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Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

59CosG95

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A new post on LinkedIn from the TRU East Alliance...
TRU East Alliance said:
After many years of planning, construction activity has started at Neville Hill.

Our project team have worked hard to remove wagons, ballast, spoil and the old sidings, ready for the installation of a new 500sqm compound. The team also await welfare facilities and the installation of the road-rail access point in December.

Out on the track preparation works continue ahead of the Christmas blockade where surveys, route clearance, de vegetation works and the installation of Vortok safety fencing will take place.

Congratulations to all involved.

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snowball

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RAIL magazine #970 has a feature on TRU which seems quite good. There is some explanation of the options and their history. There is a plan of the proposed layout at Stalybridge. Marsden to Huddersfield is now known as Project W2c. The relocation of Morley station is planned for the middle of next year.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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RAIL magazine #970 has a feature on TRU which seems quite good. There is some explanation of the options and their history. There is a plan of the proposed layout at Stalybridge. Marsden to Huddersfield is now known as Project W2c. The relocation of Morley station is planned for the middle of next year.
The article didn't mention Standedge, which I thought rather odd.
It doesn't look as though the old tunnels will be reused.
While it's good to get an inside view of the planning, it's also clear that the scope and costs are still rather in the air (eg freight clearance).
Hopefully the budget tomorrow will not affect this particular project.
The 26/40-day blockades look rather daunting.
 

Nottingham59

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The article didn't mention Standedge, which I thought rather odd.
As I understand it, the TRU project includes a two-track electrified railway between Stalybridge and Marsden. The only new tracks are three tracks between Marsden and Huddersfield, and four between Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Any new tunnels between Marsden and Manchester are classed as NPR (EDIT: NPR phase 2) and out of scope of TRU. But others may know more than I do about this.
 
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PhilH

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The article didn't mention Standedge, which I thought rather odd.
It doesn't look as though the old tunnels will be reused.
While it's good to get an inside view of the planning, it's also clear that the scope and costs are still rather in the air (eg freight clearance).
Hopefully the budget tomorrow will not affect this particular project.
The 26/40-day blockades look rather daunting.
The TRU team doesn't consider Standedge to be a problem (unlike the challenges of Stalybridge and Scout Tunnels) so it didn't merit mention.
 

Seehof

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What is the situation of electrification of the line Church Fenton - Neville Hill?
I know somebody who works for Network Rail, who at one stage was working on a turnback siding at Micklefield, but I think that plan was dropped some time ago.
 

Bald Rick

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What is the situation of electrification of the line Church Fenton - Neville Hill?
I know somebody who works for Network Rail, who at one stage was working on a turnback siding at Micklefield, but I think that plan was dropped some time ago.

There’s lots of work to do around Neville Hill, and elsewhere along the line, before the wires go up.
 

Halish Railway

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Few quick questions:
1. How will the linespeeds around Stalybridge change after the remodelling?
2. Will there be any changes to linespeeds, signalling (not including ETCS) and track layout in the Leeds area (Marsh Lane Jn to Holbeck Jn) as part of TRU?
 

Watershed

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1. How will the linespeeds around Stalybridge change after the remodelling?
The remodelling will once again make the Ashton route the 'preferred' one with the higher speed.

It's been discussed before (possibly on this thread), but the geometry of the layout means you have a maximum speed of about 70mph to divide up between the two diverging routes - it's just a question of how fast you make each one (which is, in part, influenced by the desire to allow a flashing yellow sequence).
 

adamedwards

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70 mph divided by 2 surely ends up as 65mph towards Victoria with mega wrongly canted 5mph towards Picadilly? :D

Being serious, I assume the calculation is based on the trains stopping at Stalybridge being the Picaddilly trains so you then reduce them to as low as sensible (25mph?) allowing 45mph to Victoria? Engineers please educate me!
 

Shwam3

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The plans I have show it as 50mph towards both routes, with preliminary route indicators replacing flashing yellow approach control.
 

snowball

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Press release with video. It appears from the video that more work has already happened than I realised.


A new, fully accessible station is set to open in Morley, Leeds in summer 2023 to make way for longer trains, more seats, and better journeys as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

As a multi-million-pound investment, the new station will boast longer platforms to provide space for faster, more frequent, greener trains with more seats available for passengers travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

The new, remodelled station will sit 75 metres away from the existing station and be fully accessible, with a footbridge and lifts connecting the two platforms.

Moving the station opens up opportunities to transform the platforms and track layout while installing the overhead wires needed to power electric and hybrid trains in the future. It also means that the current station can largely remain open for passengers whilst the new one is built.

Rob McIntosh, Managing Director for Network Rail's Eastern region said: “A brand-new fully accessible station in Morley will reinvigorate rail in the area and unlock better connections to jobs, events, and opportunities between Manchester and York for many more people.

“It’s just one element of a massive, multi-billion-pound programme of improvements we’re delivering across the north to create a faster, greener railway that people can confidently rely on to get them where they need to be, on time.”

Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper commented: “As the Chancellor rightly set out last week, delivering core Northern Powerhouse Rail is essential if we’re going to drive investment, grow the economy and unlock potential across the North of England.

“The Transpennine Route and Morley Station upgrades embodies this and our multibillion pound investment will pave the way for first-rate connectivity including more frequent, faster and greener trains running on a more reliable railway.”

To complete a key section of this work safely, this part of the railway will be closed from Saturday 31 December until Monday 2 January (inclusive). There will be changes to services between Leeds and Huddersfield with bus replacements and diversions in place. Passengers can find the latest travel advice at National Rail Enquiries.

There will also be eight days of service changes between Saturday 4 and Sunday 12 February (inclusive) 2023, while major work to realign the track and install a new platform takes place.
 

Senex

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The plans I have show it as 50mph towards both routes, with preliminary route indicators replacing flashing yellow approach control.
So rather disappointing by comparison with what was presented in that PWay Institute talk about three years back.

Reasonable enough to go for a poorer and no doubt cheaper option if Stalybridge will in due course by by-passed for fast services by the new line to Morley — but how many of us believe that's ever going to happen?
 

class 9

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There’s lots of work to do around Neville Hill, and elsewhere along the line, before the wires go up.
I know they'll be a large construction compound on the upside at Neville Hill, but can't find anything about wholesale changes in the NL area, have you got a link?
 

CAF397

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Down Ashton will be 60 after Katherine Street Tunnel (as now), then 50mph through Stalybridge West Jn (currently 35mph) onto the Down Huddersfield (platform 4).

For moves onto Platform 3 (Up/Down Middle) or into platforms 1,2,3 the crossover will be 40mph (currently 25mph).

Down Huddersfield remains 50mph approaching Stalybridge West Jn and through platform 4. For moves to platform 3 (UDM) or platforms 1 and 2 the crossover is 40mph (currently 25mph).

For UP trains routed through Platform 1 to Up Ashton will be 50mph through Stalybridge, then 30mph (currently 25mph).

For UP trains routed through Platform 3 the line speed will be 50mph through the platform, through Stalybridge West Jn and then immediately 60mph once on to the Up Ashton.

Up Huddersfield to Up Huddersfield remains 50mph through Stalybridge, then 40mph after Stalybridge West Jn through both platforms 1 and 3.

Bay Platform 2 remains.




 
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Halish Railway

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Down Ashton will be 60 after Katherine Street Tunnel (as now), then 50mph through Stalybridge West Jn (currently 35mph) onto the Down Huddersfield (platform 4).

For moves onto Platform 3 (Up/Down Middle) or into platforms 1,2,3 the crossover will be 40mph (currently 25mph).

Down Huddersfield remains 50mph approaching Stalybridge West Jn and through platform 4. For moves to platform 3 (UDM) or platforms 1 and 2 the crossover is 40mph (currently 25mph).

For UP trains routed through Platform 1 to Up Ashton will be 50mph through Stalybridge, then 30mph (currently 25mph) using Provisional Route Indicators instead of Flashing aspects.

For UP trains routed through Platform 3 the line speed will be 50mph through the platform, through Stalybridge West Jn and then immediately 60mph once on to the Up Ashton.

Up Huddersfield to Up Huddersfield remains 50mph through Stalybridge, then 40mph after Stalybridge West Jn through both platforms 1 and 3.

Bay Platform 2 remains.




Fantastic, thanks for providing these videos. It’ll only be a 15mph increase for fast trains coming from Victoria, but no doubt it’ll feel much quicker and make the journey seem less of a drag.
 
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GRALISTAIR

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Fantastic, thanks for providing these videos. It’ll only be a 15mph for fast trains coming from Victoria, but no doubt it’ll feel much quicker and make the journey seem less of a drag.
A big +1 and thanks from me too. This site is an amazing resource for pulling information together.

I noticed this "conference/round table" from leaders of the project.
 
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LNW-GW Joint

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If the OHLE structures are correctly drawn, it's clear the "missing" piles along platform 1 are actually because the south side portal uprights will be fixed on the outside of the boundary wall!
There are also going to be a couple of massive gravity pads between P3/P4 at the eastern end of the station.
Somebody has put a lot of work into those simulations.
The main line Stalybridge-Victoria appears to be 4-aspect territory, while Stalybridge-Diggle and the Guide Bridge branch are 3-aspect, all controlled from Manchester North ROC.
More of those green distant banner repeaters, too.
 

Halish Railway

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More of those green distant banner repeaters, too.
No doubt these will facilitate an improvement in performance as trains approaching a signal on the assumption of it being red can accelerate sooner if the repeater indicates a clear signal. One other thing of note - Am I correct in assuming that the 65mph linespeed east of Stalybridge tunnel will later be increased as part of W2b?
 

CAF397

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If the OHLE structures are correctly drawn, it's clear the "missing" piles along platform 1 are actually because the south side portal uprights will be fixed on the outside of the boundary wall!
There are also going to be a couple of massive gravity pads between P3/P4 at the eastern end of the station.
Somebody has put a lot of work into those simulations.
With these videos they are used to brief drivers on the new signalling, so they are often near identical to the finished project. Such details are vital to ensure signal sighting is sufficient for drivers, so I'd be very confident that those are the correct locations for the OLE equipment.
 

snowball

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I know they'll be a large construction compound on the upside at Neville Hill, but can't find anything about wholesale changes in the NL area, have you got a link?
As I understand it the through lines will be diverted to the south through the site of the former sidings to improve the linespeed, as briefly mentioned some time ago, but I haven't seen any details.
 

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