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Ordsall Chord

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mwmbwls

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Did you mean to ask "what if money was no object"?

As for b) that's grade separating Euxton, Lostock, Windsor Bridge North and South, Ordsall Lane, Castlefield, Ardwick, Guide Bridge, Heaton Norris, Edgeley, Cheadle Hulme, Kidsgrove, Crewe North, Winwick, Golborne, and possibly Slade Lane, plus numerous other minor re-instatements (and indeed instatements) such as 4-track Ashburys-Guide Bridge, 6-track Piccadilly to Slade Lane, 4-track Wigan NW to Balshaw Lane, 4-track Deansgate-Piccadilly and 4-track Adswood Viaduct.

Assuming however that money was indeed an object - how would you rank these projects in terms of engineering difficulty, probable relative cost, What is most expensive? What is the lowest hanging fruit - i.e. best value? The biggest bang for our roubles - etc.etc.?
 
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edwin_m

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Assuming however that money was indeed an object - how would you rank these projects in terms of engineering difficulty, probable relative cost, What is most expensive? What is the lowest hanging fruit - i.e. best value? The biggest bang for our roubles - etc.etc.?

I think that is unanswerable until we know what, if anything, Northern Powerhouse Rail actually means. At one extreme a total bypass of existing infrastructure by all fast east-west trains would take some pressure off several of the junctions mentioned. At the other, it could divert traffic onto some of the existing infrastructure if that was chosen to be part of the NPR route.

The other worm in the can is the TfGM long-term idea for a cross-city tunnel. That would certainly be less disruptive and possibly be cheaper than grade-separating all those junctions.
 

Joseph_Locke

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I think that is unanswerable until we know what, if anything, Northern Powerhouse Rail actually means. At one extreme a total bypass of existing infrastructure by all fast east-west trains would take some pressure off several of the junctions mentioned. At the other, it could divert traffic onto some of the existing infrastructure if that was chosen to be part of the NPR route.

The other worm in the can is the TfGM long-term idea for a cross-city tunnel. That would certainly be less disruptive and possibly be cheaper than grade-separating all those junctions.

And at this point I must formally withdraw from the conversation, sadly.
 

Chrisyd

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A few updates from Wednesday:

Main bridge:
by Chris Davis, on Flickr

You can clearly see where the welding joints are (I assume that these will blend in with time):
by Chris Davis, on Flickr

New tracks through the Platforms at Salford Central from up high (chord end):
by Chris Davis, on Flickr

Middle:
by Chris Davis, on Flickr

Victoria end:
by Chris Davis, on Flickr
 
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snowball

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Posted earlier today on SSC by Tony H1 (known on RailUK as Geeves):

Plenty of orange men waiting in the wings for tonight at Salford Central. Also one rather large crane sitting on Chapel St ready to lift the old bridge out so that trains can access the future platforms 3 and 4 and at Salford Central again soon.

Today is the last day you will be able to ride along the old Chat Moss lines behind Salford Central. In about two weeks all the services will pass through Salford Central. Hoorah! Hopefully one day they might even be able to stop!
 

snowball

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The Northern Programme Twitter feed has pictures of the replacement beams for Chapel Street bridge, lying on the ground in the storage area near the Chord works.

Also the crane that will remove the old beams and place the new ones:

https://twitter.com/networkrailnp
 

snowball

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Now at the same SSC link, DiscoSteve's video showing (at about 00:44) the tennis racquet fully strung
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Now at the same SSC link, DiscoSteve's video showing (at about 00:44) the tennis racquet fully strung

I went past at about 1015 yesterday, and it was still incomplete on the SE side, and possibly also on the NW side.
It's quite difficult separating the "strings" on both sides optically.
 

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snowball

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That picture's been up a couple of days. I think there are now ballast and tracks there.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Route now open for traffic and TPE running through once again.

Seems to be bits missing tho....
 

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61653 HTAFC

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Am I right in thinking that services via the chord will be the only ones which serve a station in a city, then a second in a different city, then another station in the first city again, with no repeat mileage or reversals?
 

absolutelymilk

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Am I right in thinking that services via the chord will be the only ones which serve a station in a city, then a second in a different city, then another station in the first city again, with no repeat mileage or reversals?

I don't understand what you mean, which services will do this?
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Route now open for traffic and TPE running through once again.
Seems to be bits missing tho....

Wires evidently an optional extra. ;)
Presumably they will be up by this time next week for Northern to use on the Chat Moss stopper.
Also presumably the trackwork at the Deal St end of this is now complete for both Chat Moss and Chord routes?
That ought to mean no more route closures here until the Chord opens.
Attention will turn instead to the new junction at the Castlefield end, with more blockades needed there.
 

gimmea50anyday

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No, still a lot to go there. One point is in on the down but nothing for the up yet. Plenty more bridge construction work still to take place too

Edit:- the point I think is for a 5th track through Salford Central.
 
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61653 HTAFC

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I don't understand what you mean, which services will do this?

I presume they are referring to any service which will run Manchester Victoria - Salford Central - Deansgate / Oxford Road / Piccadilly

That is indeed what I meant. I'm struggling to think of any others that do so even with a reversal. I assume the Calder Valley - Airport services will call at Salford Central even if the TPE airport services won't.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Platforms at Salford Central will need to be reinstated. Suprisingly when the new formation was laid the railhead lines up with the original platform surface. You can clearly see this in my first image
 

Geeves

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Very nice 50anyday. Looks like you could take that curve at the end at 50 with those rollercoaster style cants! Also loving the European style style platform heights.

I think it was Joseph Locke that stated the reason for high level rails through Central is so that the entire chord is on one level, so the climb had to start around Deal St.
 
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Rail Bus

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I'm not sure what will stop at any additional platforms at Salford Central? Not enough to justify the cost anyway, 1tph calder valley to airport?
 
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