MML Electrification: progress updates

[richieb1971]

Bromham is all done on the fasts, half done on the slows (the darker shot shows only the fasts done facing north). Its moving along quite nicely now.

 

[londonmidland]

I don’t think I’ve seen so many twin track cantilevers on a four-track railway. Any reason why portals weren’t used on even elevations of the line?

 

[richieb1971]

There isn't any other kind so far. Every gantry is the type you see above. In the pictures above, that part of the track is the nearest you will get to 4 tracks running in parallel. A bit further north the heights of the fasts and slows changes considerably and at certain sections the fasts and slows can actually separate creating little islands in between. Due to this, NR probably thought the apparatus used above is the best to use for consistency purposes.

 

[Domh245]

The main advantage of a pair of TTCs compared to a 4 track portal will be down to installation. Installing a TTC will require less lifting equipment (potentially 2 vs 1 crane, or 1 smaller crane) for attaching the boom part of the structure, and will also only need the one pair of tracks being under possession (I think, unless rules about minimum distance to running lines come into play)

Also, you clearly haven't looked at the GWML recently then, that's a very TTC heavy (vice portals) installation

 

[59CosG95]

There isn't any other kind so far. Every gantry is the type you see above. In the pictures above, that part of the track is the nearest you will get to 4 tracks running in parallel. A bit further north the heights of the fasts and slows changes considerably and at certain sections the fasts and slows can actually separate creating little islands in between. Due to this, NR probably thought the apparatus used above is the best to use for consistency purposes.

They do have a pair of twin-track portals at the southern end of Radwell Viaduct; must be for tensioning equipment.

 

[richieb1971]

Which one is Radwell viaduct? Are you talking about the bridges between Radwell and Milton Ernest, or Sharnbrook viaduct which is on the northern tip of Radwell? So far I haven't seen gantries that span the 4 tracks. However, some of those bridges are surrounded by private land and are probably too far to see from a public bridge.

I'm going to see flying scotsman today around that area, will take a look.

 

[59CosG95]

Which one is Radwell viaduct? Are you talking about the bridges between Radwell and Milton Ernest, or Sharnbrook viaduct which is on the northern tip of Radwell? So far I haven't seen gantries that span the 4 tracks. However, some of those bridges are surrounded by private land and are probably too far to see from a public bridge.

I'm going to see flying scotsman today around that area, will take a look.

The former of the two locations; each viaduct pair has a twin-track portal at its southern end here. No 4-track gantries at all.

 

[edwin_m]

The main advantage of a pair of TTCs compared to a 4 track portal will be down to installation. Installing a TTC will require less lifting equipment (potentially 2 vs 1 crane, or 1 smaller crane) for attaching the boom part of the structure, and will also only need the one pair of tracks being under possession (I think, unless rules about minimum distance to running lines come into play)

Also, you clearly haven't looked at the GWML recently then, that's a very TTC heavy (vice portals) installation

Indeed so. In the few places the GWML has portals they actually look relatively elegant compared to their TTCs, but I think they only appear where TTCs aren't possible for some reason - possibly sub-standard track spacing preventing installation under a two track possession. Fortunately the TTCs on the Midland look a bit nicer than anything on the GWML.

 

[WymoWanderer]

NR have published their June Enhancements Delivery Plan update https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/June-2018-EDP-update.pdf
Sadly nothing on new MML front.

Also, nothing at all to mention around Wymington works today.

 

[59CosG95]

Sorry this week's update's been a bit behind schedule!
MML Wiring Progressometer 7.0 (2nd July 2018)
Mileages are from St. Pancras.

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)

• Work underway (since 19/2) on Ford End Road Bridge (https://goo.gl/maps/gBj4QfKex5K2); should finish Aug '18.
• About 4 piles now in on the Down side south of Bromham Rd Bridge, Bedford. These piles stretch northwards from Bromham Rd as far as the eye can see, towards the Great Ouse Bridge.
• 8-9 piles are now in on the Up side north of Bromham Rd Bridge; none are fully down yet.
• Two masts are up on the Up side, immediately south of the Great Ouse Box Girder Bridge (nr Bedford North Jct); one of them has a boom, the other doesn't.
• At Bromham, between the A6 (Great Ouse Way) & Lower Farm Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/rSPFrDAZQ362), 13 Twin Track Cantilevers/TTCs (with booms) are up over the Slow Lines, and about 6/7 over the Fast Lines. This includes the Box Girder bridge over the river Great Ouse.
• 4 boomed TTC masts have now gone up north of Lower Farm Rd, adjacent to the Down Fast.
• At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TTC booms. Plenty of TTC uprights (almost all boomed) are up to the south of Oakley station; their extent is not yet known. Between Station Rd & Highfield Rd bridges, 4 boomed TTCS are up over the Slows. Piles for corresponding TTCs have gone in adjacent to the Down Fast. Another upright has gone up to the north of Highfield Rd bridge, adjacent to the Down Fast.
• 2 piles are in just south of Oakley Viaduct (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); one next to the DF, another next to the US. These seem to have been in for a while.
• Lots of TTCs also up over both pairs of lines around Milton Ernest (between Radwell Rd & East End; https://goo.gl/maps/V5afGGQEZiE2).
• Between Radwell Rd & New Rd, a TTC mast has been placed between the Up Fast & Down Slow, as the embankment adjacent to the Up Slow had to be replaced with a gabion retaining wall.
• About 6 TTCs are up immediately to the north of Radwell Viaduct, over the Slow lines (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); 3 more TTCs are up accompanying them over the Fast lines (positioned between the pairs of lines). Another 2 are now up over the Slows south of the viaduct. Masts for a pair of twin-track portal booms (i.e. one for the fasts, one for the slows) are up at the southern end of the viaduct; the pair over the fasts have gained their boom.
• Roughly 3 or 4 piles (now with boomless TTC masts) are in next to the Down Fast, and another 4 (3 of which have boomed TTC masts) next to the Up Slow just north of Moor End Lane, Radwell (https://goo.gl/maps/cmgWsgyYAo62). South of Moor End Lane (but north of the next bridge to the south), about 5 TTC masts are up (2 of which have booms) adjacent to the Up Slow, with a similar number in adjacent to the Down Fast. South of that bridge, another 2 piles have masts (possibly w/ booms).
• 2 parallel piles are in place (no masts) adjacent to the Fast lines at Radwell; possibly for a portal frame?
• About 7 masts are now up beside the Up Slow, just north of Park Ln, Sharnbrook (https://goo.gl/maps/df2As431FDr); the 4-tracking here is not yet complete as signals "WH378" and “LR 8” sit right in the path of the restored Up Slow.
• 3 masts (1 with a TTC boom) are now in next to the future Down Slow at Souldrop, at the southern end of the bank.
• Between Wymington (https://goo.gl/maps/apZ6wwj9StR2) and Wellingboro', intensive 4-tracking is underway, with the reversible Slow Line now reopened. Near the Google Maps link posted for Wymington, the car park used for the 4-tracking works is due to house a National Grid substation for the electrification; the concrete base has now been laid for the substation. Link to application to Beds Council: http://www.publicaccess.bedford.gov...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ONBIS8CUMMJ00
• Nothing up regarding masts in the Wymington area at this stage; piles are going in around the Fasts, and have started on the Slows too.
• Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2) or Irchester (https://goo.gl/maps/SxEfjQV71Ly) at this point.
• Station Rd Bridge, Irchester (see above link) is closed from 9/4 to 22/11 to allow reconstruction for OLE; the replacement deck over the Relief Lines is now complete.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch)

• Extensive 4-tracking laid (except at points where existing infrastructure has to be moved).
• Finedon Rd Bridge is closed from 22/3 to 28/9 to allow reconstruction for OLE.
• Furnace Lane bridge now has 2 TTCs up to the north of it (over the Fasts), with piles in elsewhere in the area.
• A couple of piles (with orange caps) have gone in around Finedon.
• 1 or 2 piles have gone in around Isham.

Kettering (72m 01ch) - Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Corby (79m 40ch)

• Piling going on to the north of Kettering station. A few signal gantries from the BR days have been (or are due to be) removed. Unclear of progress with piling/masts towards Corby, or on the Main line north of Glendon Junction; I assume some wires will go this way to be used as overruns.
• 2nd track now in operation, and linespeed raised to 90mph where it was previously 60mph.

North of Glendon Jct (74m 00ch)

• Braybrooke Substation approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
• The extent of wiring towards Market Harboro' has not yet been decided; it might be Braybrooke, it might not be as far as Braybrooke, it may even go to Market Harboro' itself (which is unlikely).
  It may run in a trench like the situation planned for Thingley-Chippenham on the GWEP, from Braybrooke to Glendon.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

 

[richieb1971]

Wow lots happening and lots complete. I wonder when the EWR thread will be updated accordingly.

 

[Sonadagothalus]

I drove past the Corby branch line where it runs alongside the A43 between Kettering and Corby and can confirm lots of visible gantries and masts for wires, a lovely open stretch of road that runs next to the track, totally hopeless to try to obtain a photo next to though.

 

[richieb1971]

This is looking north from the road bridge at Oakley today.

 

[John R]

Jo Johnson said in the Commons yesterday "We will, however, electrify the route from Bedford to the Market Harborough area and Corby, and, later, the route from Clay Cross to Sheffield to support HS2". So maybe a decision has been made to extend the wires as far as Braybrooke (or maybe not, given the Rail Minister's apparent lack of understanding of much of what he speaks about (e.g. Hydrogen trains already on test on the Windermere branch.)

 

[Bald Rick]

Jo Johnson said in the Commons yesterday "We will, however, electrify the route from Bedford to the Market Harborough area and Corby, and, later, the route from Clay Cross to Sheffield to support HS2". So maybe a decision has been made to extend the wires as far as Braybrooke (or maybe not, given the Rail Minister's apparent lack of understanding of much of what he speaks about (e.g. Hydrogen trains already on test on the Windermere branch.)

Yep I heard (before yesterday) that it’s definitely wires to Harboro’, which the Minister’s statement appears to confirm.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if pushing on to Leicester wasn’t being looked at. And then it’s only 42 miles to Clay Cross...

 

[Domh245]

One of the few times that scope creep in an electrification project would be acceptable! I would hope that if you're looking at the 42 miles to clay cross, the ~20 miles to Nottingham would be included as well

 

[edwin_m]

Nottingham is only about 7 miles from Trent South, so it would be a strange decision not to include it if they decided to fill in the gap.

I'm guessing that NR has pointed out that the feeder station is at Braybrooke, contracts have probably already been signed to modify most of the bridges in between so no saving by cancelling them, and with the structures largely taken out of the equation putting in a trackside feeder won't be much cheaper than putting in OLE. Gives a chance for Grayling to throw a sop to one of the many regions he has aggravated, though if he'd had any perception of what happens outside his own bubble he would have achieved what he wanted without annoying them so much in the first place. It does sit rather ill though with the "avoiding disruption" and "bi-modes are just as good" stuff from last year...

 

[Chrisyd]

Just to confirm what was said earlier, here is the official press release on the Cray Cross to Sheffield Wires: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...-for-electrification-of-the-midland-main-line

HS2 Ltd to undertake development works for electrification of the Midland Main Line

HS2 Ltd has been asked by the Department for Transport to begin preparatory works for the future electrification of a 25km section of the Midland Main Line from Clay Cross to Sheffield Midland Station.

Following the government’s announcement last summer that the preferred HS2 route would include a spur into Sheffield via Chesterfield, the Secretary of State has asked that electrification of this section of the Midland Main Line be included within the next hybrid Bill for HS2.

HS2 Ltd will begin its preparatory works with a series of land surveys to further inform the work programme. A public consultation on the works required for electrification will be undertaken at a later date, prior to any hybrid Bill being brought to Parliament.

 

[twpsaesneg]

I'm guessing that NR has pointed out that the feeder station is at Braybrooke, contracts have probably already been signed to modify most of the bridges in between so no saving by cancelling them, and with the structures largely taken out of the equation putting in a trackside feeder won't be much cheaper than putting in OLE.

I'd like to think that NR's experience with the true cost of the Stalybridge to Ordsall Lane "Extension Lead" vs what it would have cost to wire it on NWEP might lead / have led them to this decision.

 

[Aictos]

So on a busy mainline we're going to end up with another diesel island in the middle

 

[GRALISTAIR]

So on a busy mainline we're going to end up with another diesel island in the middle

I am the eternal optimist and will bet you a tenner it will be filled with electrical goodies before 2030

 

[59CosG95]

I am the eternal optimist and will bet you a tenner it will be filled with electrical goodies before 2030

Indeed, especially as rumours currently abound that Alstom may be willing to privately finance the electrification of the Market Harboro' - Clay Cross gap themselves...

 

[Aictos]

I'm not going to take you up on that bet because past experience has made me cynical to not expect stuff like that until it actually happens.

Don't get me wrong, if Alstom will get the wires up and manage the project more effectively then recent projects then I'm all for them to get more of the UK electrified which is a good thing but at this moment in time it's doubtful.

 

[59CosG95]

I'm not going to take you up on that bet because past experience has made me cynical to not expect stuff like that until it actually happens.

Don't get me wrong, if Alstom will get the wires up and manage the project more effectively then recent projects then I'm all for them to get more of the UK electrified which is a good thing but at this moment in time it's doubtful.

I don't blame you for being a tad cynical; it is still a rumour at this stage and in my eyes will remain so until the dotted line is signed.
To be honest, I'm all for anyone in the private sector investing in electrification, as long as they deliver it efficiently, quickly and to a standard of quality high enough that the stigma surrounding electrification can dissipate.

 

[CdBrux]

Indeed, especially as rumours currently abound that Alstom may be willing to privately finance the electrification of the Market Harboro' - Clay Cross gap themselves...

What would be in it for Alstom to do this, just that they think they can deliver the project to good budget and time (and hence make some money) or could they get potential additional benefits such as orders for their trains?

 

[59CosG95]

What would be in it for Alstom to do this, just that they think they can deliver the project to good budget and time (and hence make some money) or could they get potential additional benefits such as orders for their trains?

Who knows? They've certainly provided their "CLever" cantilever assemblies to Network Rail for their Master Series OLE catalogue, so maybe they have a point to prove in that field. It may lead to some additional orders, but then again, it is just a rumour at this stage.

 

[Aictos]

I don't blame you for being a tad cynical; it is still a rumour at this stage and in my eyes will remain so until the dotted line is signed.
To be honest, I'm all for anyone in the private sector investing in electrification, as long as they deliver it efficiently, quickly and to a standard of quality high enough that the stigma surrounding electrification can dissipate.

Exactly my view, if the private sector can succeed in doing just that then it paves the way for a rolling programme of electrification so we can electrify as much as we can of the UK plus it keeps the skills that the workforce has learnt instead of the stop start stop start attitude of previous and the current Govt.

Don't get me wrong I think there are routes which won't see any wires but there are some which DO have a business case and which ought to see wires being put up, especially infill schemes.

 

[edwin_m]

Just to confirm what was said earlier, here is the official press release on the Cray Cross to Sheffield Wires: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...-for-electrification-of-the-midland-main-line

Hope they haven't forgotten the bit between Clay Cross and the HS2 junction towards Alfreton.

 

[Mollman]

What would be in it for Alstom to do this, just that they think they can deliver the project to good budget and time (and hence make some money) or could they get potential additional benefits such as orders for their trains?

I'm guessing that as there are issues surrounding the ITT spec for Bi-Modes (i.e. you can't buy one off the shelf yet you only have three years (?) between signing the contract and introducing the first train) then providing an alternative bid which brings the full benefit of electrification yet does not burden Network Rail with the cost might seem attractive. Remember Mr Gibbs ThamesLink report suggested getting SNCF to electrify the Uckfield line.

 

[Domh245]

Nottingham is only about 7 miles from Trent South, so it would be a strange decision not to include it if they decided to fill in the gap.

Even less of an excuse then!

Indeed, especially as rumours currently abound that Alstom may be willing to privately finance the electrification of the Market Harboro' - Clay Cross gap themselves...

That'd give quite the patchwork quilt of OLE systems between London and Sheffield then! Mk3 St Pancras to Bedford, Master Series (Series 1 and Series 2) Bedford to Market Harborough, Alstom CLever (admittedly not a million miles away from Series 2, visually at least) from Market Harborough to Clay Cross, and then SNCF LGV style stuff from Clay Cross onwards!