Joseph_Locke
Established Member
There is no activity directly related to electrification equipment between Salford and Euxton yet as far as I am aware - the design isn't signed off yet, AFAIK.
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Blackpool - Manchester Electrification
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Leylandlad
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I didn't see the up line...from the comments of others it looks like I must have imagined what I saw on the down line last week
:roll:They fooled me...and I'm not easily fooled by electrification works, having lived 15 yards from the New Street-Lichfield line in 1991-2
Blockade is now in place between Chorley and Euxton untill the 31st August, where new slab track is to be laid at Chorley Tunnel & various other sorts of stuff going on, doubt we will be able to get any pictures as its way down the embankment, lets hope they film it and it goes on you tube 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28372218
The above seams to suggest that OHL will be integrated in to replacement butreses.
The above seams to suggest that OHL will be integrated in to replacement butreses.
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Would be interested to hear from anyone who has travelled this week out of Blackpool North in the mornings now that during the blockade there are only 3 instead of 4 trains an hour. I'm going to be doing the journey almost every day next week between 9 and 11 am using a 7 day NW Rover. Just wondered how busy the trains are especially as there's also no 0943 to Manchester Airport (Mon-Fri) and no 1043 on Saturday.
Yesterday,after studying the TPE temporary timetable booklet,I went to Euxton Balshaw Lane for the 12.31 TPE to Blackpool North only to see it fly through the station at around 50mph.There isnt that many extra trains anyway but this is pathetic and on Saturday the 12.14 Northern to BPN was already full to bursting point when it arrived at Euxton,where about 30 people were waiting compared with the usual 5 or 6.I would say over 50% of passengers are going to use this service instead of the replacement buses from Chorley.More seats and more stopping trains would have been nice.
Sheepy1209
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....or maybe the replacement buses could run directly to Blackpool after Preston, as on a sunny day (this being school holidays) that's where many of those passengers will be headed. The whole thing does seem to treat Blackpool as a bit of an afterthought.
Loads of work going on along the line between Bolton and Euxton, went past Harpers Lane bridge last night and Baldwins had a mahoosive crane in situ ready to put the new bridge in place, they dont half bring a lot of balast with them for that crane there was 4 arctics full lol.
At Blackrod station it looks like they are putting the foundations in for a portal across the line near to the bridge instead of masts at that point, infact i think they may be installing a cross over near there for some reason.
At Blackrod station it looks like they are putting the foundations in for a portal across the line near to the bridge instead of masts at that point, infact i think they may be installing a cross over near there for some reason.
Class 170101
On Moderation
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Have a look at the Crossrail programme produced by the BBC the second episode discussed this in reference to a crane lift near Moorgate Tube Station. I thought the bod in charge said 90 tonnes for a the crane they were using.
I found this on the Network rail website:-
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...l-investment-in-Blackpool-continues-2112.aspx
Blackpool North will be closed from mid Dec 2016 for around three months.
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...l-investment-in-Blackpool-continues-2112.aspx
Blackpool North will be closed from mid Dec 2016 for around three months.
PhilipW
Member
Interesting. Either this is a misprint (it should have been 2015) or it is a delay by stealth.
As it is probably the latter, I think this is very poor of Network Rail to not come clean and state explicitly that the project is being delayed. Tricking your customers and tricking the public is not a good way to proceed. Your credibility vanishes never to return.
Coming out and saying that the project is being delayed by x months because you have decided to do extra work is a far better way of proceeding. The public will understand. Honesty and clarity pays off.
As it is probably the latter, I think this is very poor of Network Rail to not come clean and state explicitly that the project is being delayed. Tricking your customers and tricking the public is not a good way to proceed. Your credibility vanishes never to return.
Coming out and saying that the project is being delayed by x months because you have decided to do extra work is a far better way of proceeding. The public will understand. Honesty and clarity pays off.
WatcherZero
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Delay from Summer 2016 to Winter 2016?
Theyve had stick from the current Chorley closure reducing capacity during Blackpools busy season.
Theyve had stick from the current Chorley closure reducing capacity during Blackpools busy season.
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MidnightFlyer
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I wonder how greatly the station will be reduced during this time? I would expect six platforms maximum post-juicing. I was reading a report today which said one driver has used p1 once in eight years and p8 has no traffic whatsoever...
PhilipW
Member
I think it is worse that that. The Press Release refers to 3 months work commencing in December 2016. So that moves the end date out to Spring 2017. There is no mention in the article is that will be the project completion or if further work elsewhere will still need to be done.
I think Network Rail are being rather economical with the truth, which is all a bit sad when the project has full public support and people want it to succeed.
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AngelicUpstart
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This delay isn't new news. It's been known about for several months now. It's mainly down to that fact they they need to close Blackpool North to rebuild it and have identified that it will be easier, and I'd guess cheaper, to do all the work including resignalling and wiring in one go. There is also an agreement that Preston to Blackpool doesn't close, unless absolutely necessary, between Easter and November. It also makes sense as Manchester-Preston will be opened for December 2016 and Blackpool March 2017 as electrifying to Blackpool before via Chorley was open didn't make great sense.
All over the CP5 planning documents is the phrase :
"It should be noted that an efficient profiling workstream is considering all electrification projects and the outcome of this workstream may result in reprofiling the delivery dates of some electrification projects."
That's all they've done!
All over the CP5 planning documents is the phrase :
"It should be noted that an efficient profiling workstream is considering all electrification projects and the outcome of this workstream may result in reprofiling the delivery dates of some electrification projects."
That's all they've done!
I think you might be being a little harsh to NR about the delay, the final llines of the press release state:
So there is an acknowledgement of a rescheduling, although it is not explicit it is a delay (but this is fairly obvious - extra work and if it was earlier it would have been mentioned!) and by how much, so far from top marks, but it's not totally hiding it either.
So there is an acknowledgement of a rescheduling, although it is not explicit it is a delay (but this is fairly obvious - extra work and if it was earlier it would have been mentioned!) and by how much, so far from top marks, but it's not totally hiding it either.
PhilipW
Member
Are you sure ?
Looking at the CP5 Enhancements Delivery Plan dated 30 June 2014 on Page 127 it still has May 2016 listed as the delivery date for Preston-Blackpool electrification.
It is a pity that the Blackpool South line has been so brutally "rationalised" that it will not be possible to offer an enhanced alternative service to the town that way.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Well there is/was a way. Bring forward the Wigan - Lostock Jct electrification and it could have happened. OK Chorley residents may get even more ****ed off but it could be done.
Sorry, I forgot to mention. The date is in the document in two places and they don't agree. On page 44 it says Feb 2017. I suspect that in the previous version both said May 2016, and they changed one to reflect the latest delays and forgot to change the other. Can anyone confirm this?
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
The NR announcement for March 2017 completion has been pretty much trailed in advance.
People don't seem to understand project-speak.
"May 2016" was always qualified by the fact that until you have reached Grip 3 in the planning process, all dates are estimates/expectations/aspirations.
All the electrification dates are also qualified by wider statements about all being under review, because contracts are not in place and resources not confirmed (design, people, wiring trains etc).
For me, the main problem with the Blackpool announcement is that it does not specify what the eventual line configuration will be - just a bland resignalling.
There were expectations that there would be an increase in linespeed - you would have thought the announcement would have included that if it was going to happen.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
Indeed. However, is was evident today that there has been no direct electrification work (mast bases etc) on the Euxton Jn-Chorley section during the blockade.
Apart from the flying arches, the track has been lowered through the tunnel and several bridges, and there is still a lot of site work going on.
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Sounds like a golden opportunity missed to me.
Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
Is there any similarity in engineering work requirements for track-lowering inside the Chorley tunnel and the Farnworth tunnels, or do the Farnworth tunnels require somewhat of a different planning strategy ?
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LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
I think the work at Chorley involved the installation of slab track as well as lowering the track height.
At Farnworth, I think this is also what is planned for the larger tunnel (which will become double-tracked once more).
The small one will be abandoned when the larger one is finished.
Chorley tunnel is 124 yards, Farnworth 295.
PS I bought some Chorley Cakes in Chorley Market yesterday to mark my first visit. Made in Burnley...
Joseph_Locke
Established Member
I think the work at Chorley involved the installation of slab track as well as lowering the track height.
At Farnworth, I think this is also what is planned for the larger tunnel (which will become double-tracked once more).
The small one will be abandoned when the larger one is finished.
Chorley tunnel is 124 yards, Farnworth 295.
PS I bought some Chorley Cakes in Chorley Market yesterday to mark my first visit. Made in Burnley...
The Up bore at Farnworth cannot be double-tracked and electrified to modern standards - it will be demolished and (almost-certainly-but-don't-quote-me) rebuilt. As a side benefit the new structure (again, don't quote me) should be capable of supporting much higher speeds, the delivery of which is a Northern Hub anticipated output.
On Sunday I had a pork pie made in Yorkshire with bury black pudding in it - talk about a free market economy!
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(Refraining from quoting the above post 
)
That should be interesting as the A666 dual carriageway goes over it.
May prove to be a beast ?
Edit: I've remarked previously that Farnworth Tunnel is shown as Clammerclough Tunnel on OS maps. Googling it by that name, I see it's Grade II listed. But then so is the old Pont Briwet, which is for the chop as soon as they can get the gas pipes transferred to the new bridge. Apparently they're arguing about what sort of clips to use.
)That should be interesting as the A666 dual carriageway goes over it.
May prove to be a beast
?Edit: I've remarked previously that Farnworth Tunnel is shown as Clammerclough Tunnel on OS maps. Googling it by that name, I see it's Grade II listed. But then so is the old Pont Briwet, which is for the chop as soon as they can get the gas pipes transferred to the new bridge. Apparently they're arguing about what sort of clips to use.
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Xenophon PCDGS
Veteran Member
A point that should wonderfully concentrate a few minds nearer the time.
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