Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[Foggycorner]

A hollow sleeper is not a UTX as it is part of the track formation
A UTX is normally deep enough to enable a 3 foot deep dig by bulldozer to take place without disconnecting the services that run through the UTX

 

[Elecman]

What is a UTX at Lostock please?

UTX - Undert Track Crossing. Used to get cables from 1 side of the tracks to the other

 

[LDECRexile]

Good News

I did a car and shanks tour from Squeeze Belly to Broughton Road today, lots of the line has one and in some cases two earth wires up. Will do a train tour tomorrow or Thursday to confirm the detail.

Photos later or tomorrow.

Photos added to the Combined Volume here:

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

 

[swt_passenger]

A hollow sleeper is not a UTX as it is part of the track formation
A UTX is normally deep enough to enable a 3 foot deep dig by bulldozer to take place without disconnecting the services that run through the UTX

Nevertheless, the manufacturer does refer to them as UTX Sleepers in his publicity:

Following the acquisition of our Wallasey manufacturing site in 2016, we further enhanced our supply portfolio with the addition of Steel Sleepers & UTX Sleepers
http://www.trackwork.co.uk/manufacturing/steel-sleepers/

 

[LDECRexile]

I have seen a letter to stakeholders from Northern, dated 11th July 2018.

It includes the following paragraph:

"Network Rail is working incredibly hard to complete the electrification programme along the Bolton corridor to enable new and electric services to be delivered. We expect to start a gradual roll-out of electric trains on a phased basis on the Bolton Corridor in early 2019."

 

[absolutelymilk]

What on earth would cause a delay of that magnitude?

 

[notlob.divad]

What on earth would cause a delay of that magnitude?

Expectation management? Having already missed so many deadlines. They will be able to say they completed ahead of schedule if they can get a train running by December.

Either that or it is not clear and it is rolling out the New build electric trains in 2019 they are refering to.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Photos added to the Combined Volume here:

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

A magnificent set of photos Dave- thanks. Definitely cracking on nicely now.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I have seen a letter to stakeholders from Northern, dated 11th July 2018.

It includes the following paragraph:

"Network Rail is working incredibly hard to complete the electrification programme along the Bolton corridor to enable new and electric services to be delivered. We expect to start a gradual roll-out of electric trains on a phased basis on the Bolton Corridor in early 2019."

What on earth would cause a delay of that magnitude?

I am thinking all masts are not in so done by say end of July . Wiring let’s be generous and say 7 weeks but a week for the run off onto Wigan line and also the bit via Salford Central so end of September but also add some contingency so mid October. Then testing and driver training so end of November. After all that has happened they will not risk a December timetable change and xmas shopping etc so they are being cautious and introducing from early January for squadron service and timetable change in May. Sounds sensible and cautious to me.

 

[Fylde Coaster]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/holts-lane-footpath-crossing-information-event/



Sounds like something that was planned to happen before electrification but slipped.

Ref my previous post #7424 about the same subject.
The "information event" seems to have been arranged with indecent haste..less than a week from the announcement date and very little local, public notification.
I did attend and the NR staff were amenable. The bottom line is the crossing has been closed since the start of the electrification works and the "temporary" closure notice has been extended at least twice and now runs for another 6 months from July. They did miss renewing it for a week according to the dates on the local notices.
In the meantime the planning application has been parked in limbo. Part of the NR original planning application documentation stated "Closure of this level (pedestrian) crossing and the installation of a (foot) bridge was considered to be the most appropriate form of action as it completely eliminates risk on a stretch of railway. After detailed discussions and consideration to all the key factors, Network rail proposes to construct a ramped footbridge at Holts Lane level crossing". Fast forward 12 months and the options are now,
i) Closure of the level crossing with an agreed diversionary route. **
ii) Install a ramped and stepped footbridge.
iii) Install a stepped footbridge.
Any feedback has to be into NR by next week apparently and from the responses NR will then make a decision on the way forward.
** Part of the NR original planning application documentation stated "The option of a diversion was considered and discussed with the Rights Of Way Officer; the route was walked with the RoW officer who determined that the diversionary route would be too long and unsuitable.
The cynic in me thinks it will be a re-think and option i) thus saving a huge chunk of money on a project already suffering from a huge cost overrun.

 

[absolutelymilk]

[Wiring finished in Mid October]. Then testing and driver training so end of November.

Testing/training on the Preston-Blackpool line took only two weeks, why would this take that much longer?

After all that has happened they will not risk a December timetable change and xmas shopping etc so they are being cautious and introducing from early January for squadron service and timetable change in May. Sounds sensible and cautious to me.

Why couldn't they introduce them one at a time on quiet services as soon as the infrastructure and some drivers are ready?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Testing/training on the Preston-Blackpool line took only two weeks, why would this take that much longer?

Why couldn't they introduce them one at a time on quiet services as soon as the infrastructure and some drivers are ready?

Expectation management? Having already missed so many deadlines. They will be able to say they completed ahead of schedule if they can get a train running by December.

Either that or it is not clear and it is rolling out the New build electric trains in 2019 they are refering to.

This and what I wrote. Under promise and over deliver is always better imho than over promising and then under delivering.

 

[RWill35396]

Gralistair is right... All about the optics these days. Under promise, and then take the plaudits when it all comes on line EARLY.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Where on earth has this stuff about under promise and over deliver come from? The electrification of the Bolton line is already 2 years late and now they are saying even if it is finished by December they won't use it. How is that under promising and over delivering?

 

[superkev]

I have seen a letter to stakeholders from Northern, dated 11th July 2018.

It includes the following paragraph:

"Network Rail is working incredibly hard to complete the electrification programme along the Bolton corridor to enable new and electric services to be delivered. We expect to start a gradual roll-out of electric trains on a phased basis on the Bolton Corridor in early 2019."

It's a good job Network rail and there gravy train wern't involved in the war. We would have lost. They would probably not have completed the paperwork before it finished.
K

 

[L+Y]

Where on earth has this stuff about under promise and over deliver come from? The electrification of the Bolton line is already 2 years late and now they are saying even if it is finished by December they won't use it. How is that under promising and over delivering?

Got to say I agree with this. Any suggestion that electric working could be even further delayed into 2019 really is pretty poor.

Unless the issue here is Northern driver training on 319s/323s at new depots for the classes?

 

[CAF397]

Just to add some detail onto the Holts Lane footpath news, for those who may not be familiar with the area.

It is quite a popular footpath, school kids, dog walkers, people who work in the industrial estate. I think there’s an aldi just opened on the site of a former at dealership which will add to the use.

The crossing has had trespass issues in the past, and at least one fatality in the last 15 years.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

We now know there will be no timetable change at Northern and TPE in December.
It was probably very tight anyway given the infrastructure and operational problems.
While I'm sure NR will do their best to finish as early as possible, the pressure is off for "December".
The question is what will "May" bring in terms of services.
It looks like they are expecting a very slow ramp up of electric services (as happened out of Lime St in Phase 2).
I never thought a big bang was likely.
Unfortunately it might mean yet another extension of the weekend misery via Bolton.

 

[absolutelymilk]

This and what I wrote. Under promise and over deliver is always better imho than over promising and then under delivering.

Fair enough, but why not say "by early 2019" rather than "in early 2019"?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Unfortunately it might mean yet another extension of the weekend misery via Bolton.

At least they should be able to keep the Atherton line open one would think.

 

[deltic08]

But there is nothing to stop driver training on electrics now. There is a spare unit and Preston-Blackpool is complete and drivers should know the route already.

 

[CAF397]

The wires can be finished by December, and the existing timetable still in place. Services currently operating under the wires can transfer over to EMUs as and when driver training permits.

I see there’s less risk that way.

 

[LDECRexile]

I travelled Buckshaw Parkway to Salford Crescent and back and both directions along the Wigan line today.

I saw significant progress since my recent train and car trips, specifically:

1. all except one masts at the country end of the Wigan overlap appear to be in place
2. all except two masts just east of Dean Clough in place
3. only one mastless base at Blackrod station (immediately east of the northbound platform)
4. only one mastless base at Horwich Parkway
5. only three mastless bases at Bolton (the bespoke portal just west of Newport St bridge and the "wicketkeeper" at the end of Platform 2)
6. possibly one mastless base at Chorley station

all other stations appeared to be fully masted (the boom has been added to the portal at Kearsley since Tuesday)

7. the more southerly megacube immediately south of Squeeze Belly has also acquired a mast since Tuesday
8. the only place with a cluster of mastless bases appeared to be Yarrow Viaduct

9. Orange sprinkled here and there, especially around the mega electrical thingy at Lostock

10. Most of the route now has at least one wire in place, almost always an earth wire, but in a couple of places just an autotransformer wire. Some stretches have two wires up and there are four through Bolton station. The key general thing is that a good majority of the route has something in the air.

Photos later.

 

[LDECRexile]

Photos added to the Combined Volume here:

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

I'll be able to process any photos sent to me before 22:00 today. We're away Fri-Sun then Monday. Please sent material as usual and I'll wang it on Sunday night and/or Monday night.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

Excellent photos as usual Dave, every time i try to take a picture on a moving train, it ends up as a blurry mess!

A couple of questions for m'learned engineers on here:

1. What are those things on the wall on picture A592e?
2. On photo A568t & A568k, the horizontal dangly bits look much less substantial than on say A556i and they don't seem to have insulators. What's the reason for this?

 

[Foggycorner]

Picture A592e things on wall are a line of pipe brackets for new gas pipe

 

[swt_passenger]

Excellent photos as usual Dave, every time i try to take a picture on a moving train, it ends up as a blurry mess!

A couple of questions for m'learned engineers on here:

1. What are those things on the wall on picture A592e?
2. On photo A568t & A568k, the horizontal dangly bits look much less substantial than on say A556i and they don't seem to have insulators. What's the reason for this?

1. A592e fittings look like they will carry an insulated cable or pipe?
2. A568t/k they are fibreglass tubes that act as combined support and insulators. Cannot work out why they’d be needed in that particular position though.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

1. A592e fittings look like they will carry an insulated cable or pipe?
2. A568t/k they are fibreglass tubes that act as combined support and insulators. Cannot work out why they’d be needed in that particular position though.

Excellent, thank you!

 

[LDECRexile]

... every time i try to take a picture on a moving train, it ends up as a blurry mess!

I'm no magician, my smashing little amateur's point and click camera has a feature where if I hold the button down it fires repeatedly - click, click, click, click - roughly two per second. When I know or hope something is coming up I point and hold and at least one usable shot usually comes out. It means I come home with over 1000 shots, but separating wheat from chaff is pretty easy, as most are plainly irrelevant. With digital photography chucking 99% away costs nowt.

Off to sunny Cleethorpes now.

 

[CdBrux]

But there is nothing to stop driver training on electrics now. There is a spare unit and Preston-Blackpool is complete and drivers should know the route already.

At the moment they seem to be far from finished in training their drivers to run the services supposed to have started in May 2018 so that needs to be completed first.
I have no knowledge of what is needed, but if you have new trains coming in soon, for which I imagine quite some training is required, then it would seem to me to make little sense to train drivers on existing electric stock, then the moment they are in service train them all again on the new stock. I am sure there is someone here with much more inside knowledge than I who can say if this would be relevant or not