Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[snowball]

Two bridges and several retaining walls, I understand.

Got any pictures?

The Northern Programme Twitter feed had some pictures of Hannah Street, Darwen. Scroll down to July 21:

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailNP

 

[Norb]

Clifton hardly has any footfall

Isn't this a bit of a vicious circle? with one service a day to and from Victoria on a Pacer (once the trains resume), who would want to risk missing a train and having to schlep all the way to Swinton (Unless you fancy cross country through Clifton country park to Kearsley)

 

[LDECRexile]

Wrinkley has done what he amusingly describes as 'Un Tour de Bolton'.

I've added the resulting photos to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157654034635234

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083

Thank you Wrinkley.

 

[PrinceBishop]

Isn't this a bit of a vicious circle? with one service a day to and from Victoria on a Pacer (once the trains resume), who would want to risk missing a train and having to schlep all the way to Swinton (Unless you fancy cross country through Clifton country park to Kearsley)

A brief look on Google Maps (not in depth research, I know) suggests that Clifton railway station may not be well situated for the community it is supposed to serve. Or any other for that matter. Clifton also looks to be on the A666 between Manchester and Bolton. If this has a half decent bus service then I could understand why people may not wish to hike out to a less than ideally sited railway station.

Also, I don't usually post on here but many thanks to everyone on this thread for keeping us all updated on electrification progress. It is appreciated.

 

[Darren R]

...Two bridges and several retaining walls, I understand.

Got any pictures?

Buckingham Group are involved in Farnworth and in Darwen and their work at Darwen is nearly done.

I'm afraid not; Darwen is the land of perpetual rainfall, and I'm not as committed as the photographic contributors to this thread! (I have, however, taken a keen interest in the work on the retaining walls to which you allude: one of them is holding up the land on which the house sits - I've had a ringside seat for that! )

Back to Bolton, however. On Sunday afternoon a huge Balfour Beaty crane hauling two very large girders travelled slowly by rail through Darwen heading towards Bolton. (No photographs of that either; since just 24 hours previously a section of track was missing in order to facilitate bridge replacement, I wasn't expecting to see any trains and it rather took me by surprise!)

The girders looked far too large for anything going on at Darwen, and were in the wrong place travelling in the wrong direction, which made me wonder if they were instead heading to Bolton. Have two very large, white, bridge girders and a BB crane appeared in the Bolton area since the weekend?

 

[Howardh]

Northern Rail have just replied to me saying if everything's to plan, electric trains will be running Bolton/Manchester by December THIS year.

Thought it was Dec 2016? Delighted if it's 2015, but after the tunnel and infrastructure's completed, how long will it take to get the cables up and trains delivered?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Northern Rail have just replied to me saying if everything's to plan, electric trains will be running Bolton/Manchester by December THIS year.

Thought it was Dec 2016? Delighted if it's 2015, but after the tunnel and infrastructure's completed, how long will it take to get the cables up and trains delivered?

It is Dec 2016 -but that is Manchester throught to Preston (strictly speaking Euxton Jct). Actually energizing Bolton -Manchester if it could be done well before then would be amazing, wonderful and sensible. Start your driver training etc ahead of time.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Northern Rail have just replied to me saying if everything's to plan, electric trains will be running Bolton/Manchester by December THIS year.
Thought it was Dec 2016? Delighted if it's 2015, but after the tunnel and infrastructure's completed, how long will it take to get the cables up and trains delivered?

I think they are having you on. It will be Dec 2016 if we are very lucky.
There's simply too much to do, and there is no plan to open Manchester-Bolton in advance of Bolton-Euxton.

 

[snowball]

Obviously an error - there are no poles yet!

 

[Bevan Price]

A brief look on Google Maps (not in depth research, I know) suggests that Clifton railway station may not be well situated for the community it is supposed to serve. Or any other for that matter. Clifton also looks to be on the A666 between Manchester and Bolton. If this has a half decent bus service then I could understand why people may not wish to hike out to a less than ideally sited railway station.

Also, I don't usually post on here but many thanks to everyone on this thread for keeping us all updated on electrification progress. It is appreciated.

Clifton (and Kearsley, to some extent) suffers from the railway being near the foot of a valley, but most of the population lives at the top of a hillside - and has a bus about every 10 minutes through the residential area. (First Manchester 8, Manchester / Bolton)

 

[Geeves]

I think we will see some fast progress once the tunnel is complete but I too would be surprised but also very happy at December this year! Im not sure which services would go to electric either as not much ends at Bolton, hey ho!

As for Clifton was its original purpose not to serve as an interchange for the junction it once stood at rather than the people living near by?

 

[42626]

As for Clifton was its original purpose not to serve as an interchange for the junction it once stood at rather than the people living near by?

Yes, it was Clifton Junction.

Isn't this a bit of a vicious circle? with one service a day to and from Victoria on a Pacer (once the trains resume), who would want to risk missing a train and having to schlep all the way to Swinton (Unless you fancy cross country through Clifton country park to Kearsley)

Yes, I had this out with TfGM (then GMPTE) a few years ago. Living near Blackrod Station and working directly adjacent to Clifton station, it would seem a no-brainer to get the train. (Don't assume it's just local residents who might want to use the station) TfGM said there's no demand, but since both services are at times that are of no use to anyone, it's hardly surprising there's any footfall at all.

 

[AM9]

Yes, it was Clifton Junction.



Yes, I had this out with TfGM (then GMPTE) a few years ago. Living near Blackrod Station and working directly adjacent to Clifton station, it would seem a no-brainer to get the train. (Don't assume it's just local residents who might want to use the station) TfGM said there's no demand, but since both services are at times that are of no use to anyone, it's hardly surprising there's any footfall at all.

When a full electric service is in operation, the impact of a stop at Clifton would be less onerous on both journey times and headways than with a Pacer or Sprinter, so maybe there is an opportunity to revive something that might generate patronage.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

When a full electric service is in operation, the impact of a stop at Clifton would be less onerous on both journey times and headways than with a Pacer or Sprinter, so maybe there is an opportunity to revive something that might generate patronage.

I fear the stopping pattern at Clifton won't change much post-electrification.

 

[Norb]

Is Clifton in effect receiving a drive by parliamentary service?

 

[snowball]

Further pictures of Hannah Street, Darwen, on the Twitter page today:

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailNP

 

[Trackman]

Has 'Fillie' starting her quest yet, anyone know?

 

[snowball]

Has 'Fillie' starting her quest yet, anyone know?

I think we can assume she hasn't, as we'd have heard if she had!

She has been looking more and more ready on the Twitter feed. A start tomorrow wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Inox]

Probably weekend?

How long will the machine take to get through to the other side?

Wouldn't mind seeing how that claw thing is going to work....

 

[LDECRexile]

Bill Morton has kindly sent a shot of Chorley Road Skew Bridge he took today.

Bill fears all may not be well there, with parapets being removed and other rum-looking activities going on.

Does anyone in the know know what's what?

I've added the shot to Bill's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157650900509369

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083

Thank you Bill.

 

[snowball]

How long will the machine take to get through to the other side?

The timetable in a previous post said start 22 July, finish 8 Sep.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The Twitter feed says Fillie is ready to start.

I'm tempted to ask, "so why hasn't she?"

It also has pics of a second bridge in Darwen.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailNP

 

[LDECRexile]

Further to my post #1400, above, citing Bill's concerns at Skew Bridge a second correspondent has heard talk of serious problems there, apparently stemming from wrong materials having been used. The talk is of a further 4 months of serious scale work, including closures.

Apparently Locals have been warned of late night noise.

Can anyone shed any more light on this?


On a happier note, the sunken roadway off the motorway end of Blackrod bridge has been repaired. Removing the temporary bridges there is still going ahead.

Thanks to correspondents for sending news, disappointing as some of it may be.

 

[Magicake]

I can't remember if I've posted this before, but the marks for future masts on platforms at Chorley/Buckshaw Parkway suggest they will have the prefix CH.

It's possible the 'CH' you read may stand for 'chainage' in which case the masts will have a separate structure number beginning 'MG'.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

It's possible the 'CH' you read may stand for 'chainage' in which case the masts will have a separate structure number beginning 'MG'.

Chorley would be CH35777, masts MG35/xx, Buckshaw would be CH39395,
MG39/xx. Roughly.

 

[snowball]

Manchester-Glasgow, I assume.

Edit: Not yet on here:

http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/electrification

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Manchester-Glasgow, I assume.

No, because it links the Line up from Crewe to Manchester (M) to the West Coast Main Line (G).

If you note, the Chat Moss line is Liverpool (L up from Weaver) to Manchester (M) = LM. for further idle hours spent in wonder, try http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/electrification/mast_prefix1.shtm

Beat me to the link ...

 

[Jonny]

It's possible the 'CH' you read may stand for 'chainage' in which case the masts will have a separate structure number beginning 'MG'.

Possible, but I thought that electrification measurements worked in metres rather than imperial units.

 

[Magicake]

Possible, but I thought that electrification measurements worked in metres rather than imperial units.

That's correct. It's a metric chainage which if converted to imperial will give the traditional mileage.

 

[LDECRexile]

A correspondent in the industry has kindly sent this about what's happening with the electrification contract:

A new contractor is expected to take up the reins from Balfour Beatty around the beginning of September. Inevitably there will be a hiatus until they get up to speed. Network Rail may fill some of that gap with their in-house electrification teams.

Thank you to him or her for keeping us in the picture.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Bill Morton has kindly sent a set of 45 photos he took covering the renewal of Balshaw Lane Junction on the WCML in 2013.

As this is not strictly within scope I have created a new album specifically for this project, which can be seen here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157656549638092

I have also added the shots to Bill's album in the usual way. It can be found here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157650900509369

If anyone else has any shots of that work please send them to me nd I'll weave them in.

Thank you very much for this initiative Bill.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Joe Callaghan has taken the initiative to contact Network Rail to seek permission for us to use photos from their superb Farnworth Tunnel Twitter feed for non-commercial purposes.

They have graciously agreed.

Joe has then gone the extra mile to download shots and send them for publication.

I've added them to Joe's album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157651953947345

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/sets/72157648767927083

Thank you Joe and thank you Network Rail.

I suspect that 4730s and 4730t have snuck in from elsewhere. If so that is my error. If I shouldn't be using them please let me know and I will remove them straight away.

 

[snowball]

Fillie still said to be about to start in the latest tweet half an hour ago.