swt_passenger
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Is it for track realignment around Wixams Station platforms?
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MML Electrification: progress updates
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Yes. Plan is for the up slow to be realigned and two platforms (one for each of the slows only) installed either side of it.
However - a proposed Universal Studios theme park in that area, if greenlit, would come with a more comprehensive infrastructure package (including a bigger station); the current Wixams scheme would be terminated as a consequence. There are more details on the threads linked below:
www.railforums.co.uk
www.railforums.co.uk
However - a proposed Universal Studios theme park in that area, if greenlit, would come with a more comprehensive infrastructure package (including a bigger station); the current Wixams scheme would be terminated as a consequence. There are more details on the threads linked below:
New station: Wixams, Bedfordshire. Planning approved
As per BBC: Wixams: Residents pleased with railway station approval https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64723212 Residents on a housing development say they "finally have some good news" after plans for a railway station were approved. Bedford Borough Council's planning...
www.railforums.co.uk
EWR, Universal and Wixams
If you had carte blanche with the area around Kempston Hardwick/Wixams and with the EWR project in the back of your mind, what would you do and why? I see two options (other than the status quo, which will probably involve shuttle buses from Bedford/Flitwick to the park) 1 a) Build Wixams as...
www.railforums.co.uk
Network Rail has put out a press release ahead of this weekend’s closures, stating there should be limited disruption on the south end of the MML for the rest of the year once works are complete in early June.
www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk
Midland Main Line improvements continue this weekend after another milestone in major Camden project
Buses will be running in place of trains between Luton and Mill Hill Broadway on the Midland Main Line this weekend (15 and 16 March) as Network Rail continues work to improve reliability on the rail route.
www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
On time and I assume on budget. Really good news and great confidence booster.
the cynic in me would suggest if it was on time and on budget they would have been very keen to say so.
Peter Sarf
Established Member
Now lets hope any enthused decision makers have a budget to spend on electrification.
Class 170101
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Hmmm, never trust a forecast based on the seasons said a certain Industry and Technology Editor.
Braybrooke SGT2/F2 will only normally feed Braybrooke to Wigston MPATS, but has the ability to feed further in both dirrctions. We have recently had F2 feeding both ways so feeding Sharnbrook to Wigston.
Likewise if there are any planned Isolations between Kettering and Braybrooke, then Long Meadow Farm ATFS F2 will feed through Sharnbrook all way to Corby.
GraphitProjekt
Member
Those are some quite long feeding distances!
Which makes me ask: what parts of MML are feeding in AT mode at the moment?
Currently AT Feeding in place between Kentish Town and Borehamwood and also between Kettering and Wigston.
GraphitProjekt
Member
Not to Sharnbrook? Is there no autotransformers actually at Sharnbrook mid-point then?
59CosG95
Established Member
Correct; all the new TSCs/Feeder Stations are however AT-capable.
GraphitProjekt
Member
Kinda surprised that the bedford-corby project didnt install AT equipment. Where/what are the other substations north of Bedford?
Dont forget that the power draw north of Luton is (and will be) relatively low compared to south of Luton.
GraphitProjekt
Member
Even with the 125mph intercity services?
Did some looking around of my own, seems like AT was descoped at some point. Does this mean they were hoping for electric freight which is now less of a possibility?
Yes. Speed is irrelevant, it is power draw that matters. 4 x intercities an hour + 2 x EMUs is quite a light load. Bear in mind that the entirety of the ECML and WCML didnt‘t have AT until recently, and even now only parts do.
It’s more of a possibility now than it has been for a long time!
GraphitProjekt
Member
So why was AT originally specified? Just for the longer feedind distances for each FS?
Is there actually any AT on ECML? Seen conflicting info on this
InTheEastMids
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Does this mean that the next feeder station at Kegworth is strictly necessary for the Wigston-Trent bit of MMLE (assuming there will not now be a gap from Wigston to Syston)?
I'm thinking of how the Corby electrics started before Braybrooke was commissioned. At this rate, the only demand will be the 4tph EMR IC (which can switch to diesel if there's maintenance to be done).
GraphitProjekt
Member
I assume you mean *isn't strictly necessary*.
And yeah, as mentioned in #8,078. Braybrook in general has a decent amount of spare capacity.
In particular, the feeding distance northwards is quite a way shorter than southwards. If I'm using the nomenclature correctly, SGT1 and Feed 1 supply ~25miles southwards to Sharnbrook as well as the stretch to Corby. SGT2 and Feed 2 feed just the two track line northwards to South Wigston (13 miles). As is standard practice, both transformers are equal and designed to handle the entire range from South Wigston to Corby/Sharnbrook (so that one outage doesn't affect the service).
So I'd absolutely imagine Braybrooke could feed through Wigston on a regular basis if Leicester to Syston gets wired before Syston to Trent jncs
No idea I’m afraid!
Class 170101
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How? Unless it comes with Bi-mode locomotives there surely still won't be much as the MML isn't linked to anywhere else electrically as far as Freight Trains are concerned as far as I am aware.
Yep, you said it…
59CosG95
Established Member
There is, but only between Welwyn & Hitchin (and mainly fed from Corey's Mill (between Stev'age & Hitchin); even then it's not at full capacity).
And, sadly, there seems to be no great hurry to wire either the Dudding Hill Line (although the West London Orbital (or whatever moniker Sir Sadiq (or his successor) bestows upon it) might change that) or the Carlton Rd Jn - Junction Rd Jn line.
On a similar note, more new structures have popped up just north of the M25 underbridge, presumably for the tie-in to the new Radlett SRFI.Yes. Plan is for the up slow to be realigned and two platforms (one for each of the slows only) installed either side of it.
However - a proposed Universal Studios theme park in that area, if greenlit, would come with a more comprehensive infrastructure package (including a bigger station); the current Wixams scheme would be terminated as a consequence. There are more details on the threads linked below:
New station: Wixams, Bedfordshire. Planning approved
As per BBC: Wixams: Residents pleased with railway station approval https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64723212 Residents on a housing development say they "finally have some good news" after plans for a railway station were approved. Bedford Borough Council's planning...EWR, Universal and Wixams
If you had carte blanche with the area around Kempston Hardwick/Wixams and with the EWR project in the back of your mind, what would you do and why? I see two options (other than the status quo, which will probably involve shuttle buses from Bedford/Flitwick to the park) 1 a) Build Wixams as...
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Both are tricky electrification jobs, particularly the latter. But 99s will be perfect for them, given their distance and speed.
InTheEastMids
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I was thinking along the same lines about how the 99s might be perfect for aggregates traffic, and you've got there first.
What I was thinking (and may help people less familiar with the MML, or spur further debate):
For example, Bardon - MML is downhill and basically walking pace, so it can't need much power.
Then onto electric where you'd hope to see a significant performance benefit on the climbs out of the Soar/Welland/Nene/Ouse valleys
Back onto diesel for the Dudding Hill line (slow), and a crawl through South/West London behind stopping services to a final destination like Angerstein Wharf.
There's basically no heavy freight south from Leicester in the daytime, and I am guessing this is because they cannot get to Kettering without holding up an IC. So they run overnight, or go via Melton/Corby (if originating at Mountsorrell or further North).
If a class 99 has enough oomph to go via Harborough without delaying EMR, then doing so saves mileage, time and releases a bit of capacity between Syston and Manton Junction
Coming back the other way, it's all empties so clearly power is less of an issue (there's Northbound freight trains even during the peak periods).
I've travelled on that stretch somewhat recently and not seen any ATF wires, so I'm pretty sure it's boosterless classic like much of the ECML. Welwyn North - Knebworth aside it wouldn't need to be insulated either.
Nottingham59
Established Member
That's what the MML capacity study concluded several years ago.
59CosG95
Established Member
The ATF is all cabled on that stretch. Some time ago, I was fortunate enough to talk with someone involved on ECPSU Phase 1 and he stated that the cabled ATF throughout was used because of the track layout.
On the GWML, MML & WCML (including the Trent Valley section), 1 pair of lines can be closed while the other pair remains open. Similarly, the OLE over those lines and 1 of the 2 ATFs could be isolated to allow work to be undertaken.
GWML:
|DM||UM||DR||UR|
MML/WCML (except Trent Valley):
|DF||UF||DS||US|
WCML (Trent Valley):
|DS||DF||UF||US| - Fast lines are, however, bi-directional
ECML:
|DS||DF||UF||US| - no bi-directional working
With the ECML's track configuration being the way it is, maintenance of the aerial ATF would require more frequent all-line closures.
A side note - as far as I know, the ATs at Welwyn, Langley Junction & Hitchin are operational, but the ones at Corey's Mill are not.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
As usual, a very informative post. Thanks for posting 59CosG95
Well, that is most enlightening. I suppose the requirement for insulated ATFs throughout (at least on 4-track paired-by-direction sections) was a factor in ECPSU "only" getting the line deboostered elsewhere.
Back on the MML (specifically between the M25 and Radlett SRFI underbridges) I've noticed one of the portals supports spanwire-linked cantilevers identical to those in Mk3 headspans. I know previous installations are common on bridges/viaducts but the lack of mechanically independent registrations is not something I'd have associated with a new portal these days.