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Werrington grade separation updates

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PhilipW

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Thanks for the map, appreciated.

I don't know if any freight still come down the ECML on the Up Slow from Grantham direction.
If they did and wanted to go to Felixstowe, I take it that they will still have to cross both the Up Fast and the Down Fast somewhere north of Peterborough in order to access the Ely line. The fly-under will be on no benefit to them.
 
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InOban

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I thought the freight spine took all freight south of Doncaster via Lincoln. There isn't capacity on the two-track sections. That's the point of the Werrington diveunder.
 

PhilipW

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I thought the freight spine took all freight south of Doncaster via Lincoln. There isn't capacity on the two-track sections. That's the point of the Werrington diveunder.

That's fine. I realise that most freight was routed via Lincoln. I was not aware that no freight at all was routed via the ECML, I thought some still was, hence my question.
 

eastdyke

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That's fine. I realise that most freight was routed via Lincoln. I was not aware that no freight at all was routed via the ECML, I thought some still was, hence my question.
Freight is very definitely routed ECML south of Doncaster.
As I post 491C [1612 Tees Dock (Flt) to Felixstowe North F.L.T.] is in the Newark area heading south.
 

Helvellyn

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Interesting it's a dive under. What factors influenced that?
 

eastdyke

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@Helvellyn
The Network Rail release can be found here:
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...ne-route-upgrade/werrington-grade-separation/
Consultation
To inform the design, we have consulted with the public, statutory stakeholders and our wider rail industry stakeholders and customers. We gathered valuable feedback during two rounds of consultation.
The first round of consultation took place in summer 2014 on two options for the scheme - either a ‘fly-over’ or ‘dive-under’ solution at Werrington. The feedback that we received indicated an overall support for the scheme and a preference of a dive-under option.
The second round of consultation took place in autumn 2016 on more detailed proposals for the preferred dive-under option.
There was a series of further documents linked at the bottom of the release but they currently do not load.:(
Edited to add:
The full set of supporting documents now seem to be available. The (131 page) Consultation Report is NR07.
 
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swt_passenger

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Interesting it's a dive under. What factors influenced that?
If you follow the earlier link (in post#1) to the inspectors report it’s on page 12. Basically once they’d decided on Werrington it could have been either, but the flyover had more visual impact...
 

snowball

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Interesting it's a dive under. What factors influenced that?
From the inspector's report:
"50. Having established that a grade-separation scheme at Werrington Junction is the only feasible option, Network Rail has undertaken a rigorous selection process to determine the most appropriate form and optimum location for such a scheme. Initial work identified 3 alignment options – 2 dive unders and one flyover. One of the dive under options was on the same horizontal alignment as the flyover. Following assessment, the flyover option was discounted, primarily on the basis of cost, size and visual impact. The dive under on the flyover alignment was discounted due to the significantly greater land-take compared to the other dive under option. Public consultation indicated that the preferred option would be a dive under.

I imagine a flyover would have needed to go over the A15 as well (where the diveunder goes under it by re-using an existing bridge currently occupied by a minor road). So there would have been three levels at the A15 (the existing GNGE line goes under it), so bigger longer embankments and a longer distance to the north-eastern tie-in.
 

cle

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Any impacts to either capacity/frequency or journey times, from a passenger POV?
 

Mollman

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I don't know if any freight still come down the ECML on the Up Slow from Grantham direction. If they did and wanted to go to Felixstowe, I take it that they will still have to cross both the Up Fast and the Down Fast somewhere north of Peterborough in order to access the Ely line. The fly-under will be on no benefit to them.

I seem to recall that there is another Peterborough area enhancement which would see grade separation to the North of Peterborough station to take away the Ely - New England Yard conflicting movements. This would also allow for Up Slow - Up Ely movements. Not sure if that is still on the cards though.
 

cle

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It says in the report it allows for 2 additional LDHS paths per hour each way.

Are those paths available further south and ready to unlock (eg fine at Kings across and Welwyn?) - or would they be only for services which might originate in Peterborough (and east)?

Norton Bridge and Hitchin promised similar and we’ve not seen much activated.
 

edwin_m

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I seem to recall that there is another Peterborough area enhancement which would see grade separation to the North of Peterborough station to take away the Ely - New England Yard conflicting movements. This would also allow for Up Slow - Up Ely movements. Not sure if that is still on the cards though.
At one time there was a plan for a huge deck across the track at Werrington that would have included connecting lines both ways. The current proposal appears to be a de-scoped version going under instead of over.
 

hwl

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I seem to recall that there is another Peterborough area enhancement which would see grade separation to the North of Peterborough station to take away the Ely - New England Yard conflicting movements. This would also allow for Up Slow - Up Ely movements. Not sure if that is still on the cards though.
No that was on the cards as an alternative to Werrington that was discounted when Werrington was chosen as the primary scheme. The TWA report notes that not all the conflicting (freight) moves across the ECML will be removed movements will be removed as the yard moves won't.
 

mr_jrt

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Looking at the proposed layout, it looks like it might prevent adding an additional line to the ECML to get it to 4 tracks, should that ever come to pass. Seems a strange bottleneck to add in, given that after the Stamford line branches off near Etton the line is four tracks to a bit south of Grantham, so the 3-track section between Etton and Peterborough would seem a logical future enhancement, especially as once the line between Peterborough and Huntingdon is expanded to 4 tracks it would give four tracks all the way to Kings Cross (Digswell excepted!)
 

edwin_m

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Looking at the proposed layout, it looks like it might prevent adding an additional line to the ECML to get it to 4 tracks, should that ever come to pass. Seems a strange bottleneck to add in, given that after the Stamford line branches off near Etton the line is four tracks to a bit south of Grantham, so the 3-track section between Etton and Peterborough would seem a logical future enhancement, especially as once the line between Peterborough and Huntingdon is expanded to 4 tracks it would give four tracks all the way to Kings Cross (Digswell excepted!)
The Stamford line only carries two trains per hour plus the odd freight so someone decided it could also act as the ECML Down Slow over this section. I seem to recall there were originally separate tracks but this change was made during WW2? This doesn't happen in the Up direction because ECML slow trains joining the Up Stamford would have to cross over both Fasts.
 

bluenoxid

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I assume that when this is built, Lincoln bound trains will terminate in the higher numbered platforms at Peterborough.
 

Ianno87

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I assume that when this is built, Lincoln bound trains will terminate in the higher numbered platforms at Peterborough.

Unlikely, they'll just keep to Platform 1 as they do currently to avoid getting tangled up with stuff on the Stamford lines. But it is an extra option though.
 

snowball

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And now a Network Rail press release, saying work will start "later this summer":

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...ve-east-coast-main-line-gets-the-green-light/

A Network Rail proposal to construct a new section of railway underneath the East Coast Main Line has been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.


The improvement is part of the Railway Upgrade Plan and will see a new rail line running underneath the East Coast Main Line, linking the Stamford lines and the Great Northern Great Eastern lines at Werrington Junction near Peterborough, removing the need for freight trains to cross over the East Coast Main Line.

Currently, slow moving freight trains need to cross over three lines of the East Coast Main Line, causing high speed passenger trains to have to slow down on the approach to Werrington Junction. This multimillion pound investment will mean freight trains no longer need to do this and can dive under the East Coast Main Line.

The project, when combined with upgrades elsewhere along the route, will mean greater capacity for passenger services on the line, as they will no longer need to slow down on the approach to Werrington Junction, meaning it would be possible to run additional passenger services.

Network Rail submitted a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) in 2016 to begin work on the project, which is one of the crucial pieces of work to improve travel on the line. Network Rail has worked closely with members of the public and key stakeholders on the project, and the dive under was selected as the preferred option for the scheme based on their feedback.

This investment, combined with the introduction of new trains, other schemes on the route and revised timetables will not only create space for additional train services between London and the North, but will also help ease congestion and reduce journey times.

Work on the project will begin later this summer and the dive under is expected to be completed by early 2021.

Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director at Network Rail, said: “We’re delighted that these plans to improve capacity on the East Coast Main Line have been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.

“This is a significant investment into the railway in this area which, when coupled with other upgrades on this route, will have widespread benefits for those travelling between London and the North through an increased capacity of 33 per cent.

“This vital upgrade will ensure we can provide an improved service for passengers and will create a more modern, reliable and resilient railway suitable to meet the needs of the communities and economies our railway serves.”

Network Rail continues to work closely with residents and businesses and is holding regular community information events for them to find out more about the scheme. The next drop-in session takes place on Friday, 17 August at The Loxley Community Centre, Davids Lane, Werrington, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE4 5BW between 14:00 and 18:00.

For more information, and to watch a 3D video of the dive under, visit www.networkrail.co.uk/werrington
 

Lincoln

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I don't know if any freight still come down the ECML on the Up Slow from Grantham direction.
If they did and wanted to go to Felixstowe, I take it that they will still have to cross both the Up Fast and the Down Fast somewhere north of Peterborough in order to access the Ely line. The fly-under will be on no benefit to them.

Same with the current Liverpool-Norwich trains. Something a purchase of some land and adding a chord from the Up Slow to the “Werrington Avoider” would address.

If the junction is to be fully untangled then why not address the other mainline route as well as the joint line?
 

adamedwards

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Should the dive under be electrified to a turn back on the Lincoln route to enable Thameslink trains to arrive, turn back and depart south without conflict to inter city services? Ideally this would go on to Spalding of course.
 
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