MML Electrification: progress updates

[InTheEastMids]

Can confirm there have been no wires that have been put up between Bedford and Kettering as of today’s date.

Not sure about the Corby branch.

I didn't even see any SPS in the right position to be wired yesterday evening. All the smaller steel work over the slow lines is still turned 90 degrees from where it needs to be, I don't think there's any ready to be wired unless it's over the fast lines.

More generally i was disappointed by the lack of apparent progress, especially on 4-tracking where all the difficult bits around Wellingborough don't really seem to have been started. Is there any inside gossip about whether the project on schedule?

 

[richieb1971]

It is possible I mistaken other wires for OHLE because I was driving and it was my passenger that said he saw the wires. The momentary glance I had looked like it was wired. I drove down the A6 the other day to take pic but unfortunately traffic prohibited a quick picture from the bridge.

As for 4 tracking nothing has moved for a month or two around souldrop. Souldrop has quite a few bridge modifications going on but I can't make out what they are doing.

 

[londonmidland]

Can only make this assumption from being on board the train but I don’t think any steelwork is currently visible from standing at Kettering or Wellingborough station(s)?

Whether TTC’s or portals will be installed around stations is another question and dependent on the track layout but the gap between the BR electrification and the current electrification is slowly closing at Bedford.

 

[Mollman]

She doesn't want to go to St. Pancras, she wants to go from Bedford to Market Harborough without changing in the peaks. Possible if 25kv is extended to MH after Corby. Probably possible now by HST.

I know, but the on franchise spec is for trains to and from London - nothing covering intermediate stop patterns. Therefore I have used logic to work out that the ITT does not require non-Corby trains to stop at Bedford in the peaks.

 

[edwin_m]

I know, but the on franchise spec is for trains to and from London - nothing covering intermediate stop patterns. Therefore I have used logic to work out that the ITT does not require non-Corby trains to stop at Bedford in the peaks.

I think it's highly unlikely that a future operator will want to stop non-Corby trains at Bedford at all. Bedford gets longer trains with similar journey times into London and (hopefully) more comfort than a 700, and Kettering and northwards get faster and less crowded trains due to not stopping them at Bedford or Wellingborough. The only intermediate station further south that attracts reasonable numbers of passengers to/from north of Kettering is Luton Airport Parkway, mainly because it's a convenient service to an airport with a reasonable range of flights. So I think this commuter will have to change at Kettering and hope that the timetable provides good connections.

 

[Bedpan]

I had always thought that the curtailed electrification was going to go to Corby ie not along the main line beyond Glendon Junction. What is the rationale for extending it to Market Harborough? I would have thought that if there was a wish to eletctrify to Market Harborough, there would have been some justification in continuing to Leicester and running a Leicester - London local service. (Sorry if this has already been asked, I've not read all of the posts on here).

 

[The Ham]

I had always thought that the curtailed electrification was going to go to Corby ie not along the main line beyond Glendon Junction. What is the rationale for extending it to Market Harborough? I would have thought that if there was a wish to eletctrify to Market Harborough, there would have been some justification in continuing to Leicester and running a Leicester - London local service. (Sorry if this has already been asked, I've not read all of the posts on here).

Market Harborough has a good feeder point from the National Grid.

 

[59CosG95]

I had always thought that the curtailed electrification was going to go to Corby ie not along the main line beyond Glendon Junction. What is the rationale for extending it to Market Harborough? I would have thought that if there was a wish to eletctrify to Market Harborough, there would have been some justification in continuing to Leicester and running a Leicester - London local service. (Sorry if this has already been asked, I've not read all of the posts on here).

The main rationale for supposedly extendng wiring to Market H'boro is that the feeder station for the route will be located at Braybrooke (between Glendon Jct & Market H'boro), and that the cost increase of extending the wires further north to the next station will be negligible compared to just leaving it at Glendon.
@The Ham has summarised it better though!

 

[InTheEastMids]

Travelled up from London today, over 70TTCs with small parts between Bedford and Wymington (I was really bored!) That's excluding all the various masts in lesser states of completion. Having been to Reading, they look very dainty compared to the brutalist GWR infrastructure

North of Welly, saw very little in the way of small steel parts, and the fast lines seem to be have more TTCs up, esp from the Welly yards up to Harrowden Inc. Still little action around Wellingborough and Kettering stations.

A little concreted area, maybe 5m x 3m, with about 5 concrete bollards on the railway side has appeared more or less where the Braybrooke substation will connect. Guess it could be something to do with electrification.

 

[Bedpan]

Thanks for explaining The Ham and 59CosG95.

 

[WymoWanderer]

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....rove-accessibility-at-bedford-railway-station

As part of the Midland Mainline Upgrade, Network Rail engineering works will also be taking place on the weekends of 13th and 14th October and 10th and 11th November which will mean no East Midlands Trains services will be able to run between Bedford and Leicester. This work is the demolition of Earwigg railway bridge near Milton Earnest, Bedfordshire, to allow the installation of overhead wires.

Other than spelling Milton Ernest incorrectly, does anyone know where the Earwigg bridge is?

 

[59CosG95]

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....rove-accessibility-at-bedford-railway-station


Other than spelling Milton Ernest incorrectly, does anyone know where the Earwigg bridge is?

Did a quick Google search, and Earwig [sic] bridge is here: https://goo.gl/maps/Xu9GhPue7M32

 

[Flying Phil]

Re the Braybrook substation - there is still no activity in the field where the National grid wires and pylons cross the MML, apart from the old planning application notice.

 

[John Webb]

Did a quick Google search, and Earwig [sic] bridge is here: https://goo.gl/maps/Xu9GhPue7M32

Oblique aerial view - on the right of the picture:
Railway river crossing south of Radwell

© Copyright Chris and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Click on the picture to go to the larger original.

 

[A0wen]

I know, but the on franchise spec is for trains to and from London - nothing covering intermediate stop patterns. Therefore I have used logic to work out that the ITT does not require non-Corby trains to stop at Bedford in the peaks.

I think you're right about that being the basic pattern.

Whether there is anything additional in the peaks remains to be seen - but to / from London any additional peaks will almost certainly be focused on Wellingborough and Kettering as Bedford has the Thameslink services going south.

The other unknown is whether there will be 1 or 2 tph north stopping at Kettering then Mkt Harborough which the Corby services will be connecting with.

 

[snowball]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...day-19-october-as-engineering-work-continues/

Cottingham Road bridge in Corby will remain closed until Friday, 19 October as engineering work continues

Network Rail is apologising to local businesses and motorists for a further delay in re-opening Cottingham Road bridge.

The bridge has been closed to motorists since January to allow Network Rail engineers to raise the bridge to allow for the safe clearance of overhead line equipment. This work is part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, which will see the line electrified from London to Bedford via Kettering and Corby.

An earlier revised date meant that the road bridge was due to reopen at the end of September, however further delays to ongoing work means returning utility services to the bridge has been delayed, resulting in the need to maintain the road closure. Pedestrian access will be maintained through a temporary footbridge, with the bridge open to vehicles as soon as is possible with some remaining work taking place until late November without the need to close the road.

 

[richieb1971]

Did a quick Google search, and Earwig [sic] bridge is here: https://goo.gl/maps/Xu9GhPue7M32

The road the bridge is on is marked as private property. However, the sign looks like it was stolen from a school from the 80's and planted into the ground. There is a row of homes on the road before the bridge which means that public access must be given to visit these people. As you approach the bridge there is a parking space on the left.

The bridge is very strange as it has very low walls at around the 3ft mark. Its only up to my waist. There is a temporary bridge being built here right now. I went there a week or so ago and it was still there, but I doubt it will be there for long.

The last time I was there the farmer that owns the land took a picture of the bridge right in front of me and my friend and didn't say anything. Its a narrow road, so you have to move your cameras and such out of the way when traffic passes, which amounts to about 3 cars an hour.

 

[WymoWanderer]

Not much progress around the village (Wymington, Beds) apart from the fast lines now a number of masts on the up-line and some on the down-line.
No apparent progress on the slow lines to the south of the village approaching the Souldrop tunnel.

Fast lines, looking south-east from the foot-bridge at 50m 40ch (original photo)

Looking south at the fast lines including above foot-bridge (original photo)

 

[GRALISTAIR]

https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Enhancement-Delivery-Plan-.pdf
I am not trying to play games but does anyone else see what I spotted on pages 31-32 of the latest Enhancement Delivery Plan EDP ? Perhaps I am reading too much into it.

 

[WymoWanderer]

Care to quote which bit in particular?

https://cdn.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Enhancement-Delivery-Plan-.pdf
I am not trying to play games but does anyone else see what I spotted on pages 31-32 of the latest Enhancement Delivery Plan EDP ? Perhaps I am reading too much into it.

 

[kevjs]

Which points?

• Increased capacity of the infrastructure leading to more train paths being available
• Reduced carbon emissions though the creation of an electrified route from London St Pancras to Corby and the replacement of the existing diesel passenger fleet with electric stock and/or bi-modal stock.
• To develop solutions to provide traction power and other associated asset capability to allow 6 long distance high speed services to use electric traction between Market Harborough/Kettering and London in CP6.
• To provide speed capability to the OLE system between London St Pancras to Bedford South Junction, to allow electric rolling stock to operate at the published permanent speed restriction
• To improve infrastructure capability to enable the introduction of longer trains (up to 240m) on the MML on selected services in order to accommodate the forecast levels of passenger growth specified in the 2012 HLOS and to reduce crowding on MML Long Distance High Speed (LDHS) services between London St. Pancras and Nottingham and Sheffield.

The "the replacement of the existing diesel passenger fleet with electric stock and/or bi-modal stock." point grabbed me at first, but I assume it should be read as "the replacement of the existing diesel passenger fleet with bi-modal stock OR a mixture of electric and bi-modal stock." rather than any possibility of all electric?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Twice - it does not say -electric to Kettering but " Market Harborough/Kettering "

 

[edwin_m]

Wiring to Market Harborough has definitely been under consideration - I saw a mention in a NR invitation to tender a year or so back. But the "/Kettering" indicates it still hasn't been decided, or possibly that they've made a decision but not made it public yet.

 

[nlogax]

Have I missed something, or is this project proceeding much more smoothly and at a much faster pace than the GWML? Certainly feels like it.

 

[Domh245]

It's almost as if now that crews are experienced and equipment is bedded in things will naturally happen at a faster rate......

 

[londonmidland]

Perhaps things are progressing more smoothly and faster because of not having to install the extremely bulky and heavy looking Series 1 OLE?

Travelled between Gloucester and Cardiff today for the first time in around 10-12 months and there are still no wires up.

 

[jfowkes]

I'm interested in this section:

Long Distance High Speed Train Lengthening
The scope of works is to:
Provide the means to call 240m trains at Long Eaton, Loughborough, East
Midlands Parkway, Beeston, Chesterfield and Sheffield. Options considered
may vary at each platform/station, including one or a combination of:
o Operation control measures at platforms
o Platform extensions
o New footbridges
o Minor signalling changes

Specifically "Operation control measures at platforms" - does that refer to SDO, or something else?

 

[Hophead]

Progress is, however, a year behind the originally published date.

 

[snowball]

Twice - it does not say -electric to Kettering but " Market Harborough/Kettering "

Isn't that the same wording as in the previous couple of editions? There's certainly been discussion in this thread in recent months of possible extension beyond Kettering on the main line, based on various hints.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Isn't that the same wording as in the previous couple of editions? There's certainly been discussion in this thread in recent months of possible extension beyond Kettering on the main line, based on various hints.

I agree - I didn't see any change from the wording of earlier EDP versions (but I have not checked)

All that I think is in the public domain is that the 400/25 kV grid supply point will be at Braybrooke (about 2mi South of Market Harborough).

What hasn't been said unquivocally
1. How the substation at Braybrooke will connect to the MML scheme at Glendon
a Trenched cable
b overhead cable
c extend electrification

2. If the Braybrooke option is 1c, how far will the electrification extend beyond Braybrooke - around 81mi
a Not at all
b to e.g. Market Harbrorough station (~83 mi)
c somewhere North of Market Harborough station e.g. the North end of the LSSI scheme... (> 84 mi)

I think any PR mentioning Market Harborough as the limit is only based on the content in the EDP that has been picked up on here. I haven't seen anything that makes it crystal clear (happy to be proved wrong).