 is for public use today!

 

[MarkyT]

A picture from a friend of the work happening at the north end of the station this afternoon.

Looking at that, I'd guess the aim of this work is to obtain clear overlap distance in advance of LR413 so the platform can be approached from the south at the same time as a northbound departure is made from the adjacent platform (and vice versa).

 

[Senex]

It looks to me like two birds with one stone. One is the overlap, as you say. The "moved 70yds North (3ch)" seems to refer to the new points in relation to the existing exit points from platform 1. The second is that a direct route from platform 1 to the up & down goods line seems to be going to be created, allowing a train to move from the platform line to that line without having to block the down fast at all. Given that the normal lie of the new points will presumably be into the up & down goods, does that mean that the overlap will extend along that line? As the signalling was installed, any train coming in to platform 2 on a red had to approach the previous signal at red, with release to yellow only when the front end was about 200 yards from the signal because of the inadequate overlap (well, nearly non-existent overlap) ahead of the two platform signals. Presumably with that problem solved the planned 40mph through the South Jn and into platform 2 and the planned 30 into platform 1 will become possible.

 

[John Hunt]

Visit at 18:00 - work coming to an end (for today)

Fox St siding has not been touched at all.

As I arrived, the ballast train had reversed out of platform 2 and ready to advance back into platform depositing ballast as it went.

Third photo is just for a laugh - amazing how much of that stuff is NOT foreign to LR depot in days gone by.

Spoke briefly to one of the Network Rail guys (not good to pump them for info after a long night/day work).
He told me that there is a lot more work to be done, and it will involve possessions like this in the near future. (note the s - plural)

Apologies for the quality of these and the earlier photos; combination of factors 1. I'm no Lord Lichfield. 2. It's an old Nikon Coolpix. 3. I was balanced on bike pedals.

 

[londonmidland]

Appreciate the updates and information guys.

It’s clear from the photos how the new track will join onto the existing up and down goods line as well as the points being slight further north to allow trains to join the down fast.

I’m still a bit confused as to how the track leaving platform 1 will join onto the new section of track given the tight curve and awkward exiting angle?

 

[John Hunt]

The section with the new concrete sleepers is not connected yet either north or south, only to the line coming out of platform 2. Don't forget, my photos wer taken from Swain St bridge so the connection between plat 1 and plat 2 lines is not visible. Ballast train is on plat 2 line. Next possession and work will surely reveal more of what it will finally achieve regarding the tight curve from plat 1.

Hope this has helped today.

 

[MarkyT]

It looks to me like two birds with one stone. One is the overlap, as you say. The "moved 70yds North (3ch)" seems to refer to the new points in relation to the existing exit points from platform 1. The second is that a direct route from platform 1 to the up & down goods line seems to be going to be created, allowing a train to move from the platform line to that line without having to block the down fast at all. Given that the normal lie of the new points will presumably be into the up & down goods, does that mean that the overlap will extend along that line? As the signalling was installed, any train coming in to platform 2 on a red had to approach the previous signal at red, with release to yellow only when the front end was about 200 yards from the signal because of the inadequate overlap (well, nearly non-existent overlap) ahead of the two platform signals. Presumably with that problem solved the planned 40mph through the South Jn and into platform 2 and the planned 30 into platform 1 will become possible.

The old values from GK/RT0064 still apply I believe, which can be seen in the superseded RSSB document: https://catalogues.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/GKRT0064 Iss 1.pdf
From which the following minimum reduced overlap lengths can be assumed:
30 mile/h - 70m
35 mile/h - 75m
40 mile/h - 80m
In the final layout, a down freight will presumably also be able to get to the goods line by turning off earlier and running through platform 1 while a passenger train is loading at or actually departing from platform 2, a useful flexibility and performance upgrade. A first stage could just bring in the new crossover masquerading as the old platform 1 north end turnout as far as the interlocking is concerned, with further signalling changes introduced later.

 

[edwin_m]

Next possession and work will surely reveal more of what it will finally achieve regarding the tight curve from plat 1.

Looking particularly at #34 I reckon the right hand curve behind the camera will be eased out, with a more gentle left-hander leading into the new track. This will mean either widening the northernmost bit of platform 1 or declaring it out of use.

They will have to add a trap point as shown by @MarkyT in #36, somewhere beyond the end of the track been laid so far, unless the goods line is re-designated as a passenger line, which probably isn't desirable as I believe they do run-rounds there.

 

[londonmidland]

Looking particularly at #34 I reckon the right hand curve behind the camera will be eased out, with a more gentle left-hander leading into the new track. This will mean either widening the northernmost bit of platform 1 or declaring it out of use.

That makes sense and will probably look a bit like this, shown in my (very) professional drawing below

 

[midland1]

I wonder if signal LR413 will be moved to the left to be on its normal left side.

 

[MarkyT]

That makes sense and will probably look a bit like this, shown in my (very) professional drawing below

Now that's some quality virtual reality rendering there! Suspect along with a bit of platform face tidying up, signal LR 413 will need replacing, probably on a new straight post structure to the left of the platform loop track.

 

[edwin_m]

I wonder if signal LR413 will be moved to the left to be on its normal left side.

Could the hole with something blue in it, that's surrounded by barriers to the left of the new track, be the start of a signal foundation?

 

[John Hunt]

Looking at RTT this morning - repeat performance of this last weekend on 11 and 12 July.

 

[wallan]

Looking at RTT this morning - repeat performance of this last weekend on 11 and 12 July.

Final commissioning due 2200 Sat 25th - 0500 Mon 27th

 

[Foggycorner]

Could the hole with something blue in it, that's surrounded by barriers to the left of the new track, be the start of a signal foundation?

That looks to be a drain hole new work ,the third picture from the bridge shows this better.

 

[Jonny]

I wonder if signal LR413 will be moved to the left to be on its normal left side.

If there is a platform involved, especially with guard dispatch, then a signal is normally placed on the platform side. This helps to minimise "ding-ding and away"-type SPADs.

 

[civ-eng-jim]

There's nothing particularly major going on here at Leicester - It's just an S&C renewal, shifting the crossover north a bit, some track removal and a spot of drainage too. Here's the layout:

(Green is removed track, red, new, black existing)

 

[John Hunt]

Agreed it isn't major, just long overdue. Leicester Stn IMHO has a 'run-down' appearance - a good tidy-up and some weeding is needed!

 

[MarkyT]

If there is a platform involved, especially with guard dispatch, then a signal is normally placed on the platform side. This helps to minimise "ding-ding and away"-type SPADs.

Good point. An additional 'OFF' indicator might otherwise have to be provided.

 

[sharpley]

Agreed it isn't major, just long overdue. Leicester Stn IMHO has a 'run-down' appearance - a good tidy-up and some weeding is needed!

Other than the platform ends (which are hardly used) needing a bit of weeding, the platform buildings themselves are clean and functional. Theres nothing special admittedly about them but the station overall is in decent condition imo.

Good to see a relatively simple track alteration can have a useful operational improvement, both for freight and passengers, as well.

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for the pictures and updates!

 

[londonmidland]

More of a overall general observation as opposed to the current remodelling going on but after today's disruption caused by a broken down freight train at Bedford, large delays occurred.

This was captured at 23:40 and shows many trains in the vicinity of Leicester station. I'm no expert but I couldn't help feeling an extra platform or two couldn't go amiss for any terminators as well as redoubling from Wigston Jn to Syston Jn.

Your thoughts?

 

[edwin_m]

That's a fairly exceptional situation but there is still one platform free and two passenger trains approaching. Probably at least one of the standing trains will leave within a short time so there will be a platform free for each of them. 1D76, 1F77 and 1F79 are probably going to be "block on block" down the main line so platforming more than one of them at a time wouldn't reduce delays much.

The problem really arises if several trains have to be held at Leicester because of a blockage north of south. I suspect 1Z99 is something that was cancelled earlier and dumped out of the way, and the other goods lines would allow more trains to be dumped if necessary.

It's likely that the restoration of four racks will eventually go ahead, which will create more platforms in the carriage sidings area. This are primarily for XC but could be used by MML trains if they are long enough.

 

[Bald Rick]

That's a fairly exceptional situation but there is still one platform free and two passenger trains approaching. Probably at least one of the standing trains will leave within a short time so there will be a platform free for each of them. 1D76, 1F77 and 1F79 are probably going to be "block on block" down the main line so platforming more than one of them at a time wouldn't reduce delays much.

The problem really arises if several trains have to be held at Leicester because of a blockage north of south. I suspect 1Z99 is something that was cancelled earlier and dumped out of the way, and the other goods lines would allow more trains to be dumped if necessary.

It's likely that the restoration of four racks will eventually go ahead, which will create more platforms in the carriage sidings area. This are primarily for XC but could be used by MML trains if they are long enough.

1Z99 was the loco sent to rescue the failure at Bedford.

 

[londonmidland]

1Z99 was the loco sent to rescue the failure at Bedford.

Not to be pedantic but the rescue loco was sent from somewhere else which ran as 1Z98. It then dragged the failed freight to Leicester/Humberstone Road sidings for 1Z99 to take over from there.

Getting a bit off topic now so I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Roast Veg]

That's a fairly exceptional situation but there is still one platform free and two passenger trains approaching. Probably at least one of the standing trains will leave within a short time so there will be a platform free for each of them. 1D76, 1F77 and 1F79 are probably going to be "block on block" down the main line so platforming more than one of them at a time wouldn't reduce delays much.

The problem really arises if several trains have to be held at Leicester because of a blockage north of south. I suspect 1Z99 is something that was cancelled earlier and dumped out of the way, and the other goods lines would allow more trains to be dumped if necessary.

It's likely that the restoration of four racks will eventually go ahead, which will create more platforms in the carriage sidings area. This are primarily for XC but could be used by MML trains if they are long enough.

Anecdotally in the past year alone Leicester has become backlogged very quickly when there has been, in no particular order:

• Track failure at West Hampstead
• Trespass in the Syston area
• A person threatening to jump off of a bridge in the Wigston Area
• Landslip near Corby
• Wires down near Bedford
• Failed freight near Trent Junction

Any remodelling to help with the recovery of down trains is exceedingly welcome, and segregation of XC will help with that massively, the services that don't terminate have quite long layovers to put plenty of slack in the timetable at present.
I may pop down to the station shortly and see whether the light is good enough to get any pictures myself.