MML Electrification: progress updates

[Flying Phil]

There is more activity on the Langton worksite to the North of Market Harborough, but the Wistow site on the East of the MML looks deserted at present. Some blue bags of "stuff" alongside the line around the South Wigston area and some vegetation clearance going on.

 

[59CosG95]

There is more activity on the Langton worksite to the North of Market Harborough, but the Wistow site on the East of the MML looks deserted at present. Some blue bags of "stuff" alongside the line around the South Wigston area and some vegetation clearance going on.

I was of the understanding that the Wistow Rd site was on the west of the MML: this picture here certainly shows a fair bit of progress!

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Meridain with the 1D71 19.05 St Pancras International to Nottingham passing the Wistow Road at 20.16 yesterday evening/ The area on the left is being developed, I suspect for an electrification work location

flic.kr

 

[Flying Phil]

Nice picture and I am glad that Wistow is indeed active. I was sitting on the East side of a Class 180 going South and there had been a track across a field recently but it now looks as if that had been ploughed over.

 

[59CosG95]

Another substation in - this time East Hyde's got the massive Siemens containerised building installed. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/abdu...ns?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Further news: https://railuk.com/rail-news/bridge...-is-a-step-toward-electric-midland-main-line/

The central arch of bridge SPC3/42 will be demolished this weekend.

 

[snowball]

Press release - with, unusually, "electric" in the headline.

Making way for an electric Midland Main Line: Bridge upgrade for Kettering

This weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September), major work to upgrade a bridge near Kettering will make headway, eventually allowing cleaner and quieter electric trains to be introduced to this section of the Midland Main Line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

This weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September), major work to upgrade a bridge near Kettering will make headway, eventually allowing cleaner and quieter electric trains to be introduced to this section of the Midland Main Line.

Pipewell Road bridge, which carries road traffic over the Midland Main Line between Kettering and Market Harborough, needs to be raised to allow new overhead power lines to be installed in the future, as the existing bridge height is too low.

The huge electrification project between Kettering and Wigston is part of the wider Midland Main Line Upgrade, which will support decarbonisation along the route.

Work began in late June to prepare for the central arch of the bridge to be replaced, which will take place this weekend and is a major milestone for the project.

To allow teams to carry out the work safely, there will be some changes to services this weekend between Kettering, Market Harborough and Leicester, so passengers should check before they travel via National Rail.

Following this, construction of the new and improved bridge will continue with the installation of the deck, carriageway and safety barrier, before completing this December. It means that this section of Pipewell Road will be closed until 5 December, with a fully signposted diversionary route in place.

I'm not clear whether it's referring to the the bridge carrying Pipewell Road, Desborough, which heads NE from Desborough towards Pipewell and on towards Corby, or this bridge at Rushton, which carries a road (unnamed on maps) from Rushton towards Pipewell.

 

[59CosG95]

Press release - with, unusually, "electric" in the headline.

Making way for an electric Midland Main Line: Bridge upgrade for Kettering

This weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September), major work to upgrade a bridge near Kettering will make headway, eventually allowing cleaner and quieter electric trains to be introduced to this section of the Midland Main Line.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I'm not clear whether it's referring to the the bridge carrying Pipewell Road, Desborough, which heads NE from Desborough towards Pipewell and on towards Corby, or this bridge at Rushton, which carries a road (unnamed on maps) from Rushton towards Pipewell.

This is the Rushton one; checking one.network, the closure over the Rushton bridge still states December 5th, while Pipewell Rd (Desborough) remains open.

This attached PDF is the elevation of the new bridge at Pipewell Rd, Rushton (aka SPC3-42). Note that this is available on Kettering Borough council's website, and that the drawing is at an "A0x" revision which means it might not be the final "approved for construction" drawing - that gets left to the contractors.

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is a poor picture of the Langton worksite to the North of Market Harborough.

 

[twrig_8]

The first wire(s) are up on the approach to Harborough station!

 

[59CosG95]

Phone pics from the site of the works at Bridge 42 (Rushton) this morning. No works going on south of here as the worksite marker boards (WSMBs) were in place just by LR81/LR83's signal gantry (first signals north of Kettering North Jn).

1) The parapets of the new bridge wait to be craned into position - this will doubtless be done by the big Ainscough crane. Note that the parapets aren't entirely complete, as lifting hooks are built in



2) The main overline span of Bridge 42 has now been demolished.


3) Further parts of the new bridge wait to be installed. Note that the panels are reinforced concrete, but they (and the other outward-facing parts of the bridge) are clad in local sandstone to stay in keeping with some of the older masonry work in the village.

 

[Trainben]

Lots going on in Market Harborough today, these pics are from Bellfields Lane and just outside the station.

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[59CosG95]

Lots going on in Market Harborough today, these pics are from Bellfields Lane and just outside the station.

.

We must have just missed each other! I was round that exact area around 1pm-2pm today.

There was plenty work going on along Harborough Rd too, where the local powerlines pass over the railway.

 

[Trainben]

We must have just missed each other! I was round that exact area around 1pm-2pm today.

There was plenty work going on along Harborough Rd too, where the local powerlines pass over the railway - I'll see if I can get a picture up later.

Yes, we probably past each other as this was roughly the time some of the photos were taken. It's good to see they are making the most of the line possession, it will be good to see what else goes up before the weekend is over.

We must have just missed each other! I was round that exact area around 1pm-2pm today.

There was plenty work going on along Harborough Rd too, where the local powerlines pass over the railway.
View attachment 120559

Great picture 59CosG95!

 

[59CosG95]

Yes, we probably past each other as this was roughly the time some of the photos were taken. It's good to see they are making the most of the line possession, it will be good to see what else goes up before the weekend is over.


Great picture 59CosG95!

Thanks very much! There must have been only a few minutes in it

Not much at Braybrooke today, except some engineers walking on track around Bridge 35 (Newtons Farm).



Further south, at footbridge SPC3-43 (first bridge east of the one at Rushton), 8 "Live Wires Below" signs have been added.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks @59CosG95 - I see the main pylon in the grid compound, (your 2nd photo), has had the 3 east side arms extended as well now, so that’s probably it nearly done, next stage will have to be adding the droppers.

 

[59CosG95]

Thanks @59CosG95 - I see the main pylon in the grid compound, (your 2nd photo), has had the 3 east side arms extended as well now, so that’s probably it nearly done, next stage will have to be adding the droppers.

Indeed - I take it the "droppers" in this case are the wires that head down to the switchgear in the NG compound?

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed - I take it the "droppers" in this case are the wires that head down to the switchgear in the NG compound?

Yes that’s my understanding.

 

[PJM]

Great, thanks for sharing folks I was in Bellfields Lane at around 5pm-your photos are better!

 

[59CosG95]

Great, thanks for sharing folks I was in Bellfields Lane at around 5pm-your photos are better!

Had much changed at 5pm? I expect it'll look very different tomorrow!

 

[PJM]

Had much changed at 5pm? I expect it'll look very different tomorrow!

It looked much the same as you and Trainben had recorded, I will take a scoot around tomorrow to see what else has happened.

 

[Trainben]

Morning walk around 9:30 this morning, same spots as yesterday.

 

[adamedwards]

Thank you for all these photos. I have this crazy vision of all this happening under BR. Cascaded class 86s are heading trains of MK2 stock and being taken off at Kettering with class 47s hauling the trains on to the north!

 

[PJM]

As predicted SPL have been busy, this was the scene around 11.00, two hours after Trainben. Pictures working south from Market Harborough station to the footbridge at Little Bowden.

 

[59CosG95]

Thank you for all these photos. I have this crazy vision of all this happening under BR. Cascaded class 86s are heading trains of MK2 stock and being taken off at Kettering with class 47s hauling the trains on to the north!

An 86 at Kettering? That'll be the day! Hopefully not too far in the future...on a tour at least.
I know they've passed through Kettering dead-hauled by a 47 during ICWC diverts in the early 90s between London & Nuneaton (the trains would run into St Pancras, and the 47s would come on at Bedford). Bit harder to do that now Eurostar's in the main shed at St P!

As predicted SPL have been busy, this was the scene around 11.00, two hours after Trainben. Pictures working south from Market Harborough station to the footbridge at Little Bowden.
View attachment 120614View attachment 120615View attachment 120616View attachment 120617View attachment 120618View attachment 120619View attachment 120620View attachment 120621

They really have! I'll need to get another look-in round Mkt H before too long.
Was there any change within the station itself?

 

[PJM]

An 86 at Kettering? That'll be the day! Hopefully not too far in the future...on a tour at least.
I know they've passed through Kettering dead-hauled by a 47 during ICWC diverts in the early 90s between London & Nuneaton (the trains would run into St Pancras, and the 47s would come on at Bedford). Bit harder to do that now Eurostar's in the main shed at St P!


They really have! I'll need to get another look-in round Mkt H before too long.
Was there any change within the station itself?

They were working on the station itself later in the day,I was driving so didn`t get a very good look. I will check tomorrow.

So not much has happened at Market Harborough station itself.

 

[59CosG95]

They were working on the station itself later in the day,I was driving so didn`t get a very good look. I will check tomorrow.

So not much has happened at Market Harborough station itself.View attachment 120732View attachment 120733View attachment 120734

I saw a post on LinkedIn saying that 90 cantilevers had been installed over the course of the weekend. Based on the structures I've seen so far, and assuming that all structures which have the GWEP-style booms (along with the mid point anchors) have the goose-neck single insulator cantilevers, that figure of 90 cantilevers accounts for everything which isn't an anchor boom portal, MPA portal, or structure over both platforms within Mkt Harboro' station itself.
This covers the overlap near the 82MP mark, and continues right the way through to the anchor boom south of the overbridge at Gt Bowden (2 full tension lengths on both tracks).
The Earth Wires here are all done too.

All that remains now is the insallation & registration of the wiring, the installation of reg equipment at the anchor portals (and structures within the station footprint), and the reinstatement of the 2 tall sectioning masts at the northern overlap.
(Another 3 pairs of sectioning masts are likely to be installed once construction begins to take the wires northward, to allow Mkt H'boro' to be either the northern limit of live equipment or the southern limit in the event of engineering works/disruption in the future.)

 

[InTheEastMids]

I saw a post on LinkedIn saying that 90 cantilevers had been installed over the course of the weekend. Based on the structures I've seen so far, and assuming that all structures which have the GWEP-style booms (along with the mid point anchors) have the goose-neck single insulator cantilevers, that figure of 90 cantilevers accounts for everything which isn't an anchor boom portal, MPA portal, or structure over both platforms within Mkt Harboro' station itself.
This covers the overlap near the 82MP mark, and continues right the way through to the anchor boom south of the overbridge at Gt Bowden (2 full tension lengths on both tracks).
The Earth Wires here are all done too.

All that remains now is the insallation & registration of the wiring, the installation of reg equipment at the anchor portals (and structures within the station footprint), and the reinstatement of the 2 tall sectioning masts at the northern overlap.
(Another 3 pairs of sectioning masts are likely to be installed once construction begins to take the wires northward, to allow Mkt H'boro' to be either the northern limit of live equipment or the southern limit in the event of engineering works/disruption in the future.)

Thanks. Do you know if Braybrooke will be switched on before the work you describe is completed, or can this new wiring be powered from existing substations in the same way that Corby is?
(I'm thinking about commissioning rather than service trains.

Also, and this might have been covered within the previous 188 pages, but lost in the mists of time, will there be automatic power changeover for 810s around Market Harborough, or has that been dropped since the electrification show is now rolling on towards Wigston?

 

[themiller]

Thanks. Do you know if Braybrooke will be switched on before the work you describe is completed, or can this new wiring be powered from existing substations in the same way that Corby is?
(I'm thinking about commissioning rather than service trains.

Also, and this might have been covered within the previous 188 pages, but lost in the mists of time, will there be automatic power changeover for 810s around Market Harborough, or has that been dropped since the electrification show is now rolling on towards Wigston?

Electrical equipment tends to be powered up as soon as possible so that temporary supplies can be removed. Power is needed to keep condensation out of the bare metal bits otherwise corrosion can occur. At least that’s how we did it in nuclear.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Electrical equipment tends to be powered up as soon as possible so that temporary supplies can be removed. Power is needed to keep condensation out of the bare metal bits otherwise corrosion can occur. At least that’s how we did it in nuclear.

And metal theft - colleague that has worked for National Grid says that they energise as soon as possible for this reason.

 

[bluelagoon8951]

Also, and this might have been covered within the previous 188 pages, but lost in the mists of time, will there be automatic power changeover for 810s around Market Harborough, or has that been dropped since the electrification show is now rolling on towards Wigston?

this is something i was wondering as well, and more widely: since 810s are likely to be in service before electric power is available all the way to leicester station, how will trains not stopping at market harborough change over?

 

[stuu]

this is something i was wondering as well, and more widely: since 810s are likely to be in service before electric power is available all the way to leicester station, how will trains not stopping at market harborough change over?

On the move, like they do at Didcot and Newbury