Midland Main Line, 125 mph from 8 December 2013

[YorkshireBear]

The linespeed improvements are mainly between Trent Junction where the Nottingham and Derby lines join and Elstree & Borehamwood but there are some improvements between Derby and Sheffield as well.

The resignalling knocks 2 mins off journey times IIRC.

I imagine anything between Derby and Sheffield would not benefit the 158s though as i think most of that line is 110mph?

 

[edwin_m]

I imagine anything between Derby and Sheffield would not benefit the 158s though as i think most of that line is 110mph?

I agree - I think any benefit for Nottingham-Leeds and Liverpool-Norwich would be down to increases in permitted speed between Nottingham and Trowell Junction rather than the separate works to improve London-Sheffield. Bear in mind also that Derby-Sheffield was part of the Cross Country line speed improvements 10+ years ago so most of the easy benefits would already have been taken.

December's timetable shows the trains to Liverpool departing Nottingham 2min later and the return workings arriving 2min earlier but this is taken as a longer dwell at Nottingham. That's probably not too surprising as the platform constraint at Grantham makes it pointless for trains to Norwich to leave Nottingham any earlier or trains from Norwich to arrive any later.

 

[YorkshireBear]

https://twitter.com/DavidHorne/status/404900942740733953/photo/1

From EMT twitter feed (David Horne)

First 125mph sectioned commissioned.

 

[CallySleeper]

https://twitter.com/DavidHorne/status/404900942740733953/photo/1

From EMT twitter feed (David Horne)

First 125mph sectioned commissioned.

Such an achievement. That bridge looks a bit low re: OHL I thought NR had/were fixing them already?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Such an achievement. That bridge looks a bit low re: OHL I thought NR had/were fixing them already?

Some bits and bobs have been started but the main programme has not.

 

[MK Tom]

Has this required any substantial physical changes or was it just a question of testing stock at higher speed to check for issues with air and vibration and such like?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Has this required any substantial physical changes or was it just a question of testing stock at higher speed to check for issues with air and vibration and such like?

Some changes to curvature in particular were made.

 

[edwin_m]

I read a mention somewhere that a couple of banner repeaters were added, presumably because the signals were not in view for long enough at the higher speed.

 

[asylumxl]

I read a mention somewhere that a couple of banner repeaters were added, presumably because the signals were not in view for long enough at the higher speed.

Yes, such as the one on the northbound fast line through St Albans. Like the ones recently installed on the WCML, they also show a green banner.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Just done St Pancras-Sheffield today (25/11/13) in 2h04m58s, on a standard xx55 fast Meridian service. The only slowdowns were:
a. a dead stop at Wigston for half a minute (probably cost 1.5-2 mins in total), and
b. signals S of Loughborough slowing us to 40/50mph (maybe costing a minute max).
Station stops at Leicester, Derby and Chesterfield totalled 4.75 mins.
Luton was passed in 20 minutes dead for the 30 miles from London (90mph start-to-pass average), and Bedford in 31 mins dead for the 50 miles (97mph start-to-pass).

 

[edwin_m]

Just done St Pancras-Sheffield today (25/11/13) in 2h04m58s, on a standard xx55 fast Meridian service. The only slowdowns were:
a. a dead stop at Wigston for half a minute (probably cost 1.5-2 mins in total), and
b. signals S of Loughborough slowing us to 40/50mph (maybe costing a minute max).
Station stops at Leicester, Derby and Chesterfield totalled 4.75 mins.
Luton was passed in 20 minutes dead for the 30 miles from London (90mph start-to-pass average), and Bedford in 31 mins dead for the 50 miles (97mph start-to-pass).

That's encouraging, especially as signal stops in those places were probably due to trains in front waiting for their scheduled departure times.

 

[Bald Rick]

Also encouraging given that although the higher line speeds were commissioned, they were accompanied by a few TSRs where the paperwork hasn't been finalised.

 

[asylumxl]

Just done St Pancras-Sheffield today (25/11/13) in 2h04m58s, on a standard xx55 fast Meridian service. The only slowdowns were:
a. a dead stop at Wigston for half a minute (probably cost 1.5-2 mins in total), and
b. signals S of Loughborough slowing us to 40/50mph (maybe costing a minute max).
Station stops at Leicester, Derby and Chesterfield totalled 4.75 mins.
Luton was passed in 20 minutes dead for the 30 miles from London (90mph start-to-pass average), and Bedford in 31 mins dead for the 50 miles (97mph start-to-pass).

I don't think your train was using the higher line speeds. A normal timetabled Meridian manages to stop at Luton in 22 minutes, usually arriving a minute or two early.

 

[Kettledrum]

Well technically the four tracking north of Bedford only ever went as far as Glendon Junction, north of Kettering, where the Corby line diverges and forms the alternative route - but removing or bypassing the platforms at Corby, Oakham and Melton Mowbray may be easier said than done. There's also tunnels to be considered.
Four tracks reappeared in the Wigston area as the Nuneaton-Leicester line joined, and indeed do still exist from Leicester to Trent, but these are no longer goods lines but slow lines, with stations at Syston, Sileby, Barrow on Soar, Loughborough and East Midlands Parkway.

The East Midlands RUS talked about there being space for the 3rd line between Kettering and Leicester and this was going to be signalled as a bi-directional line. I don't know whether this was ever done, but there must have been space to do it without buying non railway land. I had assumed that this part of the route must have had 4 tracks at some point in the past. Are you sure that it did not have?

 

[edwin_m]

The East Midlands RUS talked about there being space for the 3rd line between Kettering and Leicester and this was going to be signalled as a bi-directional line. I don't know whether this was ever done, but there must have been space to do it without buying non railway land. I had assumed that this part of the route must have had 4 tracks at some point in the past. Are you sure that it did not have?

I think you are thinking of Kettering to Wellingborough, which was done three or four years back to remove the only remaining double track between London and Glendon. The new track is bi-directional and I think the existing two tracks still are as well, and care was taken to leave space for any future fourth track.

From Glendon* it was only ever double track as far as Kilby Bridge on the approaches to the Wigston triangle, though of course the alternative route via Corby could take some of the traffic.

*I think the end of quadruple track was actually another box a short distance nearer Leicester, whose name I don't recall, where a double connection from the Corby lines merged back into the mains. Edit: it was Glendon North Junction.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I don't think your train was using the higher line speeds. A normal timetabled Meridian manages to stop at Luton in 22 minutes, usually arriving a minute or two early.

Yes, I wasn't suggesting that it was using the higher line speeds. Thought it would be a useful insight anyway ahead of the speed-up to the timetable in December.
I just set the timer going for interest, noticed Luton in 20 mins and timed the rest, and found this thread going when I next looked on the forum.
Pity I was the wrong side for the mileposts, or else I might have checked. And phone GPS doesn't seem to work on Meridians.

The corresponding service after December (xx58 from St Pancras instead of xx55) is timed at 19 mins to pass Luton, and 30 to pass Bedford.

 

[MK Tom]

I think I remember reading on here that there's only a one minute change after December?

And phone GPS doesn't seem to work on Meridians.

Phones don't work on Meridians!

 

[asylumxl]

I think I remember reading on here that there's only a one minute change after December?



Phones don't work on Meridians!

My Nokia Lumia works just fine!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, I wasn't suggesting that it was using the higher line speeds. Thought it would be a useful insight anyway ahead of the speed-up to the timetable in December.
I just set the timer going for interest, noticed Luton in 20 mins and timed the rest, and found this thread going when I next looked on the forum.
Pity I was the wrong side for the mileposts, or else I might have checked. And phone GPS doesn't seem to work on Meridians.

The corresponding service after December (xx58 from St Pancras instead of xx55) is timed at 19 mins to pass Luton, and 30 to pass Bedford.

Fair enough. To be fair, there is a few minutes padding anyway so the real improvements won't be totally apparent.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I think I remember reading on here that there's only a one minute change after December?

Bit more than a minute for the Sheffield run: the xx55 Sheffield fasts change to xx58 from St Pancras, with a journey time of around the 2h mark (the 0958 arrives Sheffield at 1158; the 1058 arrives 1259; and the 1158 arrives at 1401)
Compared to this timetable when they're xx55 from St Pancras, and mostly xx01 to xx04 ish into Sheffield.

Phones don't work on Meridians!

My phone does (Blackberry), just the GPS won't.

 

[MK Tom]

My Nokia Lumia works just fine!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My Lumia gets no phone signal or internet on Voyagers or Meridians.

Fair enough. To be fair, there is a few minutes padding anyway so the real improvements won't be totally apparent.

I'm guessing then the main point of this is to reduce knock-on delays and help late trains catch up.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

And phone GPS doesn't seem to work on Meridians.

If you don't mind standing, it will work in the vestibules.

 

[Bald Rick]

To be fair, there is a few minutes padding anyway so the real improvements won't be totally apparent.

About a third of the recovery time is removed in the new TT.

 

[The Planner]

Usual blag of stripping all the engineering time out to claim journey time reduction?

 

[edwin_m]

In my experience journeys between London and Nottingham often ended with a wait for a platform, so improved performance in recent years probably justifies taking out some of the padding. We shall see...

 

[Bald Rick]

Usual blag of stripping all the engineering time out to claim journey time reduction?

About 3 min taken out of up trains (that's all I looked at)

 

[louis97]

Some Big TSRs on the Midland Mainline now, given that some of the line speed has been upped in areas:

http://www.opentraintimes.com/network_info/tsr/101330
Leagrave Junction to Oakley HABD (Near Sharnbrook Junction) (110mph) 17 miles long

http://www.opentraintimes.com/network_info/tsr/100800
http://www.opentraintimes.com/network_info/tsr/101331
Sharnbrook Junction to Luton North Junction (110mph) 19 miles long

http://www.opentraintimes.com/network_info/tsr/100970
Harpenden Junction to Napsbury HABD (Near Radlett Redstone) (110mph) 3 miles long

Does not really look like much 125mph is actually being used, just some south of Luton perhaps.

 

[The Planner]

How odd, why say it is 125 then immediately peg it back via TSRs, why not just wait?

 

[westcoaster]

When it came into force on sunday there was no tsr boards up, so there was 2 long blanket restrictions in place up fast sharnbrook to elstree 100mph and df 95mph. Lots of tsr boards / magnets / x boards up some look odd in length and restrictions in restrictions.

 

[Bald Rick]

How odd, why say it is 125 then immediately peg it back via TSRs, why not just wait?

Pretty sure the New PSRs were published in the book, and then had to be unpicked by T/ESR as the work is unfinished.

Unusual but not unprecedented. Happened at Hitchin for a new crossover a decade ago.

 

[IKBrunel]

some big green sections of footbridge ramps are appearing in the yard outside Loughborough Station, look like DDA compliant gradient, quite wide (3/4m) with double yellow handrails. My guess this is a transit location for works elsewhere.

Is this to replace where the footpath crosses the 4 track MML about 500m south of Loughborough Station?