Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[snowball]

I'm not aware of any evidence that the government is or has been waiting eagerly for completion of remodelling at either Oxford station, Filton Bank, Temple Meads or Bristol East so that it can move on to electrification of those locations. Rather I think it's waiting to see whether Network Rail can achieve cost reductions on MML and TRU before it authorises any more electrification in England.

Bolton-Wigan seems to have been a lucky exception that somehow got authorised, perhaps because in conjunction with Manchester-Stalybridge it may have some advantages for stock utilisation.

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Unrelated to the above but the board will automerge it:
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A level crossing on the diversionary Calderdale route is to close during the Stalybridge works:

Calderdale level crossing will close to keep people safe as trains increase

A level crossing in Elland, Calderdale will be closed for 26 days to keep walkers safe while more trains pass through from Saturday (11 March).

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

A level crossing in Elland, Calderdale will be closed for 26 days to keep walkers safe while more trains pass through from Saturday (11 March).

The footpath level crossing, which sits between Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve and Booth Royd Lane, usually provides people with a safe walking route across the Calder Valley railway line near Brighouse station.

But with major engineering work happening over 26 days near Stalybridge station in Greater Manchester, more trains than usual will travel through the level crossing, using the Calder Valley line as a diversion to keep passengers moving between Manchester, Huddersfield and Leeds.

To eliminate the risk of more, unpredictable trains, Network Rail is applying an emergency temporary closure until the work is complete and trains return to normal levels on Wednesday 5 April.

Working with the British Transport Police, safety experts have visited schools in the area to raise awareness of the increased risk, and trained volunteers have been posted on the approach to the crossing to engage with walkers and the community.

 

[_toommm_]

Has the APCO gone live for 802s from York to Leeds? Currently on 9M19 and we’ve departed York on electric.

 

[43095john]

Has the APCO gone live for 802s from York to Leeds? Currently on 9M19 and we’ve departed York on electric.

Went live back in July 2022

802s change from Electric to Diesel just after passing Chaloners Whin/Askham Bar (Where the Tesco is on the left)

 

[snowball]

Went live back in July 2022

802s change from Electric to Diesel just after passing Chaloners Whin/Askham Bar (Where the Tesco is on the left)

Surprising it's never been publicised.

Does the system know that it shouldn't apply to 80x's staying on the ECML?

It seems it may be quite a wait till it moves a few miles south for the Leeds line.

 

[zwk500]

Surprising it's never been publicised.

It's a very small thing, and it would highlight that the recent OLE towards Leeds isn't live yet.

Does the system know that it shouldn't apply to 80x's staying on the ECML?

Yes.

It seems it may be quite a wait till it moves a few miles south for the Leeds line.

Believe it's next Christmas the wires to Church Fenton are done, not sure how long until anything further can be done.

 

[Batley Lad]

Batley - Former Adwalton line at Lady Anne crossing. Still chipping away at the former Adwalton abutment. The retaining walls are largely in tact, with the excavation of the interior of the abutment and the trackside wall the main focus. Within the below photo if you look carefully you will see the top of an excavator almost fully submerged.



Rutland Road - Piling finished both here and opposite on the former Adwalton route.



The middle picture taken Tuesday and the below taken Thursday.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Wonder why the line through Stalyvegas is reopening for Easter weekend given that's usually the time to close lines for engineering work. Why not just reopen it on the following Tuesday?

 

[Geeves]

Speaking of the Stalybridge line, unsure how far east they go (continuously) but wires are complete from the east of Victoria right up the bank and out of sight towards Ashton now

 

[Halish Railway]

Wonder why the line through Stalyvegas is reopening for Easter weekend given that's usually the time to close lines for engineering work. Why not just reopen it on the following Tuesday?

Resources within the industry? Perhaps they’re needed elsewhere on the network over the Easter Weekend.

 

[jonnyfan]

Speaking of the Stalybridge line, unsure how far east they go (continuously) but wires are complete from the east of Victoria right up the bank and out of sight towards Ashton now

According to the latest weekly notices the overhead lines are due to go live as far as 2 miles short of Baguley Fold Junction next month, so they must be up to that point by now.

 

[snowball]

According to the latest weekly notices the overhead lines are due to go live as far as 2 miles short of Baguley Fold Junction next month, so they must be up to that point by now.

That seems a very strange way for the notices to put it. According to my Quail/Trackmaps map, Baguley Fold Junction is 2 miles 39 chains from Victoria, so that means live as far as 0 miles 39 chains - which is just about where it was live to before.

 

[Elecman]

That seems a very strange way for the notices to put it. According to my Quail/Trackmaps map, Baguley Fold Junction is 2 miles 39 chains from Victoria, so that means live as far as 0 miles 39 chains - which is just about where it was live to before.

The electrification notice is from Manchester Victoria East Junction to the new Neutral Section at Baguley Fold

 

[jonesy3001]

You would of thought they'd put wires up to ashton station and put in a crossover before wellington rd bridge,
so the trains can terminate at ashton under lyne

 

[sjm77]

You would of thought they'd put wires up to ashton station and put in a crossover before wellington rd bridge,
so the trains can terminate at ashton under lyne

Are you suggesting this as a permenant service pattern or just so services can run to Ashton during the Stalybridge blockade?

 

[Elecman]

You would of thought they'd put wires up to ashton station and put in a crossover before wellington rd bridge,
so the trains can terminate at ashton under lyne

Why when the obvious point to energise to is the Neutral Section ?

 

[Geeves]

Looks like Manchester ROC is consuming a few more areas this weekend with Manchester East losing what it gained when Stalybridge Bridge box closed a few years ago.

 

[jonesy3001]

Are you suggesting this as a permenant service pattern or just so services can run to Ashton during the Stalybridge blockade?

Yes, just during the blockade, the trams did it to droylsden while the ashton section was being built.

 

[The exile]

I'm not aware of any evidence that the government is or has been waiting eagerly for completion of remodelling at either Oxford station, Filton Bank, Temple Meads or Bristol East so that it can move on to electrification of those locations. Rather I think it's waiting to see whether Network Rail can achieve cost reductions on MML and TRU before it authorises any more electrification in England.

Unfortunately I think you are correct - however, it doesn't change the fact that pushing on with electrification to Oxford and Bristol before the above were completed and then having to redo it after a few years would have been pretty daft.

 

[WAO]

The electrification notice is from Manchester Victoria East Junction to the new Neutral Section at Baguley Fold

Perhaps that means that the testing and signing off of this section is near.

Could TPE bi-modes then change over on the Phillips Park straight, climbing the bank out of Victoria on electric traction?

WAO

 

[Watershed]

Looks like Manchester ROC is consuming a few more areas this weekend with Manchester East losing what it gained when Stalybridge Bridge box closed a few years ago.

Presumably this will end the perverse situation whereby Manchester ROC doesn't control the line opposite the box, which is instead controlled by Manchester East (which is actually located to the south of Manchester and also doesn't control the line outside - instead, the Edgeley boxes do!).

 

[Geeves]

Someone with more inside knowledge than me likely knows, but you would assume Manchester East is more than one signal panel so its likely the weirdness of Manchester East will carry on a while longer! You forgot its next door to Manchester South which also doesn't control outside it!

 

[Elecman]

Someone with more inside knowledge than me likely knows, but you would assume Manchester East is more than one signal panel so its likely the weirdness of Manchester East will carry on a while longer! You forgot its next door to Manchester South which also doesn't control outside it!

It’s in the same room as Manchester South

 

[Geeves]

Oh wow, thanks Elecman, I did wonder

 

[Trothy]

Manchester East will still continue to signal through Ashburys station for the time being. To be fair, as has already been pointed out the ROC is only continuing the tradition. After all, Manchester North prior to moving into the ROC was based at Salford Crescent and Manchester Piccadilly signalled the lines right outside the box.

 

[Batley Lad]

Batley - Former Adwalton line at Lady Anne Crossing. From Friday to Sunday the abutment walls have basically halved in height. Quite a bit of stone piled on top waiting to be moved.



For comparison, the below taken earlier this year:

 

[noddingdonkey]

Is there a reason why the Marsden turnbacks during the blockade are using Platform 2 rather than the more accessible and convenient Platform 3?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is there a reason why the Marsden turnbacks during the blockade are using Platform 2 rather than the more accessible and convenient Platform 3?

Not 100% certain this is the reason this time around, but in the past when 185s have turned back in platform 3 at Marsden they've had to pull beyond the platform (in the Manchester direction) to clear the signalling section. This means only releasing one door for boarding and alighting.

There's an argument that accessibility should trump the convenience of being able to open all doors, but there may be other factors involved that I'm unaware of.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Thanks for that, the sectional appendix shows both platforms as the same length give it take a metre.

Don't 185s have SDO that would resolve that?

 

[_toommm_]

Thanks for that, the sectional appendix shows both platforms as the same length give it take a metre.

Don't 185s have SDO that would resolve that?

They do, although I’m not sure that the 185s are capable of having the leading doors not open, only the doors from the rear not platformed to not open. So the train could stop with the front of the train platformed, but I believe it would then be foul of the signal to start back towards Huddersfield.

 

[jonesy3001]

Post on the transpennine route upgrade twitter page with the recent works in stalybridge.

https://twitter.com/theTRUpgrade/status/1634943444773908480?t=SBf-hiJ1FbfiiVQa7bvNaA&s=09

https://twitter.com/theTRUpgrade


Day 2 of our major upgrade at Stalybridge and we’re making great progress removing the old track The redesigned track & junction layout will enable trains to run faster & more reliably Trains are diverted or replaced until 6 Apr so check @nationalrailenq before you travel