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I was trying to work out when some sections of track opened - the problem with an atlas is the line is not there in one version and its in the next - and v.v
Is there a website that shows opening and closing of lines (rather than closure of stations)
Most lines have a decently detailed wikipedia write-up. If that doesn't tell you there are other online sources, or you can consult magazines like backtrack.
Most lines have a decently detailed wikipedia write-up. If that doesn't tell you there are other online sources, or you can consult magazines like backtrack.
I was looking at one for Manchester Airport to check when the west to south chord opened and the third and forth platforms - Wikipedia has some info but not what I want.
And it would take a lot of reading of Magazines to find out the info with no idea of which one to look in.
I was wondering about other online sources - hence my original question
I was looking at one for Manchester Airport to check when the west to south chord opened and the third and forth platforms - Wikipedia has some info but not what I want.
And it would take a lot of reading of Magazines to find out the info with no idea of which one to look in.
I was wondering about other online sources - hence my original question
i don't think there's any online source that would give you that level of detail. One of the best online mapping tools I've come across is openrailwaymap but even that doesn't have this level of detail.
A quick google reveals that the 3rd and 4th platforms opened in 2008 and 2015 respectively.
i don't think there's any online source that would give you that level of detail. One of the best online mapping tools I've come across is openrailwaymap but even that doesn't have this level of detail.
A quick google reveals that the 3rd and 4th platforms opened in 2008 and 2015 respectively.
First published to critical acclaim in 2006, enlarged and revised editions of the London Rail Atlas followed, the most recent being in 2018. This latest fully revised sixth edition reflects the dynamic and evolving railway network in the capital and will include additions such as the Elizabeth...
crecy.co.uk
- sheets have been included in Modern Railways in the past, not sure if the whole country is covered yet.
First published to critical acclaim in 2006, enlarged and revised editions of the London Rail Atlas followed, the most recent being in 2018. This latest fully revised sixth edition reflects the dynamic and evolving railway network in the capital and will include additions such as the Elizabeth...
crecy.co.uk
- sheets have been included in Modern Railways in the past, not sure if the whole country is covered yet.
A useful guide (though it stops a few years back) is Britain's Growing Railway : A–Z of Rail Reopenings, Railfuture (i.e. Railway Development Society) 2010. It has station openings 1960–2009 and line openings 1969–2009 (misleadingly just titled "Reopened lines and chords in date order"). Manchester Airport link is given as 2.5 km on 17 May 1993 and the south curve as 0.75 km on 15 January 1996. The third platform is given only to the year, as 2008.
A useful guide (though it stops a few years back) is Britain's Growing Railway : A–Z of Rail Reopenings, Railfuture (i.e. Railway Development Society) 2010. It has station openings 1960–2009 and line openings 1969–2009 (misleadingly just titled "Reopened lines and chords in date order"). Manchester Airport link is given as 2.5 km on 17 May 1993 and the south curve as 0.75 km on 15 January 1996. The third platform is given only to the year, as 2008.
A useful guide (though it stops a few years back) is Britain's Growing Railway : A–Z of Rail Reopenings, Railfuture (i.e. Railway Development Society) 2010. It has station openings 1960–2009 and line openings 1969–2009 (misleadingly just titled "Reopened lines and chords in date order"). Manchester Airport link is given as 2.5 km on 17 May 1993 and the south curve as 0.75 km on 15 January 1996. The third platform is given only to the year, as 2008.
The Joe Brown railway atlas for Liverpool and Manchester (2020 edition) states (Sunday) 16MAY1993 for the Heald Green North Junction to Heald Green West Junction chord (although contemporary local newspaper reports suggest it may actually have been the following day) and (Sunday) 16JUL1995 for the Heald Green West Junction to Heald Green South Junction chord.
The Joe Brown railway atlas for Liverpool and Manchester (2020 edition) states (Sunday) 16MAY1993 for the Heald Green North Junction to Heald Green West Junction chord (although contemporary local newspaper reports suggest it may actually have been the following day) and (Sunday) 16JUL1995 for the Heald Green West Junction to Heald Green South Junction chord.
The Joe Brown railway atlas for Liverpool and Manchester (2020 edition) states (Sunday) 16MAY1993 for the Heald Green North Junction to Heald Green West Junction chord (although contemporary local newspaper reports suggest it may actually have been the following day) and (Sunday) 16JUL1995 for the Heald Green West Junction to Heald Green South Junction chord.
That Sunday/Monday difference looks to me like the classic distinction between "Brought into use" and "Commercial traffic began". So I thought it worth seeing what the press had. Manchester Metro News, 21 May 1993: "The line opened to the public at midnight on Sunday, ..." West Lancashire Evening Gazette, 18 May 1993: "The North West’s plane-train link was today back on track ... after its first service failed to take off. / The 6.10am train from Manchester Piccadilly to the international airport station had to be cancelled only four days after the £28 million link was opened by the Princess Royal."
And for the south curve, Stockport Express Advertiser, 10 January 1996: "A new £3.8 million railway line, due to open this Sunday, could turn out to be a white elephant. / Very few trains will use the new southern spur to the Manchester Airport Rail Link when it is officially opened on January 14. / And even when the new British Rail timetable starts in June, only trains from Crewe are likely to use the line. It had been hoped that services from Birmingham and even further away would be making journeys to the airport on it."
For the south curve, 16 July 1995 was the day of finalising track work but leaving the new lines as engineer's sidings with connections secured: "A facing connection will be provided in the down Styal line... leading to a new down Engineer's Siding which will run to a new trailing connection in the up Airport line ... / A facing connection .... in the down Airport line ... leading through a new switch diamond in the up Airport line to a new up Engineer's Siding which will run to a new switch diamond in the down Styal line and trailing connection in the up Styal line ... / All the new connections will normally be secured for through running on the down and up Styal and down and up Airport lines. / Temporary stop blocks will be provided at each end of each of the Engineer's Sidings. / ... movements may only be made to and from the Sidings when specially authorised."
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
And from the same source, 14 December 2008 — and they were boasting about finishing comfortably in time: "The platform now standing at Manchester Airport station has arrived 11 days early" - that’s the sort of announcement you could expect to hear at the station as Network Rail, GMPTE, the Northern Way and Manchester Airport celebrate the completion of a major project."
@Senex. Good sleuthing! Does that just leave the date of opening of the fourth (heavy rail) platform at Manchester Airport station as still to be confirmed? Sometime in the middle of 2015 maybe?
"Manchester Airport station reopens after work to build a fourth platform is completed
"Region & Route:
"Manchester Airport station has reopened after work to install track and signalling as part of the new fourth platform was completed.
"Network Rail completed the essential upgrade – which will allow extra services to call at the airport and provide passengers with better access from across the north of England – over the weekend and reopened the station this morning (9 February).
"It is the latest stage of improvements to be completed as part of a £1bn+ investment in the railway in the north of England.
"The fourth platform will provide greater capacity and flexibility at the station which will contribute to a better, more reliable railway with better connections to the airport. It is due to be brought into use in May 2015."
There used to be another line at Manchester Airport which was used to bring in supplies when the second runway was being built. I did it on a BLS special but, unfortunately, much of the line had been lifted by the time the special ran. I got a very shirty reply when I wrote to the airport asking why they couldn’t wait a few more weeks before sending in the track lifters.
There used to be another line at Manchester Airport which was used to bring in supplies when the second runway was being built. I did it on a BLS special but, unfortunately, much of the line had been lifted by the time the special ran. I got a very shirty reply when I wrote to the airport asking why they couldn’t wait a few more weeks before sending in the track lifters.
So a contract was made with an outside company to do some work starting on a given date.
But that should have been put back by a few more weeks to allow a Railtour to be run?
Would the BLS have picked up the cost of paying the contractors for the extra time they would have needed to complete their work and the possible knock on to the next set of work to be done?
crecy.co.uk
