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MML Electrification: progress updates

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I don't see why because when they were testing them at 140mph between Peterborough and Grantham with flashing green aspects on the signals (Which were put in and only applied to the Class 91s as it indicated to the driver that he could increase his speed to 140mph) I don't think there's many if any curves on that route.

Wasn't one of the problems the number of level crossings on the ECML, especially on the potenially really fast section from Stoke Summit down to Peterborough?

Level crossings aren't a problem on the MML; are there any others beside Spondon?

In Sweden, the X2000 power cars don't tilt, only the trailers do; so I wonder if some bright-spark will suggest - for the new East Midlands franchise - that bi-mode locos pull/push cascaded Mk IVs retrospectively fitted with tilt:? !!!!!
 
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59CosG95

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Wasn't one of the problems the number of level crossings on the ECML, especially on the potenially really fast section from Stoke Summit down to Peterborough?

Level crossings aren't a problem on the MML; are there any others beside Spondon?

In Sweden, the X2000 power cars don't tilt, only the trailers do; so I wonder if some bright-spark will suggest - for the new East Midlands franchise - that bi-mode locos pull/push cascaded Mk IVs retrospectively fitted with tilt:? !!!!!
I'd imagine level crossings were probably the Achilles heel , along with increased track wear, maintenance req's etc.

I think Britain may have been the only country insane enough to propose 140mph running on a mixed traffic railway with lots of level crossings and non-mechanically independent OLE at the time... (I know that the North East Corridor in the USA is very similar!)

Reading between the lines of the IC225s, the 91s were never intended to tilt, but the Mk4s were built with conversion in mind, so it could easily have been done.
Re-worked 91s with new IGBT innards perhaps?
 

jyte

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I think Britain may have been the only country insane enough to propose 140mph running on a mixed traffic railway with lots of level crossings and non-mechanically independent OLE at the time... (I know that the North East Corridor in the USA is very similar!)

The NEC is really a railway of two halves - the Northern half (North of Stamford) has comparatively brand new independently registered OHLE designed for 150mph and a pretty low total of 11 crossings all in lower speed areas. FRA regulations prohibit half barriers on lines with speeds above 79mph and any at grade access above 95mph (I think).

The southern half is slower - the OHLE limits trains to 135mph (tilting Acelas) and 125mph or slower (everything else) but I don't think there's actually any grade crossings on this southern segment - they were all eliminated when it was the Pensilyanvia Rail Road. Amtrak is also upgrading about 30miles of OHLE to permit operation up to 160mph which sounds very similar to proposed headspan to portal conversion in this country as well as investigating the possibility of replacing crossings in the Northern section as part of its long term vision for the NEC*


*Actually considering I think 3 of them are all in one place, New London, and the proposed 'I-95 alignment' would bypass about 14 miles of this section, Bridges are probably unnecessary here!

Sources: a very enlightening ride on the NEC last year talking to Amtrak staff, and Wikipedia...
 
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cactustwirly

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Wasn't one of the problems the number of level crossings on the ECML, especially on the potenially really fast section from Stoke Summit down to Peterborough?

Level crossings aren't a problem on the MML; are there any others beside Spondon?

In Sweden, the X2000 power cars don't tilt, only the trailers do; so I wonder if some bright-spark will suggest - for the new East Midlands franchise - that bi-mode locos pull/push cascaded Mk IVs retrospectively fitted with tilt:? !!!!!

There's a few near Attenborough as well.
 

edwin_m

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However the location of these crossings is unlikely to see much speed increase due to proximity to junctions and curves that would impose a limit. The one possible exception would be Sawley, if Sheet Stores was ever straightened out, and that is in open country so likely to be easily bridgeable.
 

OxtedL

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The caveat is that, some years ago, maybe even now, the Swiss railways have the MONEY.
And not nearly as many trains. More services operate per day in Kent than all of Switzerland.
Urban myth. That was often said about a decade ago, but then someone actually counted them up and found it isn’t right.
Looks like the Swiss run about 10,700 trains a day, GB runs 22,500.

https://reporting.sbb.ch/en/transportation

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/

Unclear if those numbers include freight, but gives a good ballpark.
 

59CosG95

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MML Wiring Progressometer 17.0 (as of 5th of November 2018)
Mileages are from St. Pancras.

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)
  • Work to raise Ford End Rd bridge is now complete.
  • On the Down side, behind P4's fence, masts to support troughing appear to have been erected. These may carry feeder cables or similar.
  • On the Down side south of Bromham Rd Bridge, Bedford, at least 9 masts are now up. These masts stretch northwards from Bromham Rd as far as the eye can see, towards the Great Ouse Bridge. A number of masts now have TTC booms - many booms have stovepipes.
  • 8-9 piles are now in on the Up side north of Bromham Rd Bridge; none are fully down yet.
  • Two masts are up on the Up side, immediately south of the Great Ouse Box Girder Bridge (nr Bedford North Jct); one of them has a boom, the other doesn't.
  • At Bromham, between the A6 (Great Ouse Way) & Lower Farm Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/rSPFrDAZQ362), 13 Twin Track Cantilevers/TTCs (with booms) are up over the Slow Lines, and about 6/7 over the Fast Lines. This includes the Box Girder bridge over the river Great Ouse.
  • At least 9 boomed and dressed (aka. bedanglied) TTC masts have now gone up north of Lower Farm Rd, adjacent to the Down Fast; 2 similar structures are now up adjacent to the Up Slow here too.
  • To the south of Oakley, all the TTCs that are up appear to have sprouted their registration arms (https://flic.kr/p/NuS8uw). The extent of these running southwards is not yet clear.
  • At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TTC booms. Between Station Rd & Highfield Rd bridges, all TTCS over the Slows and Fasts are now boomed.
  • Another upright has gone up to the north of Highfield Rd bridge, adjacent to the Down Fast.
  • 2 piles are in just south of Oakley Viaduct (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); one next to the DF, another next to the US. These seem to have been in for a while.
  • Lots of TTCs also up over both pairs of lines around Milton Ernest (between Radwell Rd & East End; https://goo.gl/maps/V5afGGQEZiE2).
  • Between Radwell Rd & New Rd, a TTC mast has been placed between the Up Fast & Down Slow, as the embankment adjacent to the Up Slow had to be replaced with a gabion retaining wall.
  • About 6 TTCs are up immediately to the north of Radwell Viaduct, over the Slow lines (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); 3 more TTCs are up accompanying them over the Fast lines (positioned between the pairs of lines). Another 2 are now up over the Slows south of the viaduct. Masts for 2 portal booms are up at the southern end of the viaduct; both pairs of masts now have booms, completing the portals.
  • Roughly 3 or 4 piles (now with boomless TTC masts) are in next to the Down Fast, and another 4 (3 of which have boomed TTC masts) next to the Up Slow just north of Moor End Lane, Radwell (https://goo.gl/maps/cmgWsgyYAo62). South of Moor End Lane (but north of the next bridge to the south), about 5 TTC masts are up (2 of which have booms) adjacent to the Up Slow, with a similar number in adjacent to the Down Fast. South of that bridge, another 2 piles have masts (possibly w/ booms).
  • 2 parallel piles are in place (no masts) adjacent to the Fast lines at Radwell; possibly for a portal frame?
  • TTCs have now sprouted at the northern end of Sharnbrook Viaduct; (at least) two over the Fasts and one over the Slows.
  • A couple of piles (no masts) have now gone in around Sharnbrook Jct.
  • Almost all masts are now up over the Slow lines, from just north of Park Ln, Sharnbrook (https://goo.gl/maps/df2As431FDr) to Sharnbrook Rd overbridge (southern end of Souldrop bank); the 4-tracking here is not yet complete as signals "WH378" and “LR 8” sit right in the path of the restored Up Slow. Some TTCs have now gone up on the Fasts between these bridges too.
  • At Souldrop (between Sharnbrook Rd & Back Lane overbridges) 3 masts (1 with a TTC boom) are in next to the future Down Slow at Souldrop, at the southern end of the bank. All the TTCs for the Fasts are up between the two bridges.
  • Back Lane Bridge (aka Odell Viaduct) is due to be demolished & rebuilt over the weekend of 10th/11th November, to allow for a more generous OLE clearance.
  • North of Sharnbrook Tunnel, and south of footbridge WYM-3 (60m 56ch), 17 piles are now in on the Down side of the Slow lines - presumably for the (future) Down Slow at least.
  • Between Wymington (https://goo.gl/maps/apZ6wwj9StR2) and Wellingboro', intensive 4-tracking is underway. Near the Google Maps link posted for Wymington, the car park used for the 4-tracking works is due to house a National Grid substation for the electrification; the concrete base has now been laid for the substation. Link to application to Beds Council: http://www.publicaccess.bedford.gov...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ONBIS8CUMMJ00
  • In the southern area of the Wymington Deviation, around 9 masts are now up on the Fasts (single cantilever type). North of Souldrop Tunnel, 3 piles are up near the footbridge at 60m56ch, and approx 5 are further down near the tunnel.
  • Near the centre of the "deviation", there are now many more masts up (with cantilevers too) on the Fasts.
  • On the Slows at the northern end of the "deviation", a number of STCs and TTCs have gone up, with at least two twin track portals also up.
  • Station Rd Bridge, Irchester is closed from 9/4 to 22/11 to allow reconstruction for OLE; the replacement deck over the Relief Lines is now complete.
  • Masts have now sprung up in large numbers north and south of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester. North of Station Rd, all masts seem to be up over the Fast lines as far as the first footbridge north of there.[/COLOR]
  • Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2); piles are now starting to appear.
  • 2 piles now in between the Up Fast & Down Slow north of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester; 9 piles have also gone in adjacent to the Down Fast on this stretch.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch)
  • Extensive 4-tracking laid (except at points where existing infrastructure has to be moved).
  • Finedon Rd Bridge, closed from 22/3 to 28/9 to allow reconstruction for OLE, should now have reopened.
  • At least 6 TTC masts (with booms) are now in position between Finedon Rd Bridge and the curve to the south of Harrowden Junction. These are mainly on the Down side; work has yet to commence on the Up side equivalents.
  • TTCs stretch north from Wellingborough Yards over the Fast lines as far north as the Weetabix factory (north of Burton Latimer). A couple of gaps remain where old equipment has to be removed e.g. the signal gantry at Harrowden Jct.
  • Progress on the Slows is...slower.A number of TTCs have now appeared over the Slows near Wellingborough Yards, along with masts for MPA Portals.
  • Burton Latimer (south of the Weetabix factory) now has a number of TTCs up over the Slow lines to the south, to join the 2 TTCs up to the north of it (over the Fasts).

Kettering (72m 01ch) - Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Corby (79m 40ch)
  • At Glendon Jct/Kettering North Jct, all piles on the Slow side have now grown TTCs with booms; at least 5 are now bedanglied ("dressed"). A few signal gantries from the BR days have been (or are due to be) removed. Unclear of progress with piling/masts on the Main line north of Glendon Junction.
  • Pile now in on the Down side near Kettering North Jct.
  • 2nd track now in operation, and linespeed raised to 90mph where it was previously 60mph.
  • Largest piling gap around here is between the A14 & A43 bridges.
  • A handful of masts (~10) are now up in the Great Oakley area, halfway between Glendon Jct & Corby. All are single track cantilevers.

North of Glendon Jct (74m 00ch)
  • Braybrooke Substation approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
  • The extent of wiring towards Market Harboro' has been all but decided to reach the station itself.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.
 

WymoWanderer

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Latest update from Wymington, North Bedfordshire 05/11/2018:
  • Nine TTCs have be erected on the slow line between Bridge WYM 4 (adjacent to The New Inn) and the Souldrop Tunnel North entrance. (photos 2,3 & 4)
  • Two masts for what appears to be single cantilever type have been installed at the approach to the Souldrop Tunnel North entrance. (photo #1)
  • The road from Wymington to Poddington will be closed 19/11 - 25/11 for works on Bridge WYM 4 - Might suggest NR may be doing some intensive works that week. https://roadworks.org/?108621911
Photo #1 Looking South East - original
y4mC4w8cax3ySmORVUZ73lveJsD9SWm51zQq7pBo9BEuLyWLNSAs8uCvA8WnBTr7LmtoiBwgfg3BTw9WvCceXp4PbKwv2QmRAFG_Ep0DW7FKhv8oGJm4wB7-Cnr0487ym1L9BVfii-_MxBlRY685geXIaIdrRKI53N32R2Ie4zYrgnuIt7fwDJe8drNyfwWI9ir7JqGVxnS6GJ4BPWGIQH-2A


Photo # 2 Looking South - original
y4mO8O5YO6n7uA2qz5C8kKL3eUCU-HY53b5Ot_UdJuiipRVe7EV5yCX9TrAm02BXKusA9wFNf2QnhG8wCC3vqhP2BJRGn88nV179onYWbPjgQ8KCsqXD8kW6o3MheOeymyURXWbVI3sacbutdOFfb97tK1Hs1ZkM9_6IaFtauHtu2yGLubCmyP1sxIYdl4td1LDYGyJ5oBg42zRkiN_CBR0UA


Photo #3 Looking North - original
y4mlWFlsGgc8ZSTp_s5FOX5DzJKJIk1WK80eFXIBLhWQGF_O5m05BlI6HRK9m3KjrMkjOAfnr386g89ErnZMpCXfT8s7gsV5JZgXcDNV_e_0FAtyhaFOLG-_QQmo7xBc9nggJNafQ500GGILr-JUjsJz2RT3tdJ2PC953lJwVUTTAUzkjKlOPiHgVLuu_2GYSWq2IAxoxU9f64TOMuhOYgbyw


Photo 4 Looking North - Original
y4mq2F5OVBnwV9lM7ObIOrfhZadmsrqKOmPtlfDx9q6YpnkG6TRL5bT0S0CmpEt61TjdCoJRJREIfpIqvjqW9c9QiwhDL0BnGQqHfhF-FDlfovhqQKyhV6Sur-uocAsX7jCEw4dJv74zSRlcR8FPv5-TXmQztmdnjMPll4-7ptBVfvTP6eynExCIiBA1YpYVuXfcOxypX6uRpJEKlsMc83fNQ
 

sharpley

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18 Aug 2018
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Looks like power lines that cross the track close to the Weetabix factory are going to be raised. New taller wooden poles have been installed next to the existing ones.
 

InTheEastMids

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31 Jan 2016
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Travelled to London today and generally saw signs of progress on the electrification, but much less so on 4-tracking. At this rate could easily envisage a situation where there's full electrification, but no track underneath :rolleyes:

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)
- There's some piles gone in next to the turnback siding at Bedford
- On the slow lines, between Bedford N Junc/Great Ouse Bridge & Sharnbrook Junc, most masts and small steelwork seems to be done... guessing maybe 80%

Back Lane Bridge (aka Odell Viaduct) is due to be demolished & rebuilt over the weekend of 10th/11th November, to allow for a more generous OLE clearance.
95% certain that the old bridge has been removed; there is a further Bedford-Leicester shutdown this weekend, presumably one objective of this closure is to install the new bridge deck?

Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2); piles are now starting to appear.
Still no steelwork between the A45 overbridge and Wellingborough on the slow lines at least around this area
Nothing happening at Wellingborough Station (Platform extensions and new P4 are required to allow 240m trains to call on all lines)

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

I think a lot more masts have been installed over the slows between Wellingborough Yards and Weetabix
A crossing has been partially installed at Harrowden Junction between the existing bi-di slow line (will be the DS) and the new US, which will allow UF -> US moves

Largest piling gap around here is between the A14 & A43 bridges.
This gap is shrinking between the A14 and Kettering Station, for instance there are several piles at the South end of Kettering Yard
A lot of ground clearance works at Kettering Yard are ongoing, the scheme includes a stabling facility for EMUs here

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

Largest piling gap around here is between the A14 & A43 bridges.
Between Kettering Station and the A43, there are now a number of piles on the Up (slow line) side between the A6003 Northampton Rd bridge and the A43 bridge near Prologis Park, so the gap is shrinking from the North end too.

No activity at Kettering Station - I think platform extensions are planned, and does anybody know if the canopies need work to give clearance for 25kV?
 

snowball

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Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...ar-rushden-as-huge-railway-upgrade-continues/

Network Rail is advising motorists to plan their journeys as Podington Road in Wymington, Rushden closes next week.

Podington Road will be closed between Monday 19 November to Sunday 25 November inclusive as major work to upgrade the rail bridge is carried out. The bridge will be strengthened in readiness for a second railway track to be installed on the bridge at a later date.

To allow this work to be carried out safely, the road will be closed and a clearly signposted diversion will be in place.

The work is part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, which will see the line electrified from London to Kettering and Corby via Bedford. The Midland Main Line Upgrade is one of the biggest investments in the railway since the Victorian era and will bring a whole host of benefits for the millions of people who use it every year.

Wendy Bell Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This work is a vital part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade and the road needs to be closed so that we can carry out this work safely. We appreciate that closing the road can be disruptive to motorists and we’d like to apologise for any inconvenience this causes. We thank motorists in advance for their patience.”
 

70014IronDuke

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Travelled to London today and generally saw signs of progress on the electrification, but much less so on 4-tracking. At this rate could easily envisage a situation where there's full electrification, but no track underneath :rolleyes: ...

Quick - let's write up the script for a new series of Yes, [Transport] Minister.

Scene: Site visit somewhere hear Wymington - Jim Hacker arrives - to be greeted by Network Rail chief project engineer.

NR project egineer: Welcome to our MML electrification and four tracking project, minister.

JH: Oh, thank you very much. Gosh, it is windy up here in the north, isn't it? Now, where's all the new equipment for Britain's latest super railway?

NR PE: Well, here you see the new overhead line equipment, 25kV high tension caternery, designed at this point for 90 mph trains, you understand.

JH: Let's just call it high-speed, shall we?

NR PE: Of course, minister. And just there you can see the latest four-aspect signalling units for customer safety, sitting in that landscaped grassed cutting, and over there we have a new road bridge, rebuilt at great expense to take the new track.

JH: Yes, all very beautiful. All well and good, but where it is?

NR PE: Where is what, minister?

JH: The fourth track! We've got nice overhead wires, lovely signals with colour lights, new bridges, landscaped grassed slopes, badger tunnels and newt runs, but NO TRACK. Where is the track?

NR PE But minister, we can't possibly have track before all the ancilliary equipment was in place ....

(He would be right, more or less, of course.)

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

I think a lot more masts have been installed over the slows between Wellingborough Yards and Weetabix.
...

Is the Weetabix factory still there, and in production - or is it part of a heritage centre these days?
 

Flying Phil

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Yes - the Weetabix factory is still there and in full production ......if the cooking smell is to be believed!
 

londonmidland

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So I emailed Network Rail regarding the speed improvements around the Leicester area and this was the reply I got:

‘Thank you for contacting Network Rail to enquire about the speed limit of the down line between Knighton Junction and Leicester North Junction.
I can confirm that the Leicester Line Speed Improvement Programme is split into two phases. The first phase delivers the benefit for trains traveling on the up line to London, which has already been substantially complete.
Phase 2, which seeks benefits for trains traveling on the down line, is still at the planning stages and is currently being investigated be designers.’
 

Senex

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So I emailed Network Rail regarding the speed improvements around the Leicester area and this was the reply I got:

‘Thank you for contacting Network Rail to enquire about the speed limit of the down line between Knighton Junction and Leicester North Junction.
I can confirm that the Leicester Line Speed Improvement Programme is split into two phases. The first phase delivers the benefit for trains traveling on the up line to London, which has already been substantially complete.
Phase 2, which seeks benefits for trains traveling on the down line, is still at the planning stages and is currently being investigated be designers.’
What an interesting reply! I'm surprised that the two parts are split as two separate exercises for design purposes, given that Phase 1 had to affect the down line as well as the up in the provision of the new, higher-speed trailing crossover.
I wonder if Phase 2 might extend as far as getting a faster northern exit from Platform 1 and providing a proper overlap for the Platform 2 signal by making use of the north end of the apparently-derelict siding alongside the Platform 1 running line.
 

InTheEastMids

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So I emailed Network Rail regarding the speed improvements around the Leicester area and this was the reply I got:

‘Thank you for contacting Network Rail to enquire about the speed limit of the down line between Knighton Junction and Leicester North Junction.
I can confirm that the Leicester Line Speed Improvement Programme is split into two phases. The first phase delivers the benefit for trains traveling on the up line to London, which has already been substantially complete.
Phase 2, which seeks benefits for trains traveling on the down line, is still at the planning stages and is currently being investigated be designers.’

Makes sense to pause this if you ask me, unless there's very specific pathing benefits to EMT services that is worth saving a minute for.
The money might be better spent on timetablers, or investments further south that could unlock a few of the 7-10 minutes lost South of Bedford due to congestion.

Same logic applies to the descoping of the Harborough project around the former junction at Great Bowden.
 

snowball

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Another press release:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...-work-continues-to-upgrade-midland-main-line/

Network Rail is advising passengers to check before they travel on Sunday 18 November as work continues to upgrade the Midland Main Line.

Network Rail engineers have been carrying out work at Market Harborough station and this coming weekend work will take place on the track to the north of the station, at Great Bowden Road bridge, meaning trains will be diverted around Market Harborough.

Elsewhere on the line, Network Rail will also be undertaking follow up works at the site of Odell Viaduct, which was recently demolished, continuing work at Irthlingborough Road bridge, and at Wellingborough North Junction; and piling and steel work continues to be installed in readiness for electrification.

The nature of all this activity means that train services will be affected on Sunday 18 November when a bus replacement service for passengers travelling to Market Harborough will run between Kettering and Leicester. It will also impact journey times for passengers travelling on the route.

Rob McIntosh, Network Rail Route Managing Director said: “We liaise closely with the train operating companies to plan all our engineering work to keep disruption to a minimum and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused. The combination of the work being undertaken both to improve the line speed and to introduce electrification will greatly improve passenger journeys in the years to come and we thank passengers for their patience whilst we undertake these vital enhancements.”

Dan Lucas, General Manager South for East Midlands Trains said “There is a significant amount of work taking place between Kettering and Leicester this Sunday. As a result, a bus replacement service will run between Kettering and Leicester. We would urge everyone to check before they travel and leave plenty of time to make their journey.”
 

Flying Phil

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DSCF8115.JPG That is interesting Snowball, I don't know what work they will be doing North of Market Harborough Station that could affect the existing track at this time. The new Northbound track can be built without affecting the existing trackwork, apart from at the ends. The new Southbound will be on the old Northbound track through the bridge, which will need re-aligning but that's not for a while yet.....I suppose it could be a refurbishment of the Great Bowden bridge itself??
 
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deltic08

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Flying Phil

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Interestingly from that EDP document it says
"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".
So will there be OHLE/wires to Market Harborough and connect the Braybrooke feeder station to the Corby/Kettering wires or will it be an underground/overground cable?
 

snowball

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Interestingly from that EDP document it says
"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".
So will there be OHLE/wires to Market Harborough and connect the Braybrooke feeder station to the Corby/Kettering wires or will it be an underground/overground cable?
It's not known for certain but there does seem to be some hope the route will be wired to MH. It's been discussed a couple of times upthread in the last few months. At least one local politician has claimed it's in the bag.
 

swt_passenger

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InTheEastMids

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Travelled into St Pancras in daylight, sitting on the other side of the train for once. There's a number of piles adjacent to the Down Fast between Glendon and Kettering Station.
More generally, I would say that piling on the Fast Line sides looked very close to being complete. Apart from some gaps around Kettering and Wellingborough Stations, it feels like any gaps are ones and twos, not tracts of work still to be done.


2 years plus for this piddling small amount of infrastructure improvements and electrification? Unbelievable. No wonder electrification has been cancelled.

Although worth remembering that NR basically ran out of budget for capital project delivery. One option that they may have taken here is to have a longer, lower spend profile with fewer people on site to push some of the Capex back a bit. It's also dependent on the National Grid's connection at Braybrooke, and it might be that National Grid's connection offer also slowed things up - I've seen somewhere that they won't start on site until Spring 2019.
 

Flying Phil

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Joined
18 Apr 2016
Messages
1,924
Certainly there is no sign of any work being started at Braybrooke...... as of yesterday!
 

59CosG95

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Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
6,476
Location
Between Peterborough & Bedlington
MML Wiring Progressometer 18.0 (as of 27th of November 2018)
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.

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)
  • Work to raise Ford End Rd bridge is now complete.
  • On the Fast side, behind Bedford P4's fence, masts to support troughing appear to have been erected. These may carry feeder cables or similar.
  • Piles have gone in next to the turnback siding at Bedford.
  • On the Fast side south of Bromham Rd Bridge, Bedford, at least 9 masts are now up. These masts stretch northwards from Bromham Rd as far as the eye can see, towards the Great Ouse Bridge. A number of masts now have TTC booms - many booms have stovepipes.
  • On the Slow side, 8-9 piles are now in north of Bromham Rd Bridge; none are fully down yet. Two TTC masts are also up
  • Two masts are up on the Slow side, immediately south of the Great Ouse Box Girder Bridge (nr Bedford North Jct); one of them has a boom, the other doesn't.
  • Between Bedford North Jct & Sharnbrook Jct, the Slow lines have around 80% of their masts & SPS up.
  • At Bromham, between the A6 (Great Ouse Way) & Lower Farm Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/rSPFrDAZQ362), 13 Twin Track Cantilevers/TTCs (with booms) are up over the Slow Lines, and about 6/7 over the Fast Lines. This includes the Box Girder bridge over the river Great Ouse.
  • At least 9 boomed and dressed (aka. bedanglied) TTC masts have now gone up north of Lower Farm Rd, adjacent to the Down Fast; 2 similar structures are now up adjacent to the Up Slow here too.
  • To the south of Oakley, all the TTCs that are up appear to have sprouted their registration arms (https://flic.kr/p/NuS8uw). The extent of these running southwards is not yet clear.
  • At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TTC booms. Between Station Rd & Highfield Rd bridges, all TTCS over the Slows and Fasts are now boomed.
  • Another upright has gone up to the north of Highfield Rd bridge, adjacent to the Down Fast.
  • 2 piles are in just south of Oakley Viaduct (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); one next to the DF, another next to the US. These seem to have been in for a while.
  • Lots of TTCs also up over both pairs of lines around Milton Ernest (between Radwell Rd & East End; https://goo.gl/maps/V5afGGQEZiE2).
  • Between Radwell Rd & New Rd, a TTC mast has been placed between the Up Fast & Down Slow, as the embankment adjacent to the Up Slow had to be replaced with a gabion retaining wall.
  • About 6 TTCs are up immediately to the north of Radwell Viaduct, over the Slow lines (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); 3 more TTCs are up accompanying them over the Fast lines (positioned between the pairs of lines). Another 2 are now up over the Slows south of the viaduct. Masts for 2 portal booms are up at the southern end of the viaduct; both pairs of masts now have booms, completing the portals.
  • Roughly 3 or 4 piles (now with boomless TTC masts) are in next to the Down Fast, and another 4 (3 of which have boomed TTC masts) next to the Up Slow just north of Moor End Lane, Radwell (https://goo.gl/maps/cmgWsgyYAo62). South of Moor End Lane (but north of the next bridge to the south), about 5 TTC masts are up (2 of which have booms) adjacent to the Up Slow, with a similar number in adjacent to the Down Fast. South of that bridge, another 2 piles have masts (possibly w/ booms).
  • 2 parallel piles are in place (no masts) adjacent to the Fast lines at Radwell; possibly for a portal frame?
  • TTCs have now sprouted at the northern end of Sharnbrook Viaduct; (at least) two over the Fasts and one over the Slows.
  • A couple of piles (no masts) have now gone in around Sharnbrook Jct.
  • Almost all masts are now up over the Slow lines, from just north of Park Ln, Sharnbrook (https://goo.gl/maps/df2As431FDr) to Sharnbrook Rd overbridge (southern end of Souldrop bank); the 4-tracking here is not yet complete as signals "WH378" and “LR 8” sit right in the path of the restored Up Slow. Some TTCs have now gone up on the Fasts between these bridges too.
  • At Souldrop (between Sharnbrook Rd & Back Lane overbridges) 3 masts (1 with a TTC boom) are in next to the future Down Slow at Souldrop, at the southern end of the bank. All the TTCs for the Fasts are up between the two bridges.
  • Back Lane Bridge (aka Odell Viaduct), demolished & rebuilt earlier in the year, had its new bridge deck installed over the weekend of 10th/11th November, to allow for a more generous OLE clearance. Follow-up work occurred the following weekend.
  • North of Sharnbrook Tunnel, and south of Bridge WYM-4 (adjacent to the New Inn), 9 of the 17 piles are now in on the Down side of the Slow lines - presumably for the (future) Down Slow at least.
  • Between Wymington (https://goo.gl/maps/apZ6wwj9StR2) and Wellingboro', intensive 4-tracking is underway. Near the Google Maps link posted for Wymington, the car park used for the 4-tracking works is due to house a National Grid substation for the electrification; the concrete base has now been laid for the substation. Link to application to Beds Council: http://www.publicaccess.bedford.gov...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ONBIS8CUMMJ00
  • In the southern area of the Wymington Deviation, around 9 masts are now up on the Fasts (single cantilever type). North of Souldrop Tunnel, 3 piles are up near the footbridge at 60m56ch, and approx 5 are further down near the tunnel.
  • Near the centre of the "deviation", there are now many more masts up (with cantilevers too) on the Fasts.
  • On the Slows at the northern end of the "deviation", a number of STCs and TTCs have gone up, with at least two twin track portals also up.
  • Station Rd Bridge, Irchester is closed from 9/4 to 22/11 to allow reconstruction for OLE; the replacement deck over the Relief Lines is now complete.
  • Masts have now sprung up in large numbers north and south of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester. North of Station Rd, all masts seem to be up over the Fast lines as far as the first footbridge north of there.[/COLOR]
  • Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2); piles are now starting to appear.
  • 2 piles now in between the Up Fast & Down Slow north of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester; 9 piles have also gone in adjacent to the Down Fast on this stretch.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch)
  • Extensive 4-tracking laid (except at points where existing infrastructure has to be moved).
  • Finedon Rd Bridge, closed from 22/3 to 28/9 to allow reconstruction for OLE, should now have reopened.
  • At least 6 TTC masts (with booms) are now in position between Finedon Rd Bridge and the curve to the south of Harrowden Junction. These are mainly on the Down side; work has yet to commence on the Up side equivalents.
  • TTCs stretch north from Wellingborough Yards over the Fast lines as far north as the Weetabix factory (north of Burton Latimer). A couple of gaps remain where old equipment has to be removed e.g. the signal gantry at Harrowden Jct.
  • Progress on the Slows is now much more advanced, perhaps level-pegging with the Fasts.
  • A number of TTCs have now appeared over the Slows near Wellingborough Yards, along with masts for MPA Portals.
  • At Burton Latimer (south of the Weetabix factory), power lines (National Grid) might be due a raise; taller wooden poles have been ercected adjacent to the existing ones.
  • Several piles are now in at the south end of Kettering Yard.
  • Ground clearance works ongoing at Kettering Yard; the yard will be electrified as part of an EMU stabling facility.

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

  • [8]No activity yet at Kettering station - Platform extensions for the new EMU services are planned, and it is not yet known if canopy works will need to be undertaken.
  • Between Kettering station & the A43, a number of piles are now in on the Slow side between the A43 bridge (nr Prologis Park) & the A6003 (Northampton Rd) bridge.
  • At Glendon Jct/Kettering North Jct, all piles on the Slow side have now grown TTCs with booms; at least 5 are now bedanglied ("dressed"). A few signal gantries from the BR days have been (or are due to be) removed. Unclear of progress with piling/masts on the Main line north of Glendon Junction.
  • Pile now in on the Down side near Kettering North Jct.
  • 2nd track now in operation, and linespeed raised to 90mph where it was previously 60mph.
  • A handful of masts (~10) are now up in the Great Oakley area, halfway between Glendon Jct & Corby. All are single track cantilevers.

North of Glendon Jct (74m 00ch)
  • Braybrooke Substation approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
  • The extent of wiring towards Market Harboro' has been all but decided to reach the station itself.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.
 

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