Should Guide Bridge - Stalybridge be electrified?

[Purple Orange]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...upgrade-and-electrification-updates-cp6.88054

Actually does the scope of TRU not cover Piccadilly to Stalybridge via Guide Bridge? Could we end up with that short section of line resulting in diesels running under wires?

 

[Mollman]

Good to read this . Excellent news.

Actually does the scope of TRU not cover Piccadilly to Stalybridge via Guide Bridge? Could we end up with that short section of line resulting in diesels running under wires?

Although it would make sense for Guide Bridge - Stalybridge electrification, don't forget there is no commitment yet to Staylbridge - Huddersfield electrification yet.

 

[59CosG95]

Although it would make sense for Guide Bridge - Stalybridge electrification, don't forget there is no commitment yet to Staylbridge - Huddersfield electrification yet.

It could be that Guide Bridge - Stalybridge is bundled up in package W2a (Stalybridge Key Capacity Enhancements), or W1, or W2b. If it's in W2b it's not surprising we've heard so little!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It could be that Guide Bridge - Stalybridge is bundled up in package W2a (Stalybridge Key Capacity Enhancements), or W1, or W2b. If it's in W2b it's not surprising we've heard so little!

It's only 2 miles, so you'd think that would emerge from the overall wiring scheme through Stalybridge.
A decent overlap at each end and you're nearly there.
It won't have any high speed expectations.

 

[Purple Orange]

Although it would make sense for Guide Bridge - Stalybridge electrification, don't forget there is no commitment yet to Staylbridge - Huddersfield electrification yet.

Yeah I’m assuming full electrification will happen. As stated in an earlier post, Stalybridge-Huddersfield is a part of the design phase but no mention of Guide Bridge.

 

[59CosG95]

It's only 2 miles, so you'd think that would emerge from the overall wiring scheme through Stalybridge.
A decent overlap at each end and you're nearly there.
It won't have any high speed expectations.

Absolutely! Of course, the re-aligned track layout thro' Stalybridge would probably form package W2a, so the layout of track heading to Man Vic and Guide Bridge would fall within that package, and perhaps the OLE toward Guide Bridge too.

 

[adamedwards]

Re Guide Bridge to Stalybridge electrification, this only makes sense as part of a full electrification to Huddersfield, where as Victoria to Stalybridge works as it enables reversing of emus to decongest Victoria. As far as I know there's no regular service from Guide Bridge which terminates at Stalybridge (the Stockport parliamentary being the exception) so no benefit of doing this separately, the possible exception being for power feeding reasons?

 

[SuperNova]

Re Guide Bridge to Stalybridge electrification, this only makes sense as part of a full electrification to Huddersfield, where as Victoria to Stalybridge works as it enables reversing of emus to decongest Victoria. As far as I know there's no regular service from Guide Bridge which terminates at Stalybridge (the Stockport parliamentary being the exception) so no benefit of doing this separately, the possible exception being for power feeding reasons?

Plenty of benefit. TPE services often diverted into Pic, as they will be in the summer with the W1 blockade. Enables 802's to run on overheads, as will the electrification between Stalybridge to Victoria (until the full route is electrified)

 

[Brissle Girl]

Plenty of benefit. TPE services often diverted into Pic, as they will be in the summer with the W1 blockade. Enables 802's to run on overheads, as will the electrification between Stalybridge to Victoria (until the full route is electrified)

Given how hard it is to get electrification approved for relatively heavily used lines, thinking that a business case could fly purely on the basis of enabling occasional diverted services to run on ac rather than diesel (which they are perfectly capable of doing), is in the realms of fantasyland.

 

[tbtc]

Maybe they are waiting for the decision on quadrupling Piccadilly - Guide Bridge first? (removes tongue from cheek)

More seriously though, it seems a strange gap in the long term, but there's not much need for doing it in the short term - really until Huddersfield is wired - it'd be a luxury to wire it without doing the Huddersfield line too.

(I'm all for electrification, and this would be a weird bit to not do in the long run but I'd focus on things like Bolton - Wigan until the green light is given to bring electrify to the people of Huddersfield)

 

[SuperNova]

Given how hard it is to get electrification approved for relatively heavily used lines, thinking that a business case could fly purely on the basis of enabling occasional diverted services to run on ac rather than diesel (which they are perfectly capable of doing), is in the realms of fantasyland.

Stalybridge to Guide Bridge electrification will be happening. There's not fantasy about it.

 

[Brissle Girl]

Stalybridge to Guide Bridge electrification will be happening. There's not fantasy about it.

As others have noted, when the line to Huddersfield is wired then yes. But as a nice to do add on to the Victoria to Stalybridge scheme, it appears to have no remotely credible business case.

 

[bluenoxid]

The other issue is that the 802s and the additional trains may be too much for the existing infrastructure.