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Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

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El Blanco

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Sox said:
On my way to Blackpool North the other day, saw the track rationalisation at Kirkham and Wesham.

Potential for a lot of surplus land to be released?
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There's enough land released to make a decent car park. There's three potential access points but all of them are far from ideal as they would require access down narrow streets in residential areas. Plus this would likely lead to traffic issues on Station Road.
 
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snowball

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GRALISTAIR said:
Interesting you should say that, slightly OT but when east of Manchester towards York was being discussed (aka TransPennine) in a presentation by engineers to engineers - link here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTGnTgdWfh4 they said the exact same thing (key bit starts at 34.30 but good lead in before that) . The best time for a blockade after talking to all parties was summer
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And indeed Manchester-Stalybridge is closed for roughly the last 3 weeks of July, when the bridge over the road next to Ashton station will be replaced. It will be interesting to see what else they do, though maybe the electrification teams will be too busy further west to do much on phase 5.
 
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childwallblues

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snowball said:
And indeed Manchester-Stalybridge is closed for roughly the last 3 weeks of July, when the bridge over the road next to Ashton station will be replaced. It will be interesting to see what else they do, though maybe the electrification teams will be too busy further west to do much on phase 5.
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The Calder Valley is going to be a bit full for those three weeks!
 
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IanXC

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childwallblues said:
The Calder Valley is going to be a bit full for those three weeks!
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The alterations advice says:

Network Rail are carrying out engineering work between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge, closing the lines.

Northern trains between Manchester Victoria and Huddersfield start / terminate at Stalybridge.
Buses replace trains between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge.
TransPennine Express trains between Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Victoria and Newcastle run between Leeds and Newcastle only.
TransPennine Express customers travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria may use alternative TransPennine Express services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly via Warrington Central.
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AngelicUpstart

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I understand that a selection of steel work of the sort that will eventually sit on top of piles has appeared in the Singleton area between Kirkham and Poulton.
 
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Codville

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Went to Preston today and there was a good few masts waiting to be installed on the section between Poulton and Kirkham.
 
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childwallblues

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snowball said:
And indeed Manchester-Stalybridge is closed for roughly the last 3 weeks of July, when the bridge over the road next to Ashton station will be replaced. It will be interesting to see what else they do, though maybe the electrification teams will be too busy further west to do much on phase 5.
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Have you got the exact dates please?
 
LDECRexile

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Took a rail trip Southport-Bolton-Buckshaw Parkway and return today.

Heartening progress.

Highlights:

1. First masts between Bolton and Lostock, 9 up east of Mayor St.
2. Appears to be full set of masts, with danglies, Euxton Jct-Buckshaw Pway
3. Some masts east of Buckshaw Pway, visible from station
4. Lots of signalling work completed or in progress
5. Clear progress with electrical thingy immediately east of Lostock
6. Lots happening at Bolton, notably:
6.1 Lots of excavation and Orangemen at Platform 2
6.2 Lots of groundwork visible south of Orlando St bridge
6.3 Lots pf orange on show on Platform 5 North end
6.4 New foundation structures (footbridge bases??) visible off S end of Platform 4/5
6.5 Canopy progress on Platform 4, what's happening becoming clearer
7. New masts here and there Chorley-Horwich

On the to-do side:
a) electric power lines between Lostock and Horwich still look low overhead
b) no sign of fixings either side of Chorley tunnel
c) quite a lot of signal troughing to be replaced, eg between Dean Clough and Lostock
d) Bradshaw Fields new footbridge not yet open for pedestrians
e) no visible action on the other three foot crossings

I acknowledge that this summary overlaps with some other people's reports.

Photos later
 
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snowball

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Press release:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...re-about-upgrades-to-blackpool-north-station/

Residents in Blackpool are invited to a drop-in event to find out more about improvements to Blackpool North station and train depot.

The upgrade and electrification of the railway between Blackpool and Preston – part of the Great North Rail Project – means the layout of the track and the platforms at Blackpool North will be simplified to improve reliability and help provide a better train service.

The number of platforms will be reduced from eight to six which, along with the simpler track layout, will allow trains to enter and exit the station more efficiently to deliver more reliable journeys from May 2018.

Work at Blackpool North’s train depot is needed to accommodate greener and quieter electric trains. It includes changing the track layout, installing new electrical overhead line equipment and building a new train washing facility.

Noel Connolly, head of programme management for Network Rail, said: “This work forms part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and will deliver better, greener and more efficient services for passengers in the north of England.

“I’d like to thank local residents and passengers for their patience while we carry this out. We will take all possible measures to keep disruption to an absolute minimum.”

The drop in will take place between 2pm and 6pm on Tuesday 27 June at Blackpool North station, Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AB.

It forms part of a number of drop-in events along the route where local residents can speak to Network Rail staff who will be on hand to answer questions and provide more detail on the work being carried out.

For safety reasons some of this work has to be carried out at night when trains aren’t running which includes piling work to install foundations and the steel masts which will carry electric wires to power greener and quieter electric trains.

To find out more about this work please visit our website at www.networkrail.co.uk/blackpool. Any residents who cannot make the drop can call our national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.
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GRALISTAIR

GRALISTAIR

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LDECRexile

LDECRexile

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GRALISTAIR said:
Indeed - wonderful- thanks. In view of this and of the Network rail photo on Twitter of masts Kirkham -Poulton , I suggest we concentrate on July 5th Fylde Junction - Poulton. What say you?
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Definitely. 10:00 Chez vous? D

Wrinkley has kindly sent a batch of photos taken this evening.

I've added them to his album here:

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

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you Wrinkley.
 
LDECRexile

LDECRexile

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Railrover700 said:
Great to see masts appearing between Kirkham and Poulton. I have added some photos taken this week here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147506051@N02/albums/72157679909475566

of masts between Buckshaw Parkway and Euxton Junction.
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Just to remind you, some time ago Railrover700 kindly allowed us to link his fab album to the Combined Volume (CV). To access it you can either remember his link as above or click on the very first image in the CV then look down the "Comments" and click on the link shown in Comment 07.

That route will also give you access to a seriously fab range of other albums.

Thank you Railrover700
 
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WatcherZero

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Does anyone have an image of the platform reconfiguration at Blackpool? Those are very twisty platforms at the moment.
 
GRALISTAIR

GRALISTAIR

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GRALISTAIR

GRALISTAIR

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DJH1971 said:
Are we likely to see a return to Blackpool-London Euston services?
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I reckon it absolutely has to be a possibility. I remember in the 1980s it was a class 86 (usually) to Preston and then about 10 minutes for a loco change - usually a 47. So the WCML speeds have been improved since then and the need for a loco change will be removed and the Preston -Blackpool line speeds will improve -so it would be a "nice to have" service with much improved speeds/timings.

Class 91 +DVT and Mk 4s - nice
 
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Railrover700

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Just to remind you, some time ago Railrover700 kindly allowed us to link his fab album to the Combined Volume (CV). To access it you can either remember his link as above or click on the very first image in the CV then look down the "Comments" and click on the link shown in Comment 07.

That route will also give you access to a seriously fab range of other albums.

Thank you Railrover700
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Thanks, I will try to revisit the Blackpool line soon now that masts are arriving there as well.
 
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Geeves

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Couple more TTC's gone up at the Crescent overnight covering the loop and Manchester bound platform. Cant see anything on the more restricted platform 2 side. Will have a closer look in a bit.
 
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amywok

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Just come over the Kirkham junction for the south Fylde line and see on the site of the lifted sidings there is (parallel to the sfl) new ballast and sleepers for approx 200 yds. Are they doubling this section so trains can pass on the line and avoid blocking the down Blackpool north line while waiting for the sfl to clear?
 
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