Possible Merseyrail expansion

[D821]

Merseytravel and the Welsh Assembly have been in discussions About the Wrexham - Bidston route for a few years, I'd imagine it would be easier for two authorities to sort something out than with a commercial body.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Moot given that under GBR franchises don't exist anymore anyway ?

Is that a fait accompli that will be recognised in Company Law? What is the legal position with those franchises that have not been taken "in-house" and still have years left to go on the franchise period granted?

 

[8A Rail]

None of that is needed for a relatively simple (and IMO more useful) extension to Gateacre from Hunt's Cross.

NO signalling required with extension to Gateacre??? Hunts Cross platform three line extended to Gateacre which would chop through the existing Hunts Cross Brick Box and if not, a line extension then becomes a junction off the CLC mainline and none of it needs signalling? I truly think you not meant to write 'none' somehow in that context.

 

[daodao]

NO signalling required with extension to Gateacre??? Hunts Cross platform three line extended to Gateacre which would chop through the existing Hunts Cross Brick Box and if not, a line extension then becomes a junction off the CLC mainline and none of it needs signalling? I truly think you not meant to write 'none' somehow in that context.

I have changed the word "None" to "Little" in my previous e-mail. However, extending eastwards from the north-side platform at Hunt's Cross to Gateacre should not be very complicated, compared to the requirements for extending Merseyrail along the CLC main line.

I was not aware of the odd location of the Hunt's Cross box, but in any case, are not local signal boxes being phased out as signalling becomes centralised, at which point the Hunt's Cross box would no longer be needed. If this is not the case, is there no room for an extra single track (separate from the main line) to run past it?

 

[wobman]

Merseytravel and the Welsh Assembly have been in discussions About the Wrexham - Bidston route for a few years, I'd imagine it would be easier for two authorities to sort something out than with a commercial body.

There's a lot of different authorities involved on the route, but all of them see the potential of the route.
The route needs to go direct into Liverpool from Wrexham to make it really viable for the commutters to use it, the latest long term plan is merseytravel to lease some battery 777 units to TFW to run the route.

 

[D821]

That would make sense. I suppose it would mean that they would be TfW branded and have bilingual announcements on them too, which would sound weird going through Birkenhead!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That would make sense. I suppose it would mean that they would be TfW branded and have bilingual announcements on them too, which would sound weird going through Birkenhead!

Is it true that Birkenhead hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales as far back as in 1878?

 

[paul1609]

Remembering the Electrostar/Desiro introduction on the Southern Region how much has been spent reinforcing the existing Merseyrail DC Power supplies to charge all these batteries?

 

[SJL2020]

Is it true that Birkenhead hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales as far back as in 1878?

In 1878 and again in 1917.

 

[D821]

Is it true that Birkenhead hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales as far back as in 1878?

Indeed. There's still a Welsh language chapel between Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Park, I think.

 

[Bletchleyite]

To be fair the connection between Liverpool and North East Wales is very strong, to the extent that the latter is in many senses an outer suburb, similar to south west Lancashire.

 

[TheSel]

Is it true that Birkenhead hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales as far back as in 1878?

Yes. And Tranmere Rovers won the Welsh Cup in 1934/5, having lost in the final (in a replay) the previous year.

 

[8A Rail]

I have changed the word "None" to "Little" in my previous e-mail. However, extending eastwards from the north-side platform at Hunt's Cross to Gateacre should not be very complicated, compared to the requirements for extending Merseyrail along the CLC main line.

I was not aware of the odd location of the Hunt's Cross box, but in any case, are not local signal boxes being phased out as signalling becomes centralised, at which point the Hunt's Cross box would no longer be needed. If this is not the case, is there no room for an extra single track (separate from the main line) to run past it?

Extending Merseyrail on the CLC line is just means using existing lines and not adding additional line (not sure how you meant your wording, so apologies).

Hunts Cross Signal Box is a solid brick facless building build on the old trackbed (platform 3 & 4 lines) and no way around it as there is very limted space. Scroll down the page of the following link to 'Hunts Cross' for image of outside and inside current box - https://8dassociation.org/cheshire-lines-committee-clc/clc-signal-boxes/ Yes, Signal Boxes are being phased out to be centralised but in doing so, the present signalling gets upgraded and relocated too going by past works in the area. So in theory, it could be upgraded sufficently to allow extra traffic on the line in consequence to and from Warrington Central.

However, any upgrades on the CLC route (Manchester excepted) as far as I am aware, are not planned anytime soon unfortunately, possible talking two / three years at least, as Network Rail priorities are currently elsewhere including upgrading the lines across the Pennines, especially the Diggle route and beyond.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That box is absolutely in the way, but if you're going to build an indepedent line to Gateacre I don't think relocating it would be a huge part of the cost. If there's a plan to integrate it into something else in the near future, a temporary building would be fine in replacement.

 

[swt_passenger]

Of course it's going to cost though, HS2 is now costing over £100bn and they're still pressing ahead with that…

But presumably you know that figure is the exaggerated rounded up figure used by the antis with no factual basis, right?

 

[AGH]

That box is absolutely in the way, but if you're going to build an indepedent line to Gateacre I don't think relocating it would be a huge part of the cost. If there's a plan to integrate it into something else in the near future, a temporary building would be fine in replacement.

Platform 2 at Hunts Cross is already electrified as back up. Can't ever recall it being used. Could extend from there and single line extension to Gateacre. Low cost and if they ever return to 15 minutes service they could alternate between hunts Cross and Gateacre