MML Electrification: progress updates

[GRALISTAIR]

Fantastic detail thanks so much 59CosG95

 

[59CosG95]

Fantastic detail thanks so much 59CosG95

Thanks very much! More photos inbound...
View attachment IMG_2877.jpg
1) Harrowden TSC (to become Harrowden ATS?) - all switchgear looks finished. Red Bonds incomplete - one run over the portal boom looks done, but the other quite obviously doesn't!
All spanwire across-track feeders complete on both sides and connected to the OLE.
View attachment IMG_2878.jpg
2) Completion of the spanwires visible on the Up side of the tracks.
View attachment IMG_2879.jpg
3) One of 2 TTCs with contact having been run but not yet registered; SPC3/109/636/US (over the Down Slow & Up Slow). All droppers are fitted on both wire runs either side of the cantilevers.
View attachment IMG_2882.jpg
4) The other TTC with contact wire run but unregistered at the cantilevers; SPC3/109/586/US.

 

[59CosG95]

Finally, a quick drive to Kettering to find the northernmost structure on the Fast lines:
View attachment IMG_2883.jpg
SPC3/116/654. North of here, only the Down Slow & Up Slow have wires. This is adjacent to Northfield Avenue, Kettering - the street and railway sandwich the local allotments.

 

[92042]

Finally, a quick drive to Kettering to find the northernmost structure on the Fast lines:
View attachment 79476
SPC3/116/654. North of here, only the Down Slow & Up Slow have wires. This is adjacent to Northfield Avenue, Kettering - the street and railway sandwich the local allotments.

Totally atmospheric photos with the silver-grey portal booms etc. against the dull grey, even threatening, sky! Thanks 59Cos95 for these and the explanations. I see what you mean by the new, as yet uncorroded, copper wire.

 

[Domh245]

Photo update pt. 1: Missing Contact wire on Down Slow between Finedon Rd & Harrowden Jn complete.

View attachment IMG_2871.jpg

Is it that orange in real life?

 

[59CosG95]

Is it that orange in real life?

It is notably more orange when installed as the metal hasn't oxidised - but I did increase the saturation to highlight the difference!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Copper is golden orange and well - coppery in natural state. As it oxides to cuprous and cupric Copper I and Copper 2 copper oxide is black but copper carbonate formed by CO2 reacting with copper oxide is green and hence the green patina you see on old copper clad buildings. If you look at Crewe station you will see a lot of green.

 

[Killingworth]

Stakeholder Newsletter just received from EMR

We are writing to update you with the latest information on plans to improve East Midlands Railway services and the final stages of the transformative £1.5 billion Midland Main Line Upgrade. While we have been making good progress with the infrastructure and other preparations, coronavirus has, inevitably, caused a delay.

As you will be aware following discussions since the start of the East Midlands Railway franchise and the public consultation which followed, December 2020 was due to see a significant timetable change.

The December 2020 timetable delivers a fundamental uplift in capacity and frequency for services on the Midland Main Line. It provides the capacity for EMR to operate six (currently five) trains per hour between London St Pancras, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire as well as improving reliability and performance. This timetable change will also see the introduction of electric trains to the EMR franchise, making use of the newly installed overhead electric lines between Bedford and Corby.

EMR Regional services will have benefited too, with new journey opportunities and improved connectivity ahead of a more significant improvement in December 2021.

The impact of coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on businesses and industries across the UK– including the railway. As a result, the benefits to EMR passengers we were due to deliver in December 2020 are now planned for May 2021. Although this may not come as a surprise, we share your disappointment that this is unavoidable. It is due to three principal reasons:

1. The final stages of electrifying the line between Bedford and Corby has been delayed by the impact of social distancing measures. A new method of working had to be developed to enable working on the overhead lines at height and in confined spaces.
   
2. The requirements of social distancing has also affected the ability to deliver critical training, including driver training.
   
3. Supply chain issues, complicated by coronavirus, which have affected the whole industry. This has included delays to the cascade of electric units.

We are all immensely disappointed by this delay, but given the unprecedented impact of coronavirus and our commitment to ensure major changes in train services are delivered safely and effectively, we have no choice.

Next steps

The change to May 2021 does pose some challenging questions concerning EMR’s train fleet, particularly the use of High Speed Trains (HSTs). Discussions are already underway and we will update you as soon as possible.

In addition, this also creates challenges for the successful introduction of an improved EMR Regional timetable in December 2021. Work is ongoing to understand the knock-on implications for these long anticipated changes.

In terms of the May 2021 timetable delivery, EMR and Network Rail are working together to develop a formal timetable submission for May 2021 and this will be submitted in late summer. At this point, EMR will also publish results of the public consultation which was completed earlier this year and details of the timetable submission to show the steps and decisions taken in response to feedback from customers and stakeholders.

Completion of the Midland Main Line Upgrade

Network Rail is continuing to progress the Midland Main Line Upgrade and expect to have completed the wire runs between Bedford and Corby in the coming months. This will enable the stretch between Bedford and Corby to be fully tested and commissioned this winter.

Further work was always scheduled to continue into early 2021, this includes at stations, some bridge work and maintenance depots. These items are an important part of the upgrade but not essential to the delivery of the timetable.

Conclusion

We are sure you will share our frustration at this news but hope you can appreciate the unprecedented impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on all of us in recent months. We will continue to work together to improve the rail service and will update you further in the near future.

Yours Sincerely,

Gary Walsh
Route Director, East Midlands
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited

Will Rogers
Managing Director
East Midlands Railway

 

[59CosG95]

Commissioning new substations to close MIdland main line over two weekends - RailInsider

Two new substations on the Midland main line between Bedford and Ampthill will help to improve resilience on the railway, as well as provide the power needed to allow more trains to run in the future. The new substations will be commissioned and tested over two weekends, 4/5 and 11/12 July...

www.railinsider.co.uk

Further news of closures.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Good news imho

 

[Domh245]

Are the substations being commissioned in those closures the ones that were called off due to the stormy weather in Feb/March?

 

[59CosG95]

Are the substations being commissioned in those closures the ones that were called off due to the stormy weather in Feb/March?

At a guess, based on information provided in the article, these substations would be the new upgraded TSCs (with ATS potential) at Ampthill and by the fast lines just south of Bedford - it does say between Bedford and Ampthill.

The one in March would have been at Long Meadow Farm/Chalton, replacing the existing feeder at Sundon.

 

[Nottingham59]

Well let's hope that NR are taking advantage of the blockades such as the one between Market Harborough and Loughborough to do proper ground surveys of potential mast sites for future electrification. At least MHR to South Wigston should have a robust business case. One of the key findings of the NAO report into the Great Western cost over-runs was "Network Rail did not carry out sufficiently detailed surveys of the route before the ‘detailed design’ took place." And, of course, the DfT and NR will always want to learn the lessons from past failures. Won't they?

 

[59CosG95]

News from Bedford today.

Boiling down the notices, they read as follows:
Stage 2 (Bedford Station - Down Slow and Up & Down Platform Loop) - current BWA terminations of wire runs in Platform 2 (Down Slow) and 3 (Up & Down Platform Loop) to be extended to the Tensorex portal at SPC2/80/599. (Note the 'SPC1' reference should be SPC2)
Stage B2 (Bedford TSC) - the Across Track Feeds, SIs, Switches and HV Cabling for Bedford TSC are to be treated as live IMMEDIATELY. There are some unfinished works there, but they will probably be dealt with this weekend.
Stage 3B (Bedford Station - Up Fast) - wires on Up Fast through Bedford to be installed, bridging the gap between the anchor at SPC1/79/816 (where the old equipment is presumably terminated, on a new structure) to the fixed-anchor portal at SPC1/80/467 (where live wires on the Up Fast resume).
Road Sign - Bromham Rd bridge closed overnight from 8pm Fri 10th July to 8am Sat 11th July. Presumably this is to remove the redundant temporary pedestrian bridge.

 

[59CosG95]

To explain the wire registration situation at Bedford in a bit more detail, the wires over the Down Fast (P4) & Up Slow (P1) are continuous through the station. The gap on the Up Fast has yet to be bridged, but will be very soon.
Finally, the wire runs over the Down Slow (P2) & the Up & Down Platform Loop (P3) are both connected to Balance Weight Anchor (BWA) structures north of the platforms, but aren't yet extended to form a continuous run of OLE northwards to the Tensorexes at SPC2/80/599. The notices say that these *Should* be fixed by next Sunday.

 

[59CosG95]

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHEGU5c 7 more photos from a quick survey around Beds on Friday afternoon.

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks again 59CosG95

 

[59CosG95]

MML Wiring Progressometer 42.1 (Updated as of 13th of July 2020)
Mileages are from St. Pancras. Unless mentioned otherwise, all reference to the "Fast" side refers to tracks on the western side of the "10-foot" (centre of the track pairs), and the "Slow" side for the tracks on the eastern side.
All 2,248 foundations are now installed.

South of Bedford (SPC1)

• In the Cricklewood area, around 13 new structures are gradually being erected; these are confirmed to be part of the works for the new Brent Cross West station.
• Power Supply Upgrade Infrastructure south of Bedford station:
  • Napsbury ATS (Auto Transformer Site); no idea where it's planned to be sited. Perhaps near the North Orbital Commercial Park? (https://goo.gl/maps/SY8ufqBSJ5CAJHSn9; 51°44'02.5"N 0°19'07.3"W)
  • East Hyde MPATS (Mid Point AT Site); compound established (but so far empty) off Cooters Hill Lane. (https://goo.gl/maps/SJ4JRFth5oqGzKfq6; 51°50'20.7"N 0°21'49.3"W)
  • Leagrave SATS (Sectioning ATS); possibly to be sited immediately south of Leagrave station? (https://goo.gl/maps/Kh6YNCZe7ZFGJcb56; 51°54'14.0"N 0°27'19.9"W)
  • Chalton ATFS; pretty much ready. Works this weekend (11/12 July) seem to show that it was commissioned, and has all but replaced the old Sundon FS. (Sundon is still extant, and indeed connected to the OLE, although for how much longer this'll be is unknown. The oil bunds for the transformers currently have no transformers above them, so one can assume it'll be feeding in booster transformer mode, as per the S.Q. (https://goo.gl/maps/zbQcR1HV2VuUb2yP9; 51°55'34.0"N 0°29'33.0"W)
  • Ampthill SATS; pretty much ready. Works this weekend (11/12 July) seem to show that it was commissioned, and has replaced the old Ampthill TSC. (No ATF provision yet, however, so it only functions as a TSC.) (https://goo.gl/maps/KgYTQgJkncjB5Vsm6; 52°01'26.0"N 0°30'42.7"W)
  • Bedford ATS; pretty much ready. Works this weekend (11/12 July) seem to show that it was commissioned, and might well have replaced the existing slow-lines only TSC. (No ATF provision yet, however, so it only functions as a TSC.) (https://goo.gl/maps/S1WwgRFoxn95iNsg7; 52°07'55.7"N 0°28'41.2"W)

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch) (SPC2 + SPC3)

• The wires are now through Bedford on the Down Fast (P4), but have yet to be erected over the Up Fast. Additionally, the existing wires on Platforms 2 & 3 have not yet been extended to overlap with the 'offline' wires, that were extended down from north of Bromham Road O/B some weeks ago.
• All lines have been wired from Bromham Rd O/B to Wellingborough station.
• Bromham Rd O/B now reopened - the temporary footbridge has, as of the morning of the 11th of July, been removed.
• Irthlingborough Road Bridge has now been replaced - its reopening date has yet to be confirmed.
• Sharnbrook MPTSC (Mid-Point Track Sectioning Cabinet), north of Templars Way overbridge, has been live since 20/4/20.
• The switching site at Wymington (Irchester TSC) now looks structurally complete.
• The four cantilevers across two TTCs north of the TSC that had no arms have now sprouted them.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch) (SPC3)

• Work to return the 4th platform (P4) at Wellingborough to public use is now well advanced.
• All lines are now wired within Wellingborough station. These continue along all lines to Kettering station.
• North of Wellingborough, the Down Goods Loop (west of the Down Fast) and the Arrival/Departure Line (adjacent to the not-yet-in-service Up Slow) are now wired, along with the westernmost siding in Wellingborough Up Yard. There doesn't seem to be any concrete plan to put northern access into the yard yet, though.
• The feeding/switching site at Finedon Station has been confirmed as Harrowden ATS; its function while feeding in boosterless classic mode is that of a TSC (as such, it's currently referred to as Harrowden TSC). Most large-scale connections are complete, however smaller scale connections (e.g. black/red bonds) are a bit trickier to see.
  Additionally, 2 TTCs (SPC3/109/586/US + SPC3/109/636/US), located south of Finedon Station Rd, are lacking arms on both cantilevers.
• Work to transform the former Kettering Yard into an EMU stabling facility (KES; Kettering Electric Stabling) is complete.

Kettering (72m 01ch) - Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Corby (79m 40ch) (SPC3 + GSM1)

• All 4 lines are now wired through Kettering station. On the Fasts, wires finish about 500m north of the platforms, while those on the Slows continue to Glendon Jct & Corby, and thence to the planned limit of wiring.
• At Glendon, the new Kettering North SATS (Sectioning Autotransformer Site; TSC until 810s arrive) has been connected to the OLE on the Corby lines. Spanwires for the Main lines are coiled up OOU until wires head to Mkt H'boro'.

Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Market Harborough (82m 74ch) (SPC3)

• Braybrooke Substation ((AT)FS) approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
• Enabling Works happened; the land has now been returned to its original state.
• The extent of wiring towards Market Harborough has now been as good as confirmed to reach the station. Approval has been given for final design work to be carried out on that section of route.
• Ground Investigation Works are taking place between Kettering & Great Bowden (north of Market Harborough); this implies Great Bowden will be the northern limit of wiring until further wiring gets authorised.

The Future - Midlands Engine Rail (Midlands Connect) & HS2

• Electrification proposed from Market Harborough to Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham & Derby; as part of the Midlands Connect strategy. The March 2020 Budget committed to the scheme; details are alleged to be found in the July Spending Review. When this will actually be released (what with COVID-19) remains to be seen.
• Electrification proposed from Clay Cross HS2 Connection to Sheffield (Midland) as part of HS2 works.
• Currently, no electrification is proposed between Clay Cross HS2 Connection & Nottingham, or Tupton & Derby (via Belper).
  
  Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Fantastic updates thanks for all your hard work.

 

[Bald Rick]

Napsbury ATS (Auto Transformer Site); no idea where it's planned to be sited. Perhaps near the North Orbital Commercial Park? (https://goo.gl/maps/SY8ufqBSJ5CAJHSn9; 51°44'02.5"N 0°19'07.3"W)

There or thereabouts.

 

[John Webb]

There or thereabouts.

Can confirm there is a broad stretch of railway embankment at this location between the up slow and the boundary of the industrial estate - used for track access etc. Bit surprised - there's the Napsbury Lane bridge* and then the A414 bridge in close proximity which I would have thought would have been inconvenient. Don't know if the land is still railway-owned but south of the A414 bridge and on the west side of the line opposite 'North Cottages' there was a larger area where once there had been sidings and further back the construction link from the LNWR line used during the 1860s build of the 'London Extension'. Or do they want to keep that clear for a certain possible 'railfreight' terminal?!

*Mind you, if they could rebuild the bridge and get the awkward angled road approaches ironed out a lot of us local drivers would be pleased!

 

[Philip Phlopp]

• Work to transform the former Kettering Yard into an EMU stabling facility (KES; Kettering Electric Stabling) is nearly complete: wires are all now up. Final snags to be undertaken.

It's sufficiently "finished" that there were some dignitaries being shown around on Friday.

 

[WymoWanderer]

Announcement from NR about weekend closures. Looks like there's a photo of the Kettering sidings too.

Network Rail urges passengers to check before travelling over next two weekends as vital improvement work takes place on Midland Main Line
Region & Route: London North Eastern & East Midlands
Network Rail is urging passengers who have to travel over the next two weekends to check their journeys, as vital work continues on the £1.5billion Midland Main Line Upgrade.

On 18/19 and 25/26 July, Network Rail engineers will carry out work to install the final section of the overhead line equipment on the route, in preparation for bi-mode trains, which are quieter and better for the environment, to run on the line in future between Bedford and Corby, via Kettering.

The overhead power lines carry 25,000 volts of electricity, enough to seriously injure or kill anyone that comes into contact with them. Network Rail is warning people of the dangers of trespassing on the tracks, and you can find out more about our hard-hitting safety campaign, Always On, here: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/commu...community/railway-safety-campaigns/always-on/

Work has already taken place to commission and test two new substations on the route to provide the power which is needed to allow more trains to run in future. Over the next two weekends, vital work will also be carried out to test the electrical system, upgrade sections of the track on the Midland Main Line and improve the surfacing of the platforms at Wellingborough and Kettering stations.

There are various changes to services between Sheffield/Nottingham/Derby and London St Pancras International over the two weekends to enable to work to be completed safely. Network Rail, East Midlands Railway and Govia Thameslink Railway are urging passengers to check before travelling and allow plenty of time for their journeys.

Gavin Crook, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “We would like to thank passengers for their continued patience whilst this essential part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade is carried out.

“This work to install the final section of the overhead line equipment and carry out vital testing is a major step towards the completion of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, which will bring improved, faster journeys for passengers, with more seats and a more reliable railway.

“We strongly advise passengers who must travel to check their journeys in advance with National Rail Enquires or their train operator and allow plenty of time to travel.”

Lisa Angus, Transition and Projects Director for East Midlands Railway, said “We are advising any passengers who may need to travel to / from London over the weekends of 18/19 July and 25/26 July, to check our website as there is disruption to our services and rail replacements in place for part of your journey.

“The work taking place over these weekends is a significant milestone of the Midland Main Line upgrade. The final installation of the overhead line equipment will mean more reliable, faster journeys for our passengers in the future.

“As always, we thank our passengers for their patience whilst this crucial work is taking place.”

Jenny Saunders, Passenger Services Director for Thameslink and Great Northern, said: “Our services between Bedford and London are likely to be busier over the next two weekends than is usual currently, because of this important work further north. Also, trains will be replaced by buses for significant periods, so it will be especially important for people to consider whether they really need to travel, and to plan their journey in advance if they have to use public transport.

“Buses will replace Thameslink services between Bedford and Luton on both Sundays, between Bedford and St Albans during the night of Saturday 25 July, and between Hendon and St Pancras in the early morning of Sunday 19 July. If you do have to travel during any of these periods, please allow plenty of extra time for your journey.”

Network Rail is asking passengers to continue following Government guidance around the use of public transport. Passengers who do travel should wear a face covering on train services and any replacement bus services. However, some passengers are exempt, including young children and people with hidden disabilities or breathing difficulties.

Detail of the service changes:

Saturday, 18 July - Trains to/from Sheffield and Nottingham will start/terminate at Market Harborough. Road replacement services will be in place between Market Harborough and Bedford, and between Corby and Kettering. Thameslink services will run between Bedford and St Pancras.

Sunday, 19 July - Trains to/from Sheffield and Nottingham will start/terminate at Market Harborough. Road replacement services will be in place between Market Harborough and Luton and between Corby and Kettering. Thameslink trains will run between Luton and St Pancras.

Thameslink services will not run between Bedford and Luton and road replacement services will be in place. Road transport will also replace trains between Hendon and St Pancras until 08:55. Thameslink services between Bedford and Gatwick Airport via Redhill will not run. A road replacement service between Gatwick Airport and Purley will call at Redhill.

Saturday, 25 July - Trains to/from Sheffield and Nottingham will start/terminate at Leicester. Replacement road services will be in place between Leicester and Bedford, and between Corby and Kettering. Thameslink services will run between Bedford and St Pancras.

Thameslink services will not run between Bedford and St Albans from 23:00 on Saturday, 25 until 09:30 on Sunday, 26 July. Road replacement services will be in place.

Sunday, 26 July - Trains to/from Sheffield and Nottingham will start/terminate at Leicester. Replacement road services will be in place between Leicester and Luton, and between Corby and Kettering. Thameslink services will run between Luton and St Pancras. Road replacement services will be in place between Bedford and Luton.

 

[59CosG95]

It's sufficiently "finished" that there were some dignitaries being shown around on Friday.

Excellent news!

 

[John Hunt]

@59CosG95 and everyone else contributing to this thread - a huge thank you for the informative updates !

 

[59CosG95]

Got some more news following a Monday snoop around the new feeder at Chalton & TSC at Ampthill.
First up, Chalton ATFS.
The across-track feeder spanwires either side of the OHNS (structure F/57/03) at the extant Sundon FS (South: F/55/17A on Fasts, F/55/17B on Slows; North: F/57/06A on Fasts, F/57/06B on Slows) are now connected to the OLE. I'm not 100% sure that Chalton is live yet, as the legacy feeder at Sundon is still connected to the OLE.

Next, Ampthill TSC.
This has had quite a change since I last visited in May; the new TSC in the Siemens ASG building is now in operation, with a notice by the footbridge stating that the new HV Cables from the isolator switches on structures F67/16A, /16B, /16C & /16D (and associated distribution equipment) are all live as of NOW.


The legacy TSC has been disconnected, with blue earths now attached to the former connections to the OLE. Visually, the biggest change is that the top 2 pairs of spanwire disconnector cables on structure F/67/16 have gone, while the bottom pair has been renewed. 2 out of 4 isolation switches on each side of that structure have also been removed. I'm not entirely sure what it's new function is...

 

[59CosG95]

News from Bedford today.

Boiling down the notices, they read as follows:
Stage 2 (Bedford Station - Down Slow and Up & Down Platform Loop) - current BWA terminations of wire runs in Platform 2 (Down Slow) and 3 (Up & Down Platform Loop) to be extended to the Tensorex portal at SPC2/80/599. (Note the 'SPC1' reference should be SPC2)
Stage B2 (Bedford TSC) - the Across Track Feeds, SIs, Switches and HV Cabling for Bedford TSC are to be treated as live IMMEDIATELY. There are some unfinished works there, but they will probably be dealt with this weekend.
Stage 3B (Bedford Station - Up Fast) - wires on Up Fast through Bedford to be installed, bridging the gap between the anchor at SPC1/79/816 (where the old equipment is presumably terminated, on a new structure) to the fixed-anchor portal at SPC1/80/467 (where live wires on the Up Fast resume).
Road Sign - Bromham Rd bridge closed overnight from 8pm Fri 10th July to 8am Sat 11th July. Presumably this is to remove the redundant temporary pedestrian bridge.

Further details with Stage B2 - the isolator switches that have gone live are SPC1/79/864, SPC1/79/860 and SPC1/79/853 (the first three from the left in the image below, courtesy of NR via Rail Technology Magazine); the 4th one (presumably SPC1/79/849) has yet to go live.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

That looks like some serious kit.

 

[59CosG95]

That looks like some serious kit.

Indeed it is! While SMOS (Structure Mounted Outdoor Switchgear) is nothing new in OLE (Indeed, some exist on masts with OLE elsewhere in the country) but the use of dedicated masts is a fairly recent decision - presumably to make maintenance easier and possible with only an isolation (rather than a line-block or possession as well). All the new MML TSCs etc. have them, and so do all those on the GWML (and other new lines); they've also been added in as part of power supply upgrades on the WCML, ECML and GEML (for Crossrail).

 

[John Webb]

Drove past the possible Napsbury ATS site yesterday - no obvious signs of work yet.