MML Electrification: progress updates

[InTheEastMids]

The ever-informative Harborough Mail offers up this:

http://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/business/new-railway-footbridge-is-approved-1-7616852

I agree with what's being said - disappointing that it could not be made more accessible for bikes & pushchairs (the nearby bridge at Scotland Road is very poor), but haven't seen people rushing to submit alternative, accessible proposals.

Hopefully NR will crack on with it now.

 

[Flying Phil]

Nice to see actual progress again at Syston.
Re the Harborough bridge, £1M seems to be very expensive for a footbridge? It is however a difficult site to do much else with. I did wonder if they could put two ramps over part of the steps for prams/pushchairs as per the Loughborough GCR station steps, but with some pushchairs having three wheels that presents a problem.

 

[AM9]

Nice to see actual progress again at Syston.
Re the Harborough bridge, £1M seems to be very expensive for a footbridge? ...

Not really. It depends on what it covers. £1m doesn't get much these days, - maybe between 10 and 20 man years of labour at contract prices.
There's line posession costs including rail replacement buses, planning application/approval, site access arrangements, heavy lifting gear, signage, safety mesures, the cost of designing and manufacture of the bridge structure, its delivery, its installation and of course management of the project. Some of these have considerable material costs.

 

[Class 66's]

I assume doubling of track from Corby is to the main MML artery only. Not to Sharnbrook?

Haven't seen any addition or signs of change just south of Wellingborough, so it might happen later on. They still have until ?December 2017?

 

[Mordac]

The blockage between Kettering and Corby is over apparently.

 

[asylumxl]

The blockage between Kettering and Corby is over apparently.

A few laxatives cleared it right out.

 

[snowball]

The blockage between Kettering and Corby is over apparently.

There was this press release about it last Tuesday:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...major-phase-of-rail-upgrade-plan-is-completed

 

[Flying Phil]

The Loughborough MP, Nicky Morgan, has raised this lack of progress, in the Commons and a statement is due this evening.
I presume the work to Corby has taken precedence?
Hopefully some physical progress will be seen soon....

 

[LowLevel]

I'm going to put 50p on it being suspended for a few years after Corby is done.

 

[38Cto15E]

LL
I should put a bit more on than 50p

 

[snowball]

The Loughborough MP, Nicky Morgan, has raised this lack of progress, in the Commons and a statement is due this evening.

To come up after the debate that's going on at the moment, on workers' rights after Brexit. I've got BBC Parliament on in the background.

I presume the work to Corby has taken precedence?

We've known for a year, haven't we, ever since Hendy, that all deadlines for electrification on the main line north of Kettering have been dropped, except the overall one of completing to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield by December 2023. Is there any new news?

By the way, this press release about Market Harborough came out last week:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...p-in-session-with-market-harborough-residents

 

[Kneedown]

Hopefully some physical progress will be seen soon....

Several bridges north of Leicester are im the process of being raised.

 

[snowball]

MML may get up to half an hour in the Commons, not likely to be before 22:00.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmagenda/ob161107.htm

There's clearly no government announcement coming, that would have been earlier in the day if planned at all.

 

[DPWH]

Nice to see actual progress again at Syston.
Re the Harborough bridge, £1M seems to be very expensive for a footbridge? It is however a difficult site to do much else with. I did wonder if they could put two ramps over part of the steps for prams/pushchairs as per the Loughborough GCR station steps, but with some pushchairs having three wheels that presents a problem.

The ramp on the Loughborough Central station steps was for mail bags, not pushchairs. It'd be difficult and potentially very dangerous to push a pushchair or wheelchair up or down it. The Victorians didn't care so much for step-free access, and if needed there would have been a small army of porters available to manhandle people with any issues.

There is of course now a lift in the liftshaft originally built for mail and parcels in the 1950s as well.

Any ramp is going to have to be ramp-like in terms of its gradient and having level landings at appropriate intervals.

 

[edwin_m]

£1m is about the going rate for a footbridge, especially as this one would have either ramps or (more likely) lifts.

 

[Class 170101]

Live now on BBC Parliament

 

[snowball]

The debate ran from 22:02 to 22:31. The last 10 minutes was the rail minister. Though repeatedly pressed, he repeatedly avoided re-committing to the 2023 date for completion.

 

[Bald Rick]

£1m is about the going rate for a footbridge, especially as this one would have either ramps or (more likely) lifts.

£1m is the going rate for a footbridge with steps and no local difficulties. If ramps required, double it, and any local issues (eg need to buy land) then keep going.

 

[snowball]

The last 10 minutes was the rail minister. Though repeatedly pressed, he repeatedly avoided re-committing to the 2023 date for completion.

At least there's been no explicit further deferral (see the GW thread this morning).

 

[Flying Phil]

Fingers crossed that it will still be happening by 2023 then....

 

[Verulamius]

I note from Hansard that the minister confirmed that the full 4 tracking between Bedford and Kettering was going ahead. Does this mean that the Sharnbrook tunnel will be double tracked?

 

[swt_passenger]

I note from Hansard that the minister confirmed that the full 4 tracking between Bedford and Kettering was going ahead. Does this mean that the Sharnbrook tunnel will be double tracked?

This is how it reads in the enhancement plan:

The scope of works includes:
• installation of an additional slow line between Sharnbrook Junction and Kettering South Junction along with all associated signalling, telecoms, earthworks and structures works, to provide a four track section;
• provision of new infrastructure to a maximum line speed of 90 mph (noting existing infrastructure will remain at its published PSR);
• provision of W6a/7 gauge clearance between Sharnbrook Junction and Kettering South junction;
• provision of axle weight clearances between Sharnbrook Junction and Kettering South Junction of RA10 at 60mph and RA8 at 90mph (up to permissible line speed) on the new slow line.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Several bridges north of Leicester are im the process of being raised.

That is good news. How far have they got?

 

[387star]

Surely the emt hsts will need upgrading soon like the xc ones

 

[Kneedown]

That is good news. How far have they got?

New span in place at Cossington, temp footbridges and scaffolding in place at Barrow, Hathern and Kegworth.
Barrow brought forward due to partial collapse.

 

[RichmondCommu]

New span in place at Cossington, temp footbridges and scaffolding in place at Barrow, Hathern and Kegworth.

Well that's very positive news. Hopefully it won't be too long before they start work further north.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Surely the emt hsts will need upgrading soon like the xc ones

I'm sure a EMT driver posted on the forum a few weeks a go that the EMT HST's were going to undergo work to help make them compliant.

 

[Hairy Bear]

Well that's very positive news. Hopefully it won't be too long before they start work further north.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I'm sure a EMT driver posted on the forum a few weeks a go that the EMT HST's were going to undergo work to help make them compliant.

I did, Ours as well as the XC ones will need power doors, pis in the coaches, accessible toilets and retention tanks.
DFT have asked us to make them last until 2024, read into that what you will.

 

[Class 170101]

I did, Ours as well as the XC ones will need power doors, pis in the coaches, accessible toilets and retention tanks.
DFT have asked us to make them last until 2024, read into that what you will.

Would it not be better to upgarde the ECML ones and use them instead as they are similar to the XC ones as where as the MML ones are different due to the different engines.

 

[Emblematic]

Would it not be better to upgarde the ECML ones and use them instead as they are similar to the XC ones as where as the MML ones are different due to the different engines.

It's only the passenger accommodation that needs upgrading before 2020. The power cars could be swapped whenever others become available, it would just take ROSCO and TOC to reach an agreement. AFAIK EMT haven't expressed a desire to switch to MTU engines, but a successor franchise might.

 

[Flying Phil]

New span in place at Cossington, temp footbridges and scaffolding in place at Barrow, Hathern and Kegworth.
Barrow brought forward due to partial collapse.

Additionally, the road bridge South of Syston (from Barkby) was closed to road traffic today - says a diverted car driver!