MML Electrification: progress updates

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder that this thread is for updates regarding the progress of the current MML electrification project please

For discussion beyond that, please either create a new thread or use an existing one, as appropriate. I have moved some posts into: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-could-we-see-extensions-of-the-wires.196794/

 

[richieb1971]

Any dates yet for Sharnbrook to Wellingborough being 4 track throughout?

Are we waiting for the Wellingborough platform to be completed? I would imagine that is taking precedence over the track since I believe its wise to do the platform first.

 

[Bald Rick]

Any dates yet for Sharnbrook to Wellingborough being 4 track throughout?

Are we waiting for the Wellingborough platform to be completed? I would imagine that is taking precedence over the track since I believe its wise to do the platform first.

August is when I believe it will all be done and wired.

 

[richieb1971]

August is when I believe it will all be done and wired.

Will the 4th line get diesel freight usage before that date please?

 

[Bald Rick]

Will the 4th line get diesel freight usage before that date please?

Ah, don’t know.

 

[Hairy Bear]

Should be early Jan. They did tell us a while back, have the date of the 2nd in my head.

 

[Aictos]

Any news on when Platform 4 at Bedford will be wired up and also is there any timescales for the work to be done which will make both Up and Down Fast lines bidirectional within the station limits as I believe has already been discussed here?

 

[59CosG95]

Of possible, passable interest - SPL Powerlines (main OLE contractor for MML) are looking for a Graduate Environmental Advisor - based in Derby.

While the job role is neither here nor there and the grand scheme of things, it's encouraging to note the location.

 

[59CosG95]

Some shots from the Bedford area, courtesy of "6089Gardener":
https://flic.kr/p/2i4AAyr
https://flic.kr/p/2i4F3KK (this is the "bespoke portal" over P1/2 - it's a fixed anchor, similar to the "goalposts" at KGX, PAD etc.)
There was a post floating about on LinkedIn about something else too, but I can't seem to find it right now.

 

[WymoWanderer]

Fourth track between Sharnbrook and Kettering is now showing on Open Train Times maps.

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/spc3

 

[Aictos]

Fourth track between Sharnbrook and Kettering is now showing on Open Train Times maps.

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/spc3

Excellent, just need to wait for Traksy to update...

 

[Bob Buckler]

I notice that at the new crossovers south of Wellingborough there is no connection from Down Fast to Up Fast to access Platform 3.
I suppose that if the Corby Electrics are going to use Platform 1 and then cross to the slow line north of the station,then it's not essential.
However, I assumed that all four lines would be connected as at all the other crossovers between Bedford and Kettering.

 

[Hairy Bear]

They will be using the north crossover where the speed rises to 40mph upon reopening.

 

[takno]

Excellent, just need to wait for Traksy to update...

We don't have any source maps to make the update from, so it'll have to wait until trains start running at the weekend.

 

[edwin_m]

I notice that at the new crossovers south of Wellingborough there is no connection from Down Fast to Up Fast to access Platform 3.
I suppose that if the Corby Electrics are going to use Platform 1 and then cross to the slow line north of the station,then it's not essential.
However, I assumed that all four lines would be connected as at all the other crossovers between Bedford and Kettering.

I'm guessing that's because the crossover in question would have to be where the curve tightens south of the station, and would result in a speed restriction and/or a maintenance headache.

 

[Aictos]

We don't have any source maps to make the update from, so it'll have to wait until trains start running at the weekend.

Fair dues but how did Open Train Times manage? Also when you do the update, will you update Redhill too as that has a construction label yet I’m sure trains use it.

 

[takno]

Fair dues but how did Open Train Times manage? Also when you do the update, will you update Redhill too as that has a construction label yet I’m sure trains use it.

Presumably somebody has furnished OTT with a map. The Sussex and Wessex area maps on Traksy were extensively edited over the holiday period, including the removal of the construction label on Redhill station.

 

[38Cto15E]

I assume that we are now back in the 'Record Books' for the longest 4 track section in the UK? St Pancras to Glendon.

 

[Aictos]

Presumably somebody has furnished OTT with a map. The Sussex and Wessex area maps on Traksy were extensively edited over the holiday period, including the removal of the construction label on Redhill station.

Ahh no worries, glad to see the updates.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I assume that we are now back in the 'Record Books' for the longest 4 track section in the UK? St Pancras to Glendon.

Kettering station is 71 miles away from St Pancras. Guess the junction may be closer to 75?

 

[Flying Phil]

I have not yet seen any confirmation that there will, at least, be electrification from Glendon to Market Harborough for the substation at Braybrooke to be connected. The last information was that a financial case was being sought?....Whilst all the workers and plant are nearby, it must be the most sensible option.

 

[Raul_Duke]

Kettering station is 71 miles away from St Pancras. Guess the junction may be closer to 75?

Just under 74 miles. But now you theoretically can have three Up lines as the Down slow is bi-di.

 

[sharpley]

Murphy Group have had a vacancy for a quantity surveyor on the Braybrooke substation project open for about 8 months now. I know work on Braybrooke was delayed until 2020 ( https://harboroughfm.co.uk/construction-of-giant-power-plant-delayed/ ), the job was posted 29/03/19 and is still listed on the Murphy careers website if anyone is interested, initially based in Kentish Town before moving to Braybrooke.
https://career012.successfactors.eu...XWJSGv4TULieX/jBaZPu+Q=&jobPipeline=Glassdoor

 

[Merle Haggard]

1C98 0731 Derby St p was booked bi-directional goods line calling at Wellingboro' Plat 3.
Now both the former goods lines are back in use, but Plat 4 at Wbro' not yet open, how will this run? Can it run up the down slow?

 

[Merle Haggard]

Just under 74 miles. But now you theoretically can have three Up lines as the Down slow is bi-di.

Kettering North Junction (we knew as Glendon) is MP74.00 but I don't think that St Pancras Midland Main Line is now 00.00. Different alignments between Bedford & Wellingboro' though; depends how it's defined, but if the Sharnbrook diversion counts as the same route, then one could argue that the West Coast is 4 track to Crewe by counting alternative routes...

 

[edwin_m]

1C98 0731 Derby St p was booked bi-directional goods line calling at Wellingboro' Plat 3.
Now both the former goods lines are back in use, but Plat 4 at Wbro' not yet open, how will this run? Can it run up the down slow?

Going by the OpenTrainTimes map lined above, the bi-directional line is the one you would expect to be the Down Slow. The map doesn't give a name for it but it hasn't been a Goods line since the Leicester re-signaling 30+ years ago - if not longer. A line designated as Goods can't carry passenger-carrying trains except under special arrangements.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Going by the OpenTrainTimes map lined above, the bi-directional line is the one you would expect to be the Down Slow. The map doesn't give a name for it but it hasn't been a Goods line since the Leicester re-signaling 30+ years ago - if not longer. A line designated as Goods can't carry passenger-carrying trains except under special arrangements.

Yes, sorry, I meant that the train I mentioned was previously booked on the bi-directional line but my question was can it run 'up' on what is now the 'down' slow, only possible if that line is bi-directional to Sharnbrook?

Once the Higham branch services ceased (and even they only used Wellingboro' - Irchester J.) the slow lines were used mainly for freight and the train I mentioned, introduced about 1999, was the first regularly timetabled passenger service to be booked to run on the slow lines Kettering S J to Bedford, possibly ever. I've travelled on passenger trains that ran on the slow lines at odd times over the years (certainly since 1968) when problems occurred on the direct route so I accept my terminology was loose, but of course the purpose of the Sharnbrook deviation was to provide an easier (in terms of gradients) route for goods trains, hence 'former goods lines'.

 

[edwin_m]

Yes, sorry, I meant that the train I mentioned was previously booked on the bi-directional line but my question was can it run 'up' on what is now the 'down' slow, only possible if that line is bi-directional to Sharnbrook?

Once the Higham branch services ceased (and even they only used Wellingboro' - Irchester J.) the slow lines were used mainly for freight and the train I mentioned, introduced about 1999, was the first regularly timetabled passenger service to be booked to run on the slow lines Kettering S J to Bedford, possibly ever. I've travelled on passenger trains that ran on the slow lines at odd times over the years (certainly since 1968) when problems occurred on the direct route so I accept my terminology was loose, but of course the purpose of the Sharnbrook deviation was to provide an easier (in terms of gradients) route for goods trains.

Yes the line that is probably called the Down Slow is bi-directional as far as Sharnbrook, as shown by the signals for both directions on the map linked from post 3310. A train calling at Wellingborough can't use the new Up Slow until Platform 4 is in use.

The eastern pair of tracks was indeed originally designated as Goods over most of their length, which allowed such things as multiple goods trains stacked nose to tail under permissive block regulations (with the odd pile-up on a foggy day). There is evidence of this for example in the layout of the Luton station buildings, where the Slow platforms were obviously added later, and Loughborough and Chesterfield which still only have three platforms. Over the years sections of them were converted to passenger use, especially further south as commuter traffic became more important and freight declined. But many lines in the area re-signaled under Trent powerbox in the late 1960s remained as Goods until the replacement of that box in the 2000s.

More recent practice is to provide for passenger use on all lines unless there's a very good reason to do otherwise, and any Goods lines that existed in the areas of the West Hampstead (~1980) and Leicester (~1988) re-signaling would have been converted to passenger use at that time even if very few passenger trains actually used some of them.

 

[Bald Rick]

Kettering station is 71 miles away from St Pancras. Guess the junction may be closer to 75?

Pedantically, it is only continuously four tracked* north of Carlton Road Junction, a couple of miles north of St Pancras.

* whilst there are 4 tracks (and often more) for just over a mile south of Carlton Road Junction to Dock Junction North, the ‘slow’ pair are routed to the Thameslink core. It is not possible to run parallel moves from the ‘slow’ pair to/from St Pancras.

 

[edwin_m]

Pedantically, it is only continuously four tracked* north of Carlton Road Junction, a couple of miles north of St Pancras.

* whilst there are 4 tracks (and often more) for just over a mile south of Carlton Road Junction to Dock Junction North, the ‘slow’ pair are routed to the Thameslink core. It is not possible to run parallel moves from the ‘slow’ pair to/from St Pancras.

I could however start an even more pedantic argument to say that there are still four tracks, just that two of them go to the low level platforms. Their separation distance is less than the ones over Sharnbrook...