Ordsall Chord

[dmncf]

Am I right in thinking that services via the chord will be the only ones which serve a station in a city, then a second in a different city, then another station in the first city again, with no repeat mileage or reversals?

London Underground Circle Line trains run via the City of Westminster and the City of London, so generate many such permutations!

 

[Foggycorner]

The ballast has got to be that deep under the new track or the area track engineer wont get his cut of the profit from the stone quarry owners

 

[Starmill]

Route now open for traffic and TPE running through once again.

Seems to be bits missing tho....

When you say 'once again' - that is a different line to the one taken before isn't it? I can see where the old tracks would have gone that services from Manchester Vic to Liverpool would have used off to the south.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Given that we have spent the last two weeks terminating at Man Picc, the trains are now running through Man Vicc to Liverpool...

 

[QueensCurve]

I don't understand what you mean, which services will do this?

I think the poster means Manchester> Salford > Manchester> Manchester.

 

[WatcherZero]

The ballast has got to be that deep under the new track or the area track engineer wont get his cut of the profit from the stone quarry owners

Track level of the Chord has to be higher to allow the viaduct to clear all the other roads and bridges below it. Its about a foot taller than the previous track level at the MOSI end as well.

 

[snowball]

Is it being alleged that the new tracks through the reinstated platforms at Salford Central are higher than the Bolton line tracks through platforms 1 and 2, or than the old Chat Moss tracks where they bypassed the station? All these tracks also have/had to pass over bridges over roads.

 

[Foggycorner]

I was commenting on the depth of ballast under the tracks through the platforms 3/4 at salford central with a cheeky aside about pway engineers who have over ordered ballast for the job to increase their bonus from stone quarry owners

 

[Foggycorner]

Just to clear things up sbl the reinstated tracks through platforms 3/4 at salford central have much deeper ballast as shown in G50aday pictures in post2181
The top of the ballast is level with the platform surface then the track is on top which is now a good deal higher than the old track level through platforms 3/4 before all this work started and also the present levels on platforms 1/2

 

[snowball]

The last viaduct edge beams are being placed over Trinity Way today.

 

[snowball]

Latest pictures posted by Freel07 on SSC:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=140140096&postcount=2566

 

[rebmcr]

Latest pictures posted by Freel07 on SSC:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=140140096&postcount=2566

The new Chapel Street bridge is a wonderful design.

 

[50032]

Can anyone direct me to a plan of the chord showing the intended track layout. I'm especially interested in the junction layouts at Water Street and Irwell Street.

 

[snowball]

Can anyone direct me to a plan of the chord showing the intended track layout. I'm especially interested in the junction layouts at Water Street and Irwell Street.

This link is to the first page of a 5-page list of plans. Look for the ones that say "proposed track level plan" and click on them. Alternatively, go for the ones that say "key plan" as there are fewer of those.

http://archive.nr.co.uk/browseDirec...ord\Volume 2 - Drawings\1) Planning Drawings

Sorry it's not in a more convenient format but this is the only version I've seen.

 

[Chrisyd]

There was (what appeared to my uneducated eye) to be a track train, slightly less than two carriages long, think it was called Jupiter, Colas colours (with children so couldn't note properly or photo), on the new lines through Salford Central, would this be expected so soon after laying?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[Joseph_Locke]

There was (what appeared to my uneducated eye) to be a track train, slightly less than two carriages long, think it was called Jupiter, Colas colours (with children so couldn't note properly or photo), on the new lines through Salford Central, would this be expected so soon after laying?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Follow-up tamping, perfectly normal.

 

[Adlington]

a track train, slightly less than two carriages long,

1.75 carriages long :roll:

 

[Geeves]

There was a nice looking COLAS liveried 60 parked on the Chat Moss lines of the soon-to-be Orsdall triangle today. Looked like it was ferrying away a serious amount of old ballast from where I am unsure! Also there was a 66 Freightliner with auto ballasters parked at the Crescent.

 

[Aws87024]

There was a nice looking COLAS liveried 60 parked on the Chat Moss lines of the soon-to-be Orsdall triangle today. Looked like it was ferrying away a serious amount of old ballast from where I am unsure! Also there was a 66 Freightliner with auto ballasters parked at the Crescent.

That would have been 60002.

 

[absolutelymilk]

Any updates/photos on construction?

 

[jonesy3001]

there is a thread on the skyscrapercity forums;

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1345619&page=132

 

[absolutelymilk]

there is a thread on the skyscrapercity forums;

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1345619&page=132

Thanks!

 

[Ploughman]

Showing Host Error at the moment

 

[snowball]

It's working now. However there's not a lot of visible change in the last few weeks, since the side beams of the bridge over Trinity Way were brought close to the end of the Network Arch. The dipped bit has yet to go in. When substantially new pics appear on SSC I link them here.

 

[driver9000]

Sleepers being laid this afternoon at the Water Street Junction end.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It's working now. However there's not a lot of visible change in the last few weeks, since the side beams of the bridge over Trinity Way were brought close to the end of the Network Arch. The dipped bit has yet to go in. When substantially new pics appear on SSC I link them here.

There's still a lot of concrete to pour where the northern end of the arch meets the viaduct section.

 

[Chrisyd]

There is now a OLE mast up on the bridge, near Middlewood Viaduct:

by Chris Davis, on Flickr

General update shot from Last Friday:
by Chris Davis, on Flickr

As ever if you want to see how the area has changed, there are my weekly panoramas: https://flic.kr/s/aHskvAnDBv

 

[Geeves]

There was still a large army beavering away at 22:30 tonight so they are not messing around Last bits of concrete were being poured at the Trinity Way end but no sign of rails yet on the actual bridge

 

[snowball]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/ordsall-chord-project-wins-railway-industry-innovation-awards/

On Friday June 23, the team behind the Ordsall Chord were named winner of the prestigious Major Project award at the Rail Industry Innovation Awards 2017.

Mike Heywood, project director for Network rail and alliance manager said: “I am thrilled that the alliance which has built the Ordsall Chord has been recognised for the innovation which has gone into building this structure which is the first arch bridge of its kind in the UK.

“The design uses inclined hangers which cross each other at least twice instead of vertical hangers, which allows for a more elegant design that is thinner and uses less material.”

The Ordsall Chord is the flagship scheme in the Great North Rail Project, part of Britain’s Railway Upgrade Plan, linking Manchester’s three main railway stations – Piccadilly, Oxford Road and Victoria, bringing transformative benefits to train customers across the North of England.

The 300m chord will also create new direct links to Manchester Airport from cities such as Bradford and will reduce congestion at Manchester Piccadilly meaning more trains will be free to stop there.

By reducing railway congestion by 25% in the railway hub of Manchester, the chord will reduce journey times and enable faster, more frequent services to run through the city to and from other major economic centres in the north.

The Ordsall Chord is being constructed as part of an alliance between Network Rail, Skanska BAM, Amey Sersa and Siemens as well as involving sub-contractors BDP, Severfield, AECOM Mott MacDonald and Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The Railway Innovation Awards celebrate the achievements of those companies and individuals who are pushing the industry forward by developing innovative ideas.

 

[snowball]

Latest on the Salford Central platforms saga, from TfGM committee papers (thanks to Greybeard33 on SSC for drawing attention):

4.2 It is planned that enhancements at the station will be delivered in a phased approach as agreed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in September 2016.
- Phase 1 – Platforms 1 and 2, platform and canopy enhancement delivered (Network Rail CP5 scheme);
- Phase 1a - Feasibility design for works required to accommodate longer trains at the currently out of use platforms 3, 4 and 5; and
- Phase 2 – Platforms 3, 4 and 5 reinstatement and extensions delivered. Operational works may also be required to facilitate longer trains.

4.3 With regards to the progress of Phase 1, Network Rail advise that their GRIP 2 – Feasibility study will be completed in July 2017.

4.4 The primary aim of the Network Rail CP5 scheme is to address the significant stepping distance between the trains and the platforms. In light of this, additional customer facing enhancements such as higher specification waiting facilities will be considered for funding from Growth Deal and other CP5 monies in order to enhance the Network Rail scheme. A clearer view in this regard will be known following completion of the GRIP 2 study in July 2017.

4.5 A detailed brief relating to Phase 1a assessing the options to stop longer trains and an associated timetable and operational assessment, has been agreed with Network Rail, Rail North and TfGM.

4.6 The infrastructure study and timetable assessment will form two interconnected strands, each informing the other as they are progressed in order to identify viable options for accommodating longer services.

4.7 TfGM is currently working with the Rail North and the rail industry to establish the appropriate timetable information to use as a base for a robust and reliable assessment.

4.8 It is planned, subject to confirmation on the appropriate timetable to use, to appoint consultants to undertake the infrastructure study and timetable assessment in August 2017, with a view to completing a GRIP 2 study by spring 2018, which will outline the options available for accommodating longer trains, associated costs, programmes and key risks.