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Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

yorkie

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I imagine it is but there are a few design questions to deal with before it goes ahead:
- How far should it go on the route towards Hull?
- How will the route interact with HS2, if Eastern Leg is cancelled what will this mean for the 'Garforth bypass'?
- How much 4-tracking is needed East of Leeds?
- Should the new station at Thorpe Park be built at the same time
Good questions here, but until we have an update, my suggestion is that any further debate on this is best posted as a new thread in Speculative Ideas :)
 
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Mollman

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Good questions here, but until we have an update, my suggestion is that any further debate on this is best posted as a new thread in Speculative Ideas :)
They were more rhetorical questions, wasn't really aiming to start a conversation. Sorry should have been clearer.
 

59CosG95

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With all this speculation going on, here's something a bit more solid.

The first pile for work section W4 (Dewsbury - Leeds) has gone in nr Morley. Looks to be Lundys on piling duty; they're also doing W1 in Manchester.
 
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Meerkat

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With all this speculation going on, here's something a bit more solid.

The first pile for work section W4 (Dewsbury - Leeds) has gone in nr Morley. Looks to be TRS (Total Rail Solutions) on piling duty; Lundys are doing W1 in Manchester.
Is it normal to be so far from the track?
 

Grumpy Git

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I'm often amused at the heavy gauge structures the UK rail industry uses for catenary when compared to German and Swedish railways. Particularly Sweden must have bigger ice/snow loadings in winter, but the overhead gantries and uprights are much lighter weight in construction and use guide wires/ropes for stability.
 

YorksLad12

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They’re probably leaving space to quadruple it.
Unlikely, as it's still two tracks through the tunnel and as far as Ravensthorpe.

Isn't there a scheme to relocate the Platforms at Morley to improve clearances?
Could this be to allow the new masts to be erected now before the new platform gets in the way?
More likely, although I don't think there are any firm designs yet. But most likely to be ground conditions, as mentioned above. Good to see something happening this side as well, I'll keep an eye out next time I travel that way.
 

Mr Mean

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I could be wrong but that looks to be near the white rose business park so could the pile be for the new station rather than a mast?
 

Bald Rick

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I could be wrong but that looks to be near the white rose business park so could the pile be for the new station rather than a mast?

I think when someone on site takes a photo and says it is for OLE, you can assume it’s for OLE.
 

WAO

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I think when someone on site takes a photo and says it is for OLE, you can assume it’s for OLE.
...and you can see the threaded bolt holes for the mast/stanchion around the top edge of the pile. Other piles look different.

NR is a dark horse!

WAO
 

snowball

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I wasn't aware there was even funding for Ravensthorpe to Leeds - have I missed something?
As far as I am aware there have been NO clear, unambiguous public statements of the form "electrification from X to Y is now funded". Not for any X or Y between Manchester and York. That's why questions like #4485 keep being asked, very reasonably.

There have been two publicly announced gobbets of money but no precise statement of what they cover.
 

Jozhua

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So with Manchester - Stalybridge, will this allow Transpennine bi-modes to remain on electric for longer, but also allow electric through running at Victoria, to hopefully increase operational efficiency there, as well as the service improvements wires will provide to the route?

Any rough estimate on completion date - I guess piling is still fairly early days. Can we expect any testing by the end of this year/next year for example?
 

507020

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So with Manchester - Stalybridge, will this allow Transpennine bi-modes to remain on electric for longer, but also allow electric through running at Victoria, to hopefully increase operational efficiency there, as well as the service improvements wires will provide to the route?

Any rough estimate on completion date - I guess piling is still fairly early days. Can we expect any testing by the end of this year/next year for example?
I think part of the reason the electrification was originally specified to end at Stalybridge was to avoid starting Diesel engines on bi-modes in a box at Manchester Victoria where the exhaust gases and particulates have no means of escape. Stalybridge, where it is out in the open air, is perhaps one of the best ventilated railway stations in Great Britain and a much more suitable location for the power changeover, but less suited for turning trains from the west back to their place of origin.

As for completion dates, it will be done by 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022? Who knows? I’m sure the people who worked are still working on Crossrail will be able to give you a good estimate.
 

M60lad

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After this weekend are there any more planned closures of the Railway line between Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge/Rochdale? Or will have all the main works been hopefully done and finished?
 

Watershed

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After this weekend are there any more planned closures of the Railway line between Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge/Rochdale? Or will have all the main works been hopefully done and finished?
This year alone there are several more closures planned, albeit most of them will 'only' be on a Sunday and will 'only' close the route towards Stalybridge.

This is just the start of a very long and arduous project!
 

YorkshireBear

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...and you can see the threaded bolt holes for the mast/stanchion around the top edge of the pile. Other piles look different.

NR is a dark horse!

WAO
I personally think that as the station is on site they will install OLE at the station as part of the station construction. Not sure of it will extend much beyond the station.

From the photos it is definitely in the area of the new white rose station.
 

CdBrux

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With all this speculation going on, here's something a bit more solid.

The first pile for work section W4 (Dewsbury - Leeds) has gone in nr Morley. Looks to be Lundys on piling duty; they're also doing W1 in Manchester.

Comments on the photo say that "It's a portal in a new station. Foundations going in before platform construction starts". Does that mean that the OLE work is only being done here linked to the new station or is it going to be a more continuous installation of which this is the start?
 

Brissle Girl

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I thought it was so that newly electrified services from the north and west could be extended to Stalybridge to reduce congestion at Victoria (or probably more accurately, prevent an increase in congestion following electrification).

I think part of the reason the electrification was originally specified to end at Stalybridge was to avoid starting Diesel engines on bi-modes in a box at Manchester Victoria where the exhaust gases and particulates have no means of escape. Stalybridge, where it is out in the open air, is perhaps one of the best ventilated railway stations in Great Britain and a much more suitable location for the power changeover, but less suited for turning trains from the west back to their place of origin.
 

Jozhua

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I get the impression other works generally get done at the same time as electrification though, such as renewals of track, signalling, etc, as there is little point putting up wires over something that needs to be completely reconfigured in a few years anyway. - Thinking of line speed upgrades on the line to Bolton and the like as an example of that.

Are any works going on to optimise station throats, curves, etc as part of this project? There are a lot of pages, so apologies if it has already been covered.

What impact will that, in conjunction with having electric juice when climbing out of Manchester, have on journey times between Manchester and Leeds? Seems like the 68's+locos can make the trip faster (perhaps more due to stopping patterns than power/weight), but even then, journey times between the two cities aren't that amazing.
 

Mr Mean

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I think when someone on site takes a photo and says it is for OLE, you can assume it’s for OLE.

I'm not in the railway industry, but just from looking at the location of the image and also comments on LinkedIn it does look more like the start of construction through supporting the embankment at White Rose station rather than electrification works?
 

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Brissle Girl

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I'm not in the railway industry, but just from looking at the location of the image and also comments on LinkedIn it does look more like the start of construction through supporting the embankment at White Rose station rather than electrification works?
The original post on Linkedin (by one of the construction team), specifically said the pile is for overhead line infrastructure. Why would we not just believe him?
 

59CosG95

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I'm not in the railway industry, but just from looking at the location of the image and also comments on LinkedIn it does look more like the start of construction through supporting the embankment at White Rose station rather than electrification works?
Another post on LinkedIn confirms that it is indeed for White Rose stn.
 

td97

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Another post on LinkedIn confirms that it is indeed for White Rose stn.
Presumably this? From a project team OLE supervisor...
Last night we achieved some difficult locations at whiterose shopping centre on top of a very steep embankment with a Doosan long reach.
 

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