Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[Mikey C]

Let’s see if the Transport Secretary that Liz or Rishi appoint will have the appetite for repeatedly renouncing projects such as TRU that Grant Schnapps has.

One thing about TRU interfacing with NPR is that it creates the dilemma of how the existing and proposed stations between Huddersfield and Stalybridge will be served.

For one, based off of a plan of Huddersfield’s station layout in the future, what platform will stopping services from Manchester use? Will they use platform three to terminate, with Leeds bound expresses using platform 4 and Manchester bound expresses using platform 2? Or will they use platforms 4 and 5 to terminate or carry on using the slow lines, thus creating a conflict between Manchester bound stopping services leaving platform 4 and Leeds bound expresses arriving into platform 3?

Truss has recently publicly supported NPR

Liz Truss revives promise to build Northern Powerhouse Rail

Tory leadership frontrunner commits to building Liverpool-Hull line, nine months after government scaled back plans

www.theguardian.com

Liz Truss has committed to building Northern Powerhouse Rail if she becomes prime minister, nine months after her government radically scaled back plans for a high-speed line across the north of England.
The Tory leadership frontrunner said the multibillion-pound coast-to-coast line, stretching from Liverpool to Hull, was “absolutely crucial for the future of the north of England”...

 

[nr758123]

Truss has recently publicly supported NPR

But which version of NPR? Plenty of scope to endorse a variant of TRU and NPR, and call it NPR. It's not as if she has demonstrated any commitment to clarity, truth or accuracy in anything she has said.

 

[jonesy3001]

Calder Valley route is sure proving useful

I'm surprised the 68s and 802s got clearance to go through summit tunnel.

 

[D6130]

I'm surprised the 68s and 802s got clearance to go through summit tunnel.

Why? It's mostly dead straight with a gentle curve at either end....and built to full main line loading gauge.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Roger Ford really is scathing in his Informed Sources this month. All about the TPU and ludicrous cost.

 

[snowball]

RAIL magazine #964 has a third of a page on TRU on page 21.

There will be a 26-day blockade in spring 2023 to remodel and electrify Stalybridge.

There are to be three major blockades (or "commissions") in 2025 and 2026 for the Huddersfield - Westtown works: two (one year apart but of unspecified duration) for works at Huddersfield, then, three months after the later of these, 30 days at Ravensthorpe to commission the flyover.

Network Rail is presenting options to the DfT concerning freight capacity and loading gauge.

The latest issues of both RAIL and Modern Railways have items confirming Bald Rick's reply in post #4695 to my query #4694. The proposed Baker viaduct etc are named after the late Stuart Baker of Rail Atlas fame.

 

[jonesy3001]

RAIL magazine #964 has a third of a page on TRU on page 21.

There will be a 26-day blockade in spring 2023 to remodel and electrify Stalybridge.

There are to be three major blockades (or "commissions") in 2025 and 2026 for the Huddersfield - Westtown works: two (one year apart but of unspecified duration) for works at Huddersfield, then, three months after the later of these, 30 days at Ravensthorpe to commission the flyover.

Network Rail is presenting options to the DfT concerning freight capacity and loading gauge.

The latest issues of both RAIL and Modern Railways have items confirming Bald Rick's reply in post #4695 to my query #4694. The proposed Baker viaduct etc are named after the late Stuart Baker of Rail Atlas fame.

No mention of ashton tunnel and stamford street bridge on the ashton line or are they just lowering the track.

 

[Halish Railway]

RAIL magazine #964 has a third of a page on TRU on page 21.

There will be a 26-day blockade in spring 2023 to remodel and electrify Stalybridge.

There are to be three major blockades (or "commissions") in 2025 and 2026 for the Huddersfield - Westtown works: two (one year apart but of unspecified duration) for works at Huddersfield, then, three months after the later of these, 30 days at Ravensthorpe to commission the flyover.

Network Rail is presenting options to the DfT concerning freight capacity and loading gauge.

The latest issues of both RAIL and Modern Railways have items confirming Bald Rick's reply in post #4695 to my query #4694. The proposed Baker viaduct etc are named after the late Stuart Baker of Rail Atlas fame.

Rail #963 p24 says that in May the DfT forecasted that TRU will be completed between 2036 and 2041. I hope that the work in the mid to late 2030s refers to the NPR preparation work in the Colne Valley as I honestly don’t understand how the confirmed and speculated interventions resulting in a fully electrified and upgraded route can’t be completed before 2030.

I appreciate how the E1 (Colton Jn to near Church Fenton) is coming along, but I can’t help but feel that the rest of the route could benefit from work that could be taking place now e.g. continuing pilling work and the installation of structures to be used later now that that work on E1 is, to the best of my knowledge, complete. Just ‘getting on with’ little things like this that aren’t as substantial as the sort of interventions you’ll see between Westtown and Huddersfield and around Neville Hill still go a long way to speeding up the implementation of this project.

Feel free to point out why this isn’t possible, but I feel like this is an ideal scenario and a scenario that shouldn’t be difficult to become reality.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I think the later TRU completion dates are to do with commissioning ETCS along the route, as this has to follow the ECML South scheme now under way.
I think it's likely the trackwork and electrification will be completed earlier, but with a more limited signalling solution ("enhanced conventional signalling");

 

[Halish Railway]

I think the later TRU completion dates are to do with commissioning ETCS along the route, as this has to follow the ECML South scheme now under way.
I think it's likely the trackwork and electrification will be completed earlier, but with a more limited signalling solution ("enhanced conventional signalling");

That’s good to know; Although ETCS in the North of England starting on TRU and the ECML could prove to be a revolution, more reliable signalling, as well as resignalling to 4-aspect signals with spacing that supports higher linespeeds (especially for freight) will be a significant step forward on what the route currently has.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

RAIL magazine #964 has a third of a page on TRU on page 21.

There will be a 26-day blockade in spring 2023 to remodel and electrify Stalybridge.

what have they got to do there that necessitates such a lengthy closure its already been resignalled

 

[LittleAH]

I think the later TRU completion dates are to do with commissioning ETCS along the route, as this has to follow the ECML South scheme now under way.
I think it's likely the trackwork and electrification will be completed earlier, but with a more limited signalling solution ("enhanced conventional signalling");

ETCS already behind I've heard.

It doesn't help that there's been some interfering from above around a planned Huddersfield blockade in May 2024...

 

[snowball]

what have they got to do there that necessitates such a lengthy closure its already been resignalled

According to what has frequently been asserted on here (most recently by me in #5749) it's to reverse the central theme of the 2012 remodelling and restore the primacy of the Victoria route over the Piccadilly route. The site constraints mean that any increase in speed to one implies a reduction in speed to the other. The RAIL item puts it differently - to create a turnback facility for trains from Victoria and to alter crossovers.

Edit: It describes the proposed remodelling as "slight rather than full".

 

[Viscount702]

According to what has frequently been asserted on here (most recently by me in #5749) it's to reverse the central theme of the 2012 remodelling and restore the primacy of the Victoria route over the Piccadilly route. The site constraints mean that any increase in speed to one implies a reduction in speed to the other. The RAIL item puts it differently - to create a turnback facility for trains from Victoria and to alter crossovers.

Edit: It describes the proposed remodelling as "slight rather than full".

Stalybridge already has a turn back for Victoria
This was put in in 2012 platform 5. Platform 2 can also be used as a turn back for Piccadilly or Victoria but is probably too short for the future.

I am therefore puzzled As to what is going to be done.

 

[158801]

Some videos below of the recent state of the Colton Jn to Church Fenton and Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria lines

Colton to Church Fenton

Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Some videos below of the recent state of the Colton Jn to Church Fenton and Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria lines

Colton to Church Fenton

Stalybridge to Manchester Victoria

Thanks for those. A huge amount of steelwork has gone in. So definite progression

 

[snowball]

Stalybridge already has a turn back for Victoria
This was put in in 2012 platform 5. Platform 2 can also be used as a turn back for Piccadilly or Victoria but is probably too short for the future.

I am therefore puzzled As to what is going to be done.

Indeed the RAIL item seems confused, apparently referring to both the platform 5 turnback from 2012 and a turnback to be put in in the upcoming blockade.

 

[Geeves]

Platform 2 the original and older Stockport bay is going to be removed in the remodeling leaving just the current platform 5 for turnbacks. Stockport trains will just use the through lines.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Thanks for those. A huge amount of steelwork has gone in. So definite progression

Hard work done just running out wires and registration yet we have to wait another two years before its complete due to work at Colton Jcn and a blockade to undo what they remodelled ten years ago at Stalybridge

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder this threads is for updates only.

Anything of a speculative nature belongs in the Speculative Discussion section please; there is an alternative thread to discuss what people think should (or shouldn't!) happen, at the following link:

Transpennine Route Upgrade & electrification: What should be done, and how it should be done?

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/transpennine-route-upgrade-and-electrification-updates-cp6.88054/ Yes- the slow lines will be furthest from the main entrance using platforms 4 (currently 8) and 5 (newly constructed). Not sure what the plan is regarding the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Jozhua]

Apologies if anyone has posted this site before:

Home

-2811

thetrupgrade.co.uk

Centralised information into one area, so you don't have to trawl through Network Rail press releases.

York to Church Fenton looks to be increasing in top speed from 95mph to 125mph - pretty solid increase! Trips from Manchester to Newcastle should be noticeably faster once work is complete.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Yes it has been posted before but nothing wrong with (as Cilla would have said) “ here’s our Graham with a quick reminder.

 

[Halish Railway]

York to Church Fenton looks to be increasing in top speed from 95mph to 125mph - pretty solid increase! Trips from Manchester to Newcastle should be noticeably faster once work is complete.

It’s known that the electrification work will be done sometime in September, with energisation far down the road in March 2024, but is there any timescale of when this speed upgrade will take place?

 

[LOL The Irony]

It’s known that the electrification work will be done sometime in September, with energisation far down the road in March 2024, but is there any timescale of when this speed upgrade will take place?

Wait, they're going to wait a year and a half to energise it?

 

[snowball]

It’s known that the electrification work will be done sometime in September, with energisation far down the road in March 2024, but is there any timescale of when this speed upgrade will take place?

December 2024 according to #5646.

Wait, they're going to wait a year and a half to energise it?

See #5646.

 

[Nottingham59]

they're going to wait a year and a half to energise it?

Better order the replacement cable for when that all gets nicked, then....

 

[Chrisyd]

Better order the replacement cable for when that all gets nicked, then....

I thought that when they did the North West Electrification they tried to minimise the timing between cable going up and it having 25KW running though it, as this, apparently, deters theft!

 

[WAO]

I wouldn't take much notice of energisation dates as progress in this area has often been unheralded. Good project management (as I believe is now practiced by NR) should be "just in time" without capital equipment lying needlessly idle for long periods. Both masts/stanchions and SPS have come on quickly according to the images posters have kindly submitted and wiring can't be far behind.

I expect good news in 2023, both for E1 and W1.

WAO

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Apologies if anyone has posted this site before:

Home

-2811

thetrupgrade.co.uk

Centralised information into one area, so you don't have to trawl through Network Rail press releases.

York to Church Fenton looks to be increasing in top speed from 95mph to 125mph - pretty solid increase! Trips from Manchester to Newcastle should be noticeably faster once work is complete.

Its less than five miles so won't save more than 90s and probably less. Also the industry has a habit of press releases telling us how much money they've spent to make "your journey faster and more reliable" neither of which generally materialise these days unlike when BR did a route modernisation.

 

[CAF397]

An update on visible works, not seen mentioned on this thread.

From Church Fenton northwards all 4 lines now have contact and catenary wires until just shy of Ulleskelf, where just the Down Leeds and Up Normanton (the two outer tracks) have catenary and contact wires until just before the bridge at Bolton Percy.

From Bolton Percy to just shy of Colton South Jn several masts still have missing registration arms and other 'dangly' equipment.



In reply to this, Colton South ladder still has catenary wire only, however from the Down Leeds there is full catenary and contact wire upto (I think) 2 masts before the start of the existing ECML wires.

Update from a trip yesterday.

All 4 lines from Church Fenton to Ulleskelf have contact and catenary wire, where the Down Normanton runs out. From Ulleskelf to around Bolton Percy, the Up Leeds/Down Leeds and Up Normanton have contact wire and catenary.

Colton South Jn ladder is fully wired with contact wire and catenary onto the Down Leeds, I was unable to see if they have joined the gap to the existing ECML on the Down Leeds.