MML Electrification: progress updates

[Western Sunset]

Just wondering how far north on the MML has electrification now been authorised to?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well - published upthread from extremely reliable sources that a Grid connection has been applied for at Kegworth. So that is huge. With a GF, there would be wires. With wires there would be SPS and bases and masts etc.

 

[Nottingham59]

a Grid connection has been applied for at Kegworth

Though the Kegworth 400kV connection has always been needed for HS2, or course, whatever happens to the MML. And there are lots of stages to something being "authorised".

 

[edwin_m]

Though the Kegworth 400kV connection has always been needed for HS2, or course, whatever happens to the MML. And there are lots of stages to something being "authorised".

However that part of HS2 isn't currently authorised - it would need a Hybrid Bill through Parliament and it's nowhere near that.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Though the Kegworth 400kV connection has always been needed for HS2, or course, whatever happens to the MML. And there are lots of stages to something being "authorised".

You have to apply for connections years in advance to get equipment and outages on the EHV system to make the connections. Although if they are connecting at ratcliffe power station grid it should be easier to get outages on a switchboard connection rather than teeing off a pylon route which means taking a complete circuit out of use for several weeks.

 

[Nottingham59]

if they are connecting at ratcliffe power station grid it should be easier to get outages on a switchboard connection rather than teeing off a pylon route

I understand they are going to tee off one of the 400kV lines, a couple of pylons away from the power station grid. It makes sense, I suppose: you've got to get the 400kV supply over the fence somehow, and using the existing line to do that would be cheaper.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I understand they are going to tee off one of the 400kV lines, a couple of pylons away from the power station grid. It makes sense, I suppose: you've got to get the 400kV supply over the fence somehow, and using the existing line to do that would be cheaper.

Thats bizarre far better to have the supply off a switchyard as in the unfortunate case you get a fault on the 400kv traction transformer you don't have to trip off the circuit to clear the fault. Not much choice at Baybrooke and majority of other locations as the infeed isn't near a switchyard.

 

[Nottingham59]

I did a bit more digging on this. The Kegworth Autotransformer feeder station for HS2 was planned to be adjacent to M1J24, which is actually 3km from Ratcliffe on Soar power station.


(image taken from: https://assets.publishing.service.g..._Ratcliffe-on-Soar_to_Long_Eaton_map_book.pdf )

I can't see what 400kV supply they planned to use. None of the several 400kV lines in the area pass directly over the site. See here (map taken from openinframap).


But it's all irrelevant now, as the route of HS2 is likely to be diverted to the other side of Kegworth village in order to join the MML south of East Midlands Parkway.

EDIT: The 400kV tap was indeed the second pylon outside the power station. It looks like they planned to feed the Kegworth ATFS with a +25kV/0/-25kV cable buried along the southern side of the A453 between these two sites.

 

[snowball]

My copy of the May issue of Modern Railways has arrived. There's an MML item on page 12.

The magazine "understands" that DfT authorised Market Harborough to Wigston South Junction in late March but local election purdah prevented a public announcement then. The project will be integrated with the already-in-progress Kettering to MH, so the original target of completion to MH in 2023 is no longer guaranteed.

The next section being developed, known as Section 2, is Wigston South Junction to Syston Junction, so in other words the Leicester area, which is apparently now being taken forward as a standalone electrification scheme, neither integrated with nor waiting for a capacity improvement scheme. "Work is ongoing to obtain approval to go into design for Section 2."

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The next section being developed, known as Section 2, is Wigston South Junction to Syston Junction, so in other words the Leicester area, which is apparently now being taken forward as a standalone electrification scheme, neither integrated with nor waiting for a capacity improvement scheme. "Work is ongoing to obtain approval to go into design for Section 2."

You'd hope the Leicester wiring will have passive provision for the long-anticipated capacity scheme there - ie no masts where new tracks would go.

 

[zwk500]

You'd hope the Leicester wiring will have passive provision for the long-anticipated capacity scheme there - ie no masts where new tracks would go.

If they're not waiting for the final design of the new layout, they may not know where to avoid (other than by having end-to-end gantries everywhere).

 

[snowball]

Over the years the most frequent talk of capacity improvements in the area has been of a flyover at Wigston North, but I think the most recent document on the subject only referred to all-at-grade improvements (which would not remove conflicts between MML and F2N).

 

[londonmidland]

I wonder if they’ll just install wide portals everywhere, to avoid any conflict on the ground, for any potential future track layout changes?

 

[YorksLad12]

My copy of the May issue of Modern Railways has arrived. There's an MML item on page 12.

The magazine "understands" that DfT authorised Market Harborough to Wigston South Junction in late March but local election purdah prevented a public announcement then. The project will be integrated with the already-in-progress Kettering to MH, so the original target of completion to MH in 2023 is no longer guaranteed.

Bull. Govt has been announcing loads since the pre-election period started, on a range of things (some transport related, and gaining coverage for it). Either it is happening, or MR is fishing.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The next section being developed, known as Section 2, is Wigston South Junction to Syston Junction, so in other words the Leicester area, which is apparently now being taken forward as a standalone electrification scheme, neither integrated with nor waiting for a capacity improvement scheme. "Work is ongoing to obtain approval to go into design for Section 2."

Pardon my ignorance and possibly silly question - is that Syston South Jct or Syston North Jct please?

 

[snowball]

Pardon my ignorance and possibly sill question - is that Syston South Jct or Syston North Jct please?

Not stated but I would guess north, so as to gather all the complexities of the Leicester area into one section.

Bull. Govt has been announcing loads since the pre-election period started, on a range of things (some transport related, and gaining coverage for it). Either it is happening, or MR is fishing.

No local elections in Rwanda this May AFAIK.

 

[edwin_m]

Pardon my ignorance and possibly sill question - is that Syston South Jct or Syston North Jct please?

Syston South to North remained as four tracks in the 1988 remodelling that reduced it to three tracks into Leicester. So the extra track ends at the South junction but there may be some implications further north. This probably explains the rather vague northren limit.

 

[Nottingham59]

If they're not waiting for the final design of the new layout, they may not know where to avoid

I'm sure the OHLE design team could make a good guess as to where any additional tracks between Syston and Wigston would have to go, and then at least try to avoid planting piles in those locations.

Especially if any new layout in the area is to be at-grade.

 

[Roast Veg]

Especially if any new layout in the area is to be at-grade.

This is far from guaranteed.

 

[edwin_m]

If they are positioned outside any obvious potential trackbed then that probably guarantees that about 90% of them won't need moving whatever layout changes may take place. TTCs on either side are probably better than portals in that respect, because then if one side becomes a flyover ramp the other side is unaffected. And Bletchley shows that OLE can be reconstructed relatively easily for a new flyover.

 

[Mordac]

My copy of the May issue of Modern Railways has arrived. There's an MML item on page 12.

The magazine "understands" that DfT authorised Market Harborough to Wigston South Junction in late March but local election purdah prevented a public announcement then. The project will be integrated with the already-in-progress Kettering to MH, so the original target of completion to MH in 2023 is no longer guaranteed.

The next section being developed, known as Section 2, is Wigston South Junction to Syston Junction, so in other words the Leicester area, which is apparently now being taken forward as a standalone electrification scheme, neither integrated with nor waiting for a capacity improvement scheme. "Work is ongoing to obtain approval to go into design for Section 2."

I hope someone at NR is looking at Wigston South Junction to Proof House Junction.

 

[Ken H]

I hope someone at NR is looking at Wigston South Junction to Proof House Junction.

Yeah but Arley Tunnel...

 

[John R]

I hope someone at NR is looking at Wigston South Junction to Proof House Junction.

We're doing well to creep forward northwards up the MML in roughly 10 mile incremental steps at the moment, so starting to look beyond the core route feels very optimistic. Besides, until the whole route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton is approved, surely the benefit of Wigston South to Proof House will be much lower than other schemes?

 

[Nottingham59]

This is far from guaranteed

Very true, but the need to grade-separate Wigston North / Syston South is looking less and less likely, given the IRP proposal to build the HS2 Eastern stump to EMD.

 

[InTheEastMids]

The magazine "understands" that DfT authorised Market Harborough to Wigston South Junction in late March but local election purdah prevented a public announcement then. The project will be integrated with the already-in-progress Kettering to MH, so the original target of completion to MH in 2023 is no longer guaranteed.

This would be consistent with the internal vs external comms about Kettering-MH. There was initial coverage about this back in Feb/Mar 2019 (which might be analogous to the MML commitment in the IRP), but formal announcement that work was underway was only at the end of 2021, by which time quite a lot of work on piling and at Braybrooke had already been done. If the same approach is taken this time, we'll probably see piling North of the current scheme before there's any PR.

We're doing well to creep forward northwards up the MML in roughly 10 mile incremental steps at the moment, so starting to look beyond the core route feels very optimistic. Besides, until the whole route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton is approved, surely the benefit of Wigston South to Proof House will be much lower than other schemes?

Agreed - probably needs both Cl93 and bimode XC trains to get any benefits from electrification, I suspect it's well down the list.

Very true, but the need to grade-separate Wigston North / Syston South is looking less and less likely, given the IRP proposal to build the HS2 Eastern stump to EMD.

The Network Rail "Leicester Area Strategic Advice" document that basically pours cold water on the need for grade separation is linked here:
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Leicester-Area-Strategic-Advice-2021.pdf

Obviously grade separation might get back on the agenda if future forecasts were different from the scenarios therein.

 

[Starmill]

It sounds to me like it will be rather a long time before any work can begin on the 'section 2' from Wigston South Junction anyway.

 

[59CosG95]

(Via LinkedIn) Braybrooke FS' building has now been lifted into position. The post author, who works for Network Rail, has also implied that the OLE will continue to Wigston in one job lot, and that energisation of the route will be in December 2023, with an entry into service of 2024 as things stand.
This timescale seems fairly reasonable given that Market Harborough northwards is only at the design survey stage, and that the bridge works from Kettering to Mkt H'boro' haven't started yet...

 

[Wyrleybart]

We're doing well to creep forward northwards up the MML in roughly 10 mile incremental steps at the moment, so starting to look beyond the core route feels very optimistic. Besides, until the whole route between Felixstowe and Nuneaton is approved, surely the benefit of Wigston South to Proof House will be much lower than other schemes?

Not necessarily. Wiring Wigston-Proof House instantly allows the Birmingham - Leicester passenger service to switch to EMUs releasing class 170s for cascade. If EMUs could have batteries to cope with Syston-Peterborough-Ely. then more 170s could be cascaded off the Stansted Airport route. .

 

[Mikey C]

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(Via LinkedIn) Braybrooke FS' building has now been lifted into position. The post author, who works for Network Rail, has also implied that the OLE will continue to Wigston in one job lot, and that energisation of the route will be in December 2023, with an entry into service of 2024 as things stand.
This timescale seems fairly reasonable given that Market Harborough northwards is only at the design survey stage, and that the bridge works from Kettering to Mkt H'boro' haven't started yet...

That sounds remarkably speedy, and quite impressive. Nice to hear some good news on the electrification programme

 

[cle]

That is encouraging.

For Leicester, I can see Wigston as four track but not grade separated.

Equally I can't see that the Leicester decision is super complex - basically pick a side for the extra line/platform - and they will be under pressure now to make that call quickly. My vote would be on the Birmingham side as it's more likely for shorter formed services (if the platform is short, per the plans) - OTOH - a Corby-esque EMU to St Pancras would bring great connectivity for the MML stations to the north, and also at EWR/Bedford. But too long so platforming would be different. But maybe it could be an EWR service itself turning at Leicester (shorter, and diesel for now).