MML Electrification: progress updates

[InTheEastMids]

The new Newtons bridge at Braybrooke has recently had its deck installed at some point.

 

[Kneedown]

As promised. Drove along the route today, and I can confirm that piling is in place from the A6 bridge at Great Bowden, extending northwards round the bend and along the straight for approximately a quarter of a mile to a location in the area of What3words reference:- "Fatherly.Puddles.Photo"
The protruding pile appears to have been driven down fully now.

 

[59CosG95]

As promised. Drove along the route today, and I can confirm that piling is in place from the A6 bridge at Great Bowden, extending northwards round the bend and along the straight for approximately a quarter of a mile to a location in the area of What3words reference:- "Fatherly.Puddles.Photo"
The protruding pile appears to have been driven down fully now.

Lovely jubbly! Based on w3w, that puts it slightly beyond the LR221-LR224 signal gantry. Are these mainly on the DM or UM side?

 

[Kneedown]

Lovely jubbly! Based on w3w, that puts it slightly beyond the LR221/LR223 signal gantry. Are these mainly on the DM or UM side?

Both sides. Even if TTCs are planned, they "change sides" every so often.

 

[PJM]

As promised. Drove along the route today, and I can confirm that piling is in place from the A6 bridge at Great Bowden, extending northwards round the bend and along the straight for approximately a quarter of a mile to a location in the area of What3words reference:- "Fatherly.Puddles.Photo"
The protruding pile appears to have been driven down fully now.

Traveling north on Friday I counted 18 piles on the up side.

 

[59CosG95]

View from Braybrooke Bridleway Bridge (SPC3/35AA):

Looking west - not much change in the mast/pile situation but work to replace Newtons Bridge (SPC3/35) in the distance is evident.View attachment 119529View attachment 119530

Looking east - looks like all cantilever stovepipes are in, along with all EW clamps and pipes (at least as far as the overlap at bridge SPC3/37). Several TTCs didn't have their EW pipes in, but this has been resolved now.

The only TTC without both EW clamps is the one nearest bridge 35AA - namely SPC3/129.381/UM, which currently lacks a DM stovepipe for the EW.
View attachment 119531View attachment 119532

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Aug 2022 ==

Lastly, an update on the embankment east of Rushton (generally the Station Rd U/B (SPC3/45) area).
Cantilevers are going in from just before the overlap to the MPA portal.View attachment 119534View attachment 119535

Update from Braybrooke (bridge SPC3-35AA), 24/10/2022:

The new bridge at SPC3-35 (Newtons Farm) is coming on nicely now. The northern edge of the main deck is in, but not the rest of the deck - the rebar is visible if you look closely.


South of bridge 35AA, all the cantilevers appear to be in as far as the overlap beyond underbridge 37 (where the Earth wires from Desborough currently stop. As the situation north of 35AA hasn't yet changed, the EWs are a little way off).


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2022 ==

I also did a reccy north of Market Harborough.
The view north of the footbridge north of the A6 Mkt H'boro' Bypass (SPC3-27EA & SPC3-27F respectively); a pair of piles (presumably for an STC pair) can be seen before the signals (LR222 & LR224). (The signal gantry I mentioned in an earlier post is presumably LR225-LR228.) The yellow post just to the right of the signals is the 84 & 3/4 milepost.


I followed the footpath on the Up side past the 85 milepost; a team of contractors were trimming vegetation back. Piles are also in on the DM side here. @PJM - the "18 piles on the Up side" checks out. The pylon in the distance is to the east of the bridge (and compound) at East Langton.


South of bridge 27EA, there are 2 pegs for an STC pile pair, and a peg for a DM (only?) pile just before bridge 27F.

Bridge SPC3-28 (Chaters Bridge) can be seen in the distance in the second picture.

Looking north from bridge 28 to bridge 27F; 2 peg pairs for STC piles can be seen.


Looking south from bridge 28, I counted 4 pegs on the UM side (in the retaining wall soil), and 3 on the DM side. Nothing yet beyond the signals in the background (LR221 & LR223).

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for that detailed update and pictures 59CosG95.

 

[59CosG95]

Thanks for that detailed update and pictures 59CosG95.

No problem at all Phil!

In other developments, the summary of the map of planned works is as follows:
South of Bedford:
Ampthill to Elstow - SPC1 41m40ch to 47m70ch - Steelwork Installation (2200 Saturday 12th November to 0900 Sunday 13th November)
Leagrave to Upper Sundon - SPC1 33m27ch to 35m45ch - Earthing/Bonding & removing redundant infrastructure (i.e. boosters) (2200 Saturday 29th October to 1000 Sunday 30th October)
Luton - SPC1 29m65ch to 29m75ch - Devegetation - Night Shifts (2300 Monday 31st October to 0400 Friday 4th November)
Harpenden to Luton Airport Parkway - SPC1 25m07ch to 28m60ch - Steelwork Installation - Night Shifts (2200 Monday 14th November to 0600 Wednesday 16th November)
Harpenden to East Hyde - SPC1 24m30ch to 26m60ch - Overhead Wire Installation - Night Shifts (2200 Saturday 29th October to 0600 Friday 4th November)
St Albans to Harpenden - SPC1 21m30ch to 24m0ch - Overhead Wire Installation - Night Shifts (2200 Tuesday 1st November to 0500 Monday 7th November, and 2200 Saturday 12th November to 0500 Sunday 13th November)
Napsbury - SPC1 18m35ch to 18m70ch - Steelwork Installation and general Substation Work - Day Shifts (0700 Saturday 29th October to 1600 Friday 2nd December, each day)
Borehamwood to Radlett - SPC1 13m20ch to 15m20ch - Bonding Works, SPS Installation, Cross Track Feed Installation and Switch Installation - Night Shifts (2200 Friday 11th November to 0500 Monday 14th November)

North of Kettering:
Kettering North - SPC3 72m40ch to 74m0ch - Steelwork Installation - Night Shifts (2200 Wednesday 2nd November to 0600 Friday 4th November)
Kettering to Great Bowden - SPC3 73m0ch to 84m0ch - Various Activities - Night Shifts (Friday 28th October to Friday 2nd December)

• SPS & Steelwork Installation:
  • Friday 28th October - Sunday 20th October (2340 to 0730)
  • Friday 4th November - Sunday 6th November (2200 to 1000)
  • Monday 14th November - Friday 18th November (2200 to 0600)
  • Saturday 19th November - Sunday 20th November (2200 to 0800)
  • Saturday 26th November - Thursday 1st December (2200 to 0730)
• Pile Driving
  • Saturday 12th November - Sunday 13th November (2200 to 0800)
  • Monday 14th November - Thursday 17th November (2200 to 0600)
  • Saturday 19th November - Sunday 20th November (2200 to 0800)
  • Saturday 26th November - Thursday 1st December (2200 to 0730)

Glendon to Braybrooke - SPC3 74m0ch to 80m0ch - Piling - Night Shifts - (2200 Friday 21st October to 0600 Friday 28th October)

 

[PJM]

Good work 59CosG59! Thank you.

 

[Trainben]

Does anyone know the future of this footbridge in Great Bowden, Market Harborough. I'm hoping they can just upgrade it and not have to replace it, it fits well with the surrounding scenery.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I don’t but since structural load is not high and no vehicles it should not be expensive to upgrade it I would have thought.

 

[zwk500]

Presumably if they're just tinkering with it they don't need to put in accessible ramps/lifts but if they go too far they will?

 

[59CosG95]

The piers of the bridge (bridge 28E) look solid enough for the deck to simply be swapped out for a new one IMO. And based on the area, there'd be little point making this footbridge brand spanking new with step-free access when a level route exists via Main St (bridge 28D) anyhow.

Most level footbridges in semi-rural and rural areas tend to be for use by horse and rider too, rather than by wheelchair.
And even if a horse rider/wheelchair user navigated their way through Great Bowden Field to the bridge's western edge, they'd have a time and a half getting past the kissing gate on that side...

 

[edwin_m]

I think they're only obliged to put ramps in if it's a bridleway, but if it's the one I'm thinking of it only shows as a footpath on the OS map. Footpaths aren't generally considered to be universally accessible. But the other question is whether it has sufficient clearance.

 

[Bald Rick]

Does anyone know the future of this footbridge in Great Bowden, Market Harborough. I'm hoping they can just upgrade it and not have to replace it, it fits well with the surrounding scenery.

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

Oh wow. OK. Thanks for that info.

 

[midland1]

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

Pity its been there for over 120 years, got a book with a pic. taken about 1900 with the foot bridge in the background

 

[Trainben]

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

It will be sad to see the current bridge go, it's great fun climbing it and standing over the tracks when a train thunders under, although I do understand the reasoning for replacing it.

 

[43066]

Does anyone know the future of this footbridge in Great Bowden, Market Harborough. I'm hoping they can just upgrade it and not have to replace it, it fits well with the surrounding scenery.

The “Meccano bridge”!

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

Such a pity. I know electrification has its benefits but it’s a shame that what is an attractive rural route is being well and truly spoiled. That’s the cost of progress, I suppose!

 

[AM9]

The “Meccano bridge”!



Such a pity. I know electrification has its benefits but it’s a shame that what is an attractive rural route is being well and truly spoiled. That’s the cost of progress, I suppose!

I wonder how the locals felt when the railway was first built.

 

[Peter Sarf]

It’s coming down. Recon next year.

I wonder if a nice structure like that would be attractive to a preserved railway. Probably only if they desperately needed a footbridge.

 

[AL1875]

Any chance of the wires going further north than Market Harborough?

 

[zwk500]

Any chance of the wires going further north than Market Harborough?

Market Harborough to Wigston Jns is committed. There also tenders for the entire MML from Wigston to Sheffield via Derby and from Trent Jns to Nottingham, although exactly how firmly that is set I do not know.

 

[AL1875]

Market Harborough to Wigston Jns is committed. There also tenders for the entire MML from Wigston to Sheffield via Derby and from Trent Jns to Nottingham, although exactly how firmly that is set I do not know.

Apologies once again for my ignorance but how far of a stretch is that from MH up to Wigston? I suppose if these chunks of route are completed successfully that will give central government more confidence to invest in these projects.

 

[43066]

Apologies once again for my ignorance but how far of a stretch is that from MH up to Wigston?

Just a shade over 12 miles.

 

[AL1875]

Just a shade over 12 miles.

Ah ok. That's a decent chunk of route. I hope we get a decision soon around further expansion towards Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

August 2022 edition of Modern Railways (pages 36-38 ) Roger Ford states that RS3 will have high priority because of the diversionary route capabilities it brings.

These are extracted from this article. RS = Route Section I believe

RS1 - Kettering to Wigston South (includes Market Harborough and Braybrooke grid feeder)
RS2 – Wigston South to Syston 19.5 kilometres
RS3 – Syston to Trent Junction 28.7 kilometres
RS4 – Sheet Stores Junction to Chaddesden Sidings (Derby) 15.7 kilometres
RS5 – Trent Junction to Nottingham 13.1 kilometres
RS6 – Chaddesden Sidings Derby to Toadmoor Tunnel 16.7 kilometres
RS7 – Toadmoor Tunnel to London Road 43.3 kilometres
RS8 – London Road to Sheffield North 2.5 kilometres

The September 2022 Mini-Budget has RS3 as a project with high potential to move to construction at an accelerated pace

 

[AL1875]

August 2022 edition of Modern Railways (pages 36-38 ) Roger Ford states that RS3 will have high priority because of the diversionary route capabilities it brings.

These are extracted from this article. RS = Route Section I believe

RS1 - Kettering to Wigston South (includes Market Harborough and Braybrooke grid feeder)
RS2 – Wigston South to Syston
RS3 – Syston to Trent Junction
RS4 – Sheet Stores Junction to Chaddesden Sidings (Derby)
RS5 – Trent Junction to Nottingham
RS6 – Chaddesden Sidings (Derby) to Toadmoor Tunnel
RS7 – Toadmoor Tunnel to London Road
RS8 – London Road to Sheffield North

The September 2022 Mini-Budget has RS3 as a project with high potential to move to construction at an accelerated pace

Wouldn't that leave a gap with no wires between wired sections?

 

[swt_passenger]

Wouldn't that leave a gap with no wires between wired sections?

This very question was discussed at length back in May:

MML Electrification: progress updates

There not bothered DfT just pay their bills. It's stupid, also EMR has spent money on nice shiny new staff uniforms but dirty filthy trains with 222s always dirty outside with steamy windows. I seen the oddball 222104 earlier with the different colour coach now it's had an extra coach, so messy...

www.railforums.co.uk

I think it’s possible to read too much into the short descriptions.

 

[Nottingham59]

RS3 will have high priority because of the diversionary route capabilities it brings

What diversionary capabilities would those be? Until the whole of the MML is done, anything using RS3 OHLE would have to be bimode, surely?

EDIT: Or does MR mean that being a four-track railway, so that you can run on the slows when the fasts are being wired?


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Nov 2022 ==

Wouldn't that leave a gap with no wires between wired sections?

This very question was discussed at length back in May:

I think the gap being referred to was Wigston to Syston, i.e. RS2