• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

Status
Not open for further replies.

Joseph_Locke

Established Member
Joined
14 Apr 2012
Messages
1,878
Location
Within earshot of trains passing the one and half
Yes it should go WCML, live section, Neutral section (I will find the exact posts that tell you this) and then another live section into and just beyond Buckshee

WCML - insulated overlap - neutral section - insulated overlap - wires to Chorley, that way the NS can be isolated for inspection and maintenance, as they are delicate flowers ...
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

LDECRexile

Established Member
Joined
30 Jan 2014
Messages
2,149
Location
Southport, UK
Bolton-platform 5 now has contact and catenary ,starting at a Tensorex drum in Bullfield (just past Morrisons footbridge) through to Orlando St. bridge.Temporary fixings again used in some places.

...and Reg has kindly sent photos of these developments.

I've added them to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157671732263863

and to the Combined Volume here:

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

Thank you Reg.
 

CAF397

Member
Joined
15 Sep 2010
Messages
1,095
Location
Lancashire
I would hope so as it is either a Neutral Section or a Sectioning insulator

No you misunderstand me, the insulator is attached to the contact wire, and the Catenary wire directly above the Up Bolton and Down Bolton, with no other wires around - so no chance of mistaking them for anything else in that location.

As I said they are immediately beyond the points for Euxton Jn, nowhere near the neutral section.

Put it this way, if currently an electric train wanted to transverse the Bolton line from Euxton jn then the pantograph head would hit an insulator.

I will aim for a photograph tomorrow, but it will be from a moving train doing 60mph so not sure of the outcome!
 

snowball

Established Member
Joined
4 Mar 2013
Messages
8,144
Location
Leeds
Would it be technically possible to energise the wires without the extension lead, albeit with no power resilience?
Apparently yes, based on #8519-23.

Presumably the system would have to be designed to cope should the feed from Stalybridge be lost?
Apparently not, based on #8519-23.
 

Magicake

Member
Joined
25 Aug 2009
Messages
130
I am aware of Mr Locke's comments previously suggesting no electric traction can run without the Great Extension Lead, however I am led to believe that contingency plans are being devised to adjust the feeding of a whole range of surrounding routes such that there would be enough power to drive at least a basic electric service on 'our' line without it. Don't know the details but promising if true.
 

Foggycorner

Member
Joined
16 Nov 2016
Messages
202
Location
bolton
I was on Bolton Station this morning and low and behold Platform 1 has got C&C wires up right through with only some temp fittings
so thats all the wire runs completed just fixings to finish off
 

Bertie the bus

Established Member
Joined
15 Aug 2014
Messages
3,216
As you say; little point in running fuller tests until end of Oct as frustrating as that is. Nov 2nd target date is now getting ever closer. This project has to be delivered for the Dec timetable change both for the credibility of both Network Rail and Northern Rail...
The truth is, come the December timetable change, nothing tangible will be changing. Passengers will be travelling on the same DMUs. If anything, should the rail industry be stupid enough to make a big media circus of it, the tiny amount of credibility they have will disappear. What are they going to say? Enjoy looking at all these shiny new masts and wires from the same Pacers you have been travelling on for the last 30 years. Hasn't the years of disruption been worthwhile!
 

superkev

Established Member
Joined
1 Mar 2015
Messages
2,856
Location
west yorkshire
I wonder if railway keyboards particularity nationalised network rail have a key labelled "delayed" to save typing it so often.
K
 

Elecman

Established Member
Joined
31 Dec 2013
Messages
3,567
Location
Lancashire
I am aware of Mr Locke's comments previously suggesting no electric traction can run without the Great Extension Lead, however I am led to believe that contingency plans are being devised to adjust the feeding of a whole range of surrounding routes such that there would be enough power to drive at least a basic electric service on 'our' line without it. Don't know the details but promising if true.

As previously mentioned Catterall has been upgraded and now no longer feeds Northwards to provide power for Euxton-Ordsall Lane
 

Greybeard33

Established Member
Joined
18 Feb 2012
Messages
4,335
Location
Greater Manchester
I am aware of Mr Locke's comments previously suggesting no electric traction can run without the Great Extension Lead, however I am led to believe that contingency plans are being devised to adjust the feeding of a whole range of surrounding routes such that there would be enough power to drive at least a basic electric service on 'our' line without it. Don't know the details but promising if true.
TfN has confirmed no change to the Bolton line timetable until May 2019. Before then, I think the only services on which EMUs could be substituted for DMUs are the hourly Victoria to Buckshaw Parkway and the hourly Piccadilly to Blackpool North via Bolton. Not a huge additional demand on the power supply.

The Manchester Airport to Preston via Bolton diagrams include workings to Barrow in Furness, so I think they will have to remain DMU operated until May.
 

themiller

Established Member
Joined
4 Dec 2011
Messages
1,380
Location
Cumbria, UK
The Manchester Airport to Preston via Bolton diagrams include workings to Barrow in Furness, so I think they will have to remain DMU operated until May.
As Carnforth to Barrow has no wires, I would suggest that airport trains to and from there will remain diesel powered for the foreseeable future!
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,214
As Carnforth to Barrow has no wires, I would suggest that airport trains to and from there will remain diesel powered for the foreseeable future!

But if the timetable changes in May, it may give the opportunity for Barrow workings to be split off, so Preston works could become EMUs (which I think is the point being made)
 

themiller

Established Member
Joined
4 Dec 2011
Messages
1,380
Location
Cumbria, UK
But if the timetable changes in May, it may give the opportunity for Barrow workings to be split off, so Preston works could become EMUs (which I think is the point being made)
When the Bolton line is accepted into electric service, I would expect a revamp of the diagrams such that electric diagrams are completely separate from diesel diagrams. We'll have to wait and see what happens regarding stock to Barrow as well. If bi-modes are deployed on the route, will they go on to Carlisle or will the Barrow to Carlisle line stock also be completely separated (possibly being transferred to Heaton?
 

Greybeard33

Established Member
Joined
18 Feb 2012
Messages
4,335
Location
Greater Manchester
As Carnforth to Barrow has no wires, I would suggest that airport trains to and from there will remain diesel powered for the foreseeable future!
But if the timetable changes in May, it may give the opportunity for Barrow workings to be split off, so Preston works could become EMUs (which I think is the point being made)
Yes, Northern intends to introduce the proper post-electrification timetable in May 2019, place of the current bodge.

The Victoria to Buckshaw Parkway service will be extended to Preston and the Piccadilly to Blackpool North service will become Hazel Grove to Blackpool North again. The Airport to Blackpool North service will revert to the Bolton line instead of running via the Chat Moss line. There will be an hourly DMU service from the Airport to Lancaster via the Chat Moss line, calling at Wigan North Western, which will extend to Barrow in some hours and Windermere in others.
 

jonesy3001

Established Member
Joined
13 Jul 2009
Messages
3,317
Location
Otley, West Yorkshire

thealexweb

Member
Joined
5 Jan 2014
Messages
1,106

thealexweb

Member
Joined
5 Jan 2014
Messages
1,106
...and stops them getting swamped with short distance Manchester-Bolton passengers!

They were to be pick up only / step down only so wouldn't be advertised to Bolton to Manchester passengers. However if many do TPE is powerless to do anything, you can't process the volume in the 20 min journey.
 

Chrisyd

Member
Joined
16 May 2015
Messages
210
They were to be pick up only / step down only so wouldn't be advertised to Bolton to Manchester passengers. However if many do TPE is powerless to do anything, you can't process the volume in the 20 min journey.

I must admit the only way I could see this working at Bolton is if the Manchester trains went to Platform 4 (the island platform for trains heading North) which has Bidirectional signals, there are no announcements so everyone waiting for Manchester trains is on the opposite island. The idea that a shiny train is going to pull into platform 3 not crush loaded, open its doors and everyone will say "I will respect the announcement and wait for the shorter train behind" is fanciful at best.

At least coming out of Manchester you don't list Bolton and aside from those ‘in the know’ people won’t get on.

That said as a Bolton resident I think these trains should return as promised and they need to find a solution.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,214
Whilst Bolton-Scotland direct trains would no doubt be a useful link, it does seem odd to take up Bolton corridor capacity (especially in the peak) for a pick up/set down call.

Though a compromise might be for an open stop on the up (so longer distance passengers already have seats), pick up only on the down.
 

LNW-GW Joint

Veteran Member
Joined
22 Feb 2011
Messages
21,898
Location
Mold, Clwyd
No, possibly not. The Rail North Committee report, see https://transportforthenorth.com/calendar/rail-north-committee-9-october-2018/, says that TPE now intends to continue the existing Manchester to Scotland services after the May timetable change. That implies they will continue to use the Chat Moss line, non-stop between Piccadilly and Preston.

I'm not sure you can read "via Golborne" into what is said in the TfGM document, it just says Manchester-Scotland (plus Liverpool-Glasgow).
I would also think that if TPE runs via Golborne, the Northern Cumbria service will have to run via Bolton (ie the reverse of what was originally planned).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top