Mossend Track Works

[Scotrail88]

The works in place around Mossend Yard complete tonight and Newtork Rail X says it will speed trains up into freight.

Does anyone have a note of what has been done and what improvements are actually happening.

Thanks

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Wow I did not even know work was being done here. I would love to know too please.

 

[Freightmaster]

Wow I did not even know work was being done here. I would love to know too please.

As far as I'm aware, it was the replacement of life expired interlocking relays, etc, similar to
the work which was carried out at Gloucester a few months ago.



MARK

 

[mcmad]

Track renewals of S&C and plain line in the Burnhouse junction and Up reception lines allowing the speeds in both up and down reception & arrival/departure lines to be raised from 5 to 15 mph allowing faster clearances on the main lines.

 

[Scotrail88]

Track renewals of S&C and plain line in the Burnhouse junction and Up reception lines allowing the speeds in both up and down reception & arrival/departure lines to be raised from 5 to 15 mph allowing faster clearances on the main lines.

Thanks

Certainly small overall speed increase but notable improvements to performance will be experienced.

Apologise but slightly off topic is there any improvements following the Carlisle works at Kingmoor for signals?

Between the 2 it could be a notable benefit for the WCML

 

[mcmad]

I believe that the Kingmoor works are just a reinterlocking with limited changes on the ground.

 

[Lucy1501]

I believe that the Kingmoor works are just a reinterlocking with limited changes on the ground.

Kingmoor is being completely resignalled, the current track layout is staying however all signalling assets are being replaced and part of the panel is being replaced with a TEW product in the existing panel frame.

A number of signals are being repositioned and re sighted at the same time, a new limit of shunt provided at Caldew Junction on the Down Goods, and the position light signal at the down end of Kingmoor Depot being renewed as a main signal, amongst other things.

The biggest change will be enhancements to the up and down goods lines between Floriston and Kingmoor Yard which had been operating under somewhat of a bodge since the closure of Up and Down Tower boxes. Kingmoor Yard will be gaining a new panel as part of these works.

 

[InOban]

Thanks

Certainly small overall speed increase but notable improvements to performance will be experienced.

Apologise but slightly off topic is there any improvements following the Carlisle works at Kingmoor for signals?

Between the 2 it could be a notable benefit for the WCML

By y arithmetic 800m train would take around 10 minutes to clear a set of points at 5mph (8km /hr) but only around,around 3 minutes at 15mph. So a substantial improvement

 

[MadMac]

As far as I'm aware, it was the replacement of life expired interlocking relays, etc, similar to
the work which was carried out at Gloucester a few months ago.



MARK

Mossend was renewed as a Solid State Interlocking in about 2003. I think it’s improvements to speed up trains clearing the main lines and getting into the yard.

 

[Freightmaster]

Mossend was renewed as a Solid State Interlocking in about 2003. I think it’s improvements to speed up trains clearing the main lines and getting into the yard.

Thanks for clarifying - my contact must be getting the work mixed up with a different project.


Incidentally, these kind of improvements (increasing the entry speeds of goods loops/lines)
have always struck me as an 'easy win' for improving timetable reliability and robustness
for (relatively) little cost so I'm surprised that it is not done more often.



MARK

 

[ajwffc]

they did post this

 

[The Planner]

By y arithmetic 800m train would take around 10 minutes to clear a set of points at 5mph (8km /hr) but only around,around 3 minutes at 15mph. So a substantial improvement

Whats the speed in the depot/reception roads? If the signalling stays as it is (presumably approach from red), then its probably a nominal saving in reality.

Thanks for clarifying - my contact must be getting the work mixed up with a different project.


Incidentally, these kind of improvements (increasing the entry speeds of goods loops/lines)
have always struck me as an 'easy win' for improving timetable reliability and robustness
for (relatively) little cost so I'm surprised that it is not done more often.



MARK

Anything new is expected to be 40mph, renewals are much harder to achieve increases. Its also not that cheap as if the approach controls aren't altered you aren't getting all the benefits, and signalling is never cheap. You also lose some length as the S&C is larger.

 

[takno]

Whats the speed in the depot/reception roads? If the signalling stays as it is (presumably approach from red), then its probably a nominal saving in reality.

I don't know anything about the scheme, but the comments about 3 posts up suggest that it's the reception roads as well as the junction itself that are going to 15mph.

 

[68000]

As far as I'm aware, it was the replacement of life expired interlocking relays, etc, similar to
the work which was carried out at Gloucester a few months ago.



MARK

That work was done in 2018 when Westlock and Westcad was commissioned

 

[304033]

The biggest change will be enhancements to the up and down goods lines between Floriston and Kingmoor Yard which had been operating under somewhat of a bodge since the closure of Up and Down Tower boxes. Kingmoor Yard will be gaining a new panel as part of these works.

Hello. Could you elaborate a little further on what this 'bodge' is?

 

[Lucy1501]

Hello. Could you elaborate a little further on what this 'bodge' is?

Probably starting to get a bit off topic from the thread here but.,,

Kingmoor Yard was formerly controlled by two boxes - Up Tower and Down Tower. They interfaced with Kingmoor PSB, and later Carlisle PSB, through the Up and Down Goods at Floriston.

When Up and Down Towers both shut, they effectively did as little as possible to remove their signalling. As a result both lines are a quasi-tokenless block section with train entering section and similar on the down line and lots of phone calls needed.

 

[Tge1435]

Link below from the New Civil Engineer relating to the works carried out at Mossend recently.

£7M improvement of North Lanarkshire rail freight hub completed | New Civil Engineer

Mossend, which handles more than 80% of the country’s rail freight, is home to three major depots and sits on a crucial corridor for moving materials and

www.newcivilengineer.com

Network Rail has completed a £7M programme of upgrades at Mossend freight yard in North Lanarkshire, reinforcing one of Scotland’s busiest rail freight hubs and aiming to improve reliability for both goods and passenger trains.
Mossend, which handles more than 80% of the country’s rail freight, is home to three major depots and sits on a crucial corridor for moving materials and finished goods across Scotland and beyond. The work took place during a planned nine-day closure over the festive period and the line reopened as scheduled on Saturday 3 January.

 

[Skeletor]

Rail Systems Alliance Scotland has shared a post on LinkedIn regarding the works.

Engineering excellence at Burnhouse – delivering reliability for Scotland’s Railway. Over the festive period, our teams delivered a major upgrade at Burnhouse in Mossend, near Motherwell – safely… | Rail Systems Alliance Scotland | 15 comments

Engineering excellence at Burnhouse – delivering reliability for Scotland’s Railway. Over the festive period, our teams delivered a major upgrade at Burnhouse in Mossend, near Motherwell – safely, on time and in tough winter conditions. ✅ What we achieved: Renewed 7 sets of S&C points (the...

www.linkedin.com

 

[takno]

Rail Systems Alliance Scotland has shared a post on LinkedIn regarding the works.

Engineering excellence at Burnhouse – delivering reliability for Scotland’s Railway. Over the festive period, our teams delivered a major upgrade at Burnhouse in Mossend, near Motherwell – safely… | Rail Systems Alliance Scotland | 15 comments

Engineering excellence at Burnhouse – delivering reliability for Scotland’s Railway. Over the festive period, our teams delivered a major upgrade at Burnhouse in Mossend, near Motherwell – safely, on time and in tough winter conditions. ✅ What we achieved: Renewed 7 sets of S&C points (the...

www.linkedin.com

So weird to explain what points are but not explain tampers, sleepers or S&C