MML Electrification: progress updates

[59CosG95]

We completed the final wire run on L2W last night Duncan Mckniff Dean… | Dan Butler

We completed the final wire run on L2W last night Duncan Mckniff Dean Wilson James Gill Dennis Peake Liam Ledger - MInstRE Paul Johnson Mark Buck SPL POWERLINES UK

www.linkedin.com

Dan Butler

We completed the final wire run on L2W last night

And there you have it - the final L2W wire run has gone in!

 

[PJM]

We completed the final wire run on L2W last night Duncan Mckniff Dean… | Dan Butler

We completed the final wire run on L2W last night Duncan Mckniff Dean Wilson James Gill Dennis Peake Liam Ledger - MInstRE Paul Johnson Mark Buck SPL POWERLINES UK

www.linkedin.com

And there you have it - the final L2W wire run has gone in!

Yes! Just driven past!

 

[Adamwj18]

Confirmed Phil, about half a mile to do x 2, does anyone know how long that would take to do? Presumably some time before the big switch on in July. Obviously.

Contact and catenary is run together at tension in around 4hrs for a 1500m wire run

 

[snowball]

Once all the tweaking has been done to the wires, will the people involved have anywhere else to go?

 

[QSK19]

Once all the tweaking has been done to the wires, will the people involved have anywhere else to go?

In an ideal world, they’d be moving over to RS2 or RS3; but I’m guessing they’ll have disbanded by the time the wires go further (well, if they go further!).

 

[AM9]

B….y h… that is a lot of current! My mind automatically went to calculating mode of I squared R ! In fairness, resistances will be low though.

If it was Victorian (actually Edwardian) 3rd rail, it would be 6200A - running through steel conductors. Now that's what I call I squared R loss!!

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the Northern end of the final wiring.



There is still a bit of works compound on the Braybrooke road, so there is no access to where the Three Arches Bridge used to be. There is no connection yet to the Supply site. That will probably go in towards the middle of next month so it can go live July 28th?

 

[PJM]

Here is the Northern end of the final wiring.
View attachment 159690


There is still a bit of works compound on the Braybrooke road, so there is no access to where the Three Arches Bridge used to be. There is no connection yet to the Supply site. That will probably go in towards the middle of next month so it can go live July 28th?

Nice pic Phil.

 

[Edvid]

There is no connection yet to the Supply site. That will probably go in towards the middle of next month so it can go live July 28th?

With a full blockade between Wellingborough and Leicester/Corby on 28 July,* my gut feeling is that will be the day on which cross-track feeder connections to all K2W substations are installed, plus the Braybrooke neutral section if that isn't spliced in beforehand. In addition, all EMR paths south of Wellingborough are listed as DMUs* (perhaps for the first time since May 2021) - a necessity since the northern limit of the Long Meadow Farm feed will retreat to Sharnbrook, so 360s cannot serve Wellingborough that day.

Thanks for the visual update, as always.

[* RTT link]

 

[Trainman40083]

I actually don't know. From memory, the train was formed of 8 MK3a coaches (mainly from the 'Pretendolino'), top-and-tailed by 2 ex-EMR 43s (43054, which might need heavy repairs at Crewe, and 43066, currently squirrelled away in Nemesis Rail's sidings at Burton) and 2 ex-LNER 91s (91122 & 91128; both since scrapped).
91117 & 91120 could also be possible candidates in lieu of the scrapped pair, but I've no idea what coaches will be used.

The other week, there was a set of coaches used for testing 93001. I heard they had gone to Castle Donington, rather than back to Yarmouth. Re the 91s that were in Europhoenix livery, one went for preservation at Crewe Heritage Centre, the other was being repainted.

 

[Nottingham59]

B….y h… that is a lot of current! My mind automatically went to calculating mode of I squared R ! In fairness, resistances will be low though.

It's an awful lot power. But 186A by itself is not that unusual; the typical household mains supply in the UK is rated at 80 Amps.

 

[Elecman]

It's an awful lot power. But 186A by itself is not that unusual; the typical household mains supply in the UK is rated at 80 Amps.

Most DNOs still fit 100 amp fuses in single phase supplies (23kVA) but 80 amp fuses in 3 phase whole current installations (55kVA)

 

[Devonman2014]

Most DNOs still fit 100 amp fuses in single phase supplies (23kVA) but 80 amp fuses in 3 phase whole current installations (55kVA)

In my area (work for DNO) we are now installing max 80 A fuses in single phase supply. Under no circumstances are 100 A offered or provided and if 100 A is found it’s replaced with 80 A.

This means max of 18.4 Kva is offered per single phase.

Reasoning being 80 A fuse will take a 100 A sustained load for 3 hours before blowing.

If 100 A load is required then 3 phase is installed and cut out fitted with 60 A fuses (13.8 KvA per phase) goving total of 41.4 Kva over three phase which is sufficient for domestic properties.

Sorry if off topic !!!

 

[Edvid]

There's some interesting stuff in a presentation Simon Skinner made to the PWI on 4 June. The slides are viewable on LinkedIn, and I've attached two of them with regard to the upcoming OLE tests (intended to be carried out by a 91 sandwiched between four Mk3 coaches and two 43s).

It looks Pan Up/Down tests will be initiated on the move at structures [SPC3/152/] 928 and 044 respectively, with the wire limits located at 153.208 km (~95.2 miles). If deemed a success, the EMR power changeover zone will be located further up the line - between 150.229 and 145.831 km (approx. 93.3 and 90.6 miles), just east of Kilby Bridge Jn at the Wigston end.

PWI - Midland MainLine Project Update | SPL POWERLINES UK

Superb update from our #engineering Director Simon Skinner C.Eng FIET FPWI on the MMLe project update - the next phase.

www.linkedin.com

 

[snowball]

Thanks for that. Slide 10 mentions "25 LED to CLS signal changes". What does CLS mean?

 

[Edvid]

CLS stands for Colour Light Signal; it's what Unipart Dorman label their LED railway signal product.

On another (related to signalling and electrification) subject, engineering works on Sunday will see the MML shut between StP and Wellingborough, plus the Thameslink core for good measure!

Weekend railway upgrades to bring changes to East Midlands journeys

Passengers planning weekend rail journeys this June are being advised to check before they travel due to railway upgrades between Northamptonshire and London and Leicester and Peterborough.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Monday 17 Jun 2024

Weekend railway upgrades to bring changes to East Midlands journeys​

Region & Route: Eastern

Passengers planning weekend rail journeys this June are being advised to check before they travel due to railway upgrades between Northamptonshire and London and Leicester and Peterborough.

Engineers will be working throughout Sunday 23 June to upgrade the signalling system on the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Wellingborough resulting in changes to train services.

Also on 23 June, further work in central London means there will also be no Thameslink services between St Pancras and London Bridge, or between St Pancras and Sutton/Wimbledon*.

Separately to the Midland Main Line work, teams will be laying new track between Leicester and Peterborough on 22-23 and 29-30 June, with buses replacing CrossCountry trains to Melton Mowbray, Oakham, and Stamford.

Customers travelling with East Midlands Railway (EMR) and Thameslink services should plan ahead by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or by checking with their individual train operator**.

Mark Budden, route director for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “Upgrading the signalling system is vital to keep services running safely and reliably. It’s a technically complicated piece of work so we cannot run any trains through the area while we carry it out.
“I’m sorry for the disruption this will cause to journeys for some passengers. Please make sure you plan ahead before setting off and check to see if your journey will be different to usual.
“We want to thank customers for their understanding while we carry out these essential improvements.”

Philippa Cresswell, customer service director for East Midlands Railway, said: “We recommend customers planning to travel to or from London on 23 June to check their journeys in advance by looking for journey updates on the EMR website.
“We are working closely with Network Rail to keep customers moving throughout the engineering work, and EMR services will be running where possible.
“Customers’ journeys may be longer than normal, with rail replacement buses and amended timetables in place.
“We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst the vital signalling work on the Midland Main Line takes place. This work will greatly benefit our customers in the future with more reliable journeys to and from London.”

Jenny Saunders, customer services director for Thameslink, said: “We’re also grateful to passengers for their patience and understanding while Network Rail improve this important part of the network.
“We’ve arranged replacement buses to help people complete their journeys but please allow plenty of extra time when planning your trip, especially if you have a flight to catch at Luton Airport, and double check your schedule before you set off.

Passengers can check before they travel by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk.

More information on the ongoing work to electrify the Midland Main Line can be found by visiting: Midland Main Line Upgrade - Network Rail.

Notes to Editors​

Passenger travel information in detail
*Midland Main Line: On Sunday 23 June all East Midlands Railways services (EMR) from the north will terminate at Wellingborough with rail replacement bus services connecting between Wellingborough and Hitchin / Potters Bar for onward rail connections into London King’s Cross.
Rail replacement buses will replace Thameslink trains between London St Pancras International and Luton / Bedford, calling at all stations except Kentish Town.
Buses will also run to and from Great Northern route stations as follows:
Hitchin - Luton - Bedford
Hitchin - Luton - Luton Airport Parkway
Potters Bar - St Albans City - Harpenden
Please note: The Thameslink route is also suspended between London St Pancras International and London Bridge, and no Thameslink trains will run on the Sutton route. Paper tickets will be accepted on London Buses and the Tube.
**Leicester to Peterborough: CrossCountry services will terminate at Leicester and Peterborough with buses replacing trains to Melton Mowbray, Oakham, and Stamford.

 

[PJM]

There's some interesting stuff in a presentation Simon Skinner made to the PWI on 4 June. The slides are viewable on LinkedIn, and I've attached two of them with regard to the upcoming OLE tests (intended to be carried out by a 91 sandwiched between four Mk3 coaches and two 43s).

It looks Pan Up/Down tests will be initiated on the move at structures [SPC3/152/] 928 and 044 respectively, with the wire limits located at 153.208 km (~95.2 miles). If deemed a success, the EMR power changeover zone will be located further up the line - between 150.229 and 145.831 km (approx. 93.3 and 90.6 miles), just east of Kilby Bridge Jn at the Wigston end.

PWI - Midland MainLine Project Update | SPL POWERLINES UK

Superb update from our #engineering Director Simon Skinner C.Eng FIET FPWI on the MMLe project update - the next phase.

www.linkedin.com

Looking forward to this!

 

[londonmidland]

You can view the article in full here.

An extract from the article showing the ‘MMLe’ project scope showing future electrification stages.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Looking forward to this!

I just had a quick 15 minute look. There really is some outstanding and interesting material in this presentation. Well worth a look.

 

[Trainman40083]

You can view the article in full here.



View attachment 160309

Sorry .what is stk? Something track kilometres?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Sorry .what is stk? Something track kilometres?

STK = Single Track Kilometres iirc - though someone will correct me quite soon if I am wrong.

 

[Trainman40083]

STK = Single Track Kilometres iirc - though someone will correct me quite soon if I am wrong.

Sounds about right...

 

[swt_passenger]

CLS stands for Colour Light Signal; it's what Unipart Dorman label their LED railway signal product.

Which then raises the question, what do they actually mean by replacing “LEDs” with a different type of LED. Is it more about improving the signal sighting, and replacing the entire signal post as well as the head?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Sorry .what is stk? Something track kilometres?

STK = Single Track Kilometres iirc - though someone will correct me quite soon if I am wrong.

Sounds about right...

Correct.

BTW- not to be confused with STC - Single Track Cantilever

 

[WAO]

I just had a quick 15 minute look. There really is some outstanding and interesting material in this presentation. Well worth a look.

Yes. There is some serious, quality engineering now going on (finally), with technical, economic and regulatory innovation. A pity it didn't start/continue at privatisation.

Still, a far better hope for the future than any General Election result!

WAO

 

[londonmidland]

Do we know if Section 3 - Syston Jn to Trent Jn, is still expected to begin before Section 2 - Wigston Jn - Syston Jn, creating the 'Leicester gap', or have things now changed? I did hear a while back that a design and solution has been found for the tight clearances under the London Road bridge, at Leicester station, however, I haven't heard much since.

 

[Yindee8191]

Last time this was discussed I think it was reported that design work was finished from Wigston to Syston but not Syston to Trent Junction. Which kind of implies the Leicester section could begin first, but I don’t think there’s a solid conclusion as to whether it will do.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Do we know if Section 3 - Syston Jn to Trent Jn, is still expected to begin before Section 2 - Wigston Jn - Syston Jn, creating the 'Leicester gap', or have things now changed? I did hear a while back that a design and solution has been found for the tight clearances under the London Road bridge, at Leicester station, however, I haven't heard much since.

It's obviously hard to tell from outside the project, and people on the inside are generally not supposed to (although obviously news does leak out).
I'm not aware of any official announcements about Wigston-Syston.

Two "official but unofficial" channels that can help work out what may happen and when are
1. Planning Authorities (Network Rail need to engage around things like bridge reconstruction). There are a couple of applications to Rushcliffe (South West of Nottingham) around 6 months ago, but nothing in Leicester City Council (worth noting a lot of bridge works were done way back in 2015ish before the scheme got Graylinged)
2. Road closures - need to be applied for and get published on one.network - obviously this again relates to bridges and level crossings. I couldn't see anything yet in the next 12 months within Leicester City, but a number of day/overnight closures between Sileby and Long Eaton.

So to me this suggests Syston-Trent is ahead of Wigston-Syston.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Will they actually electrify Etches Park? There's a test track already there but there is a cost cutting reason to simply not do so. I was looking at Canton depot in Cardiff and it seems they electrified the stabling roads but not the approach tracks or maintenance tracks. I presume this is so that there is not much idling throughout the night. Would this be the option or could they do something with shore supply points to achieve the same result?

 

[Smoggy]

It means it should be treated as live from that date, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be. They will send a test train along sometime after that date, assuming nothing has gone bang in the meantime

End to End Testing is ongoing at the moment until the end of next week. Will be energised on the 28th July and remain live.