Rational Plan
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- 3 Aug 2011
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From Network Rails proposed investment plan for CP5 and beyond. I've highlighted the bits from West Coast, East Coast and Midland reports.
I'll delve into other areas later
I'll delve into other areas later
East Midlands
The Network RUS: Electrification Strategy considered issues affecting the whole national network and set out a potential longer term strategic approach to further electrification.
Its recommendations for further analysis are based on the identification of opportunities where future electrification of lines or infill schemes would help to enable efficient operation of passenger and freight services, increased diversionary route availability and future new patterns of service to operate.
Within the East Midlands Route, the Network RUS found that a financially positive bcse existed to electrify beyond Bedford to Corby, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield. Cascaded diesel trains would become available for enhancing long distance high speed services elsewhere. Network Rail is developing the scheme to update the business case but the decision on the timing and extent of any future extended electrification rests with Government.
Hope Valley London freight capability
Construction of additional loops is proposed to allow operation of aggregates trains of
increased length and trailing load between the Hope Valley and the London area.
Peterborough Nuneaton Capability
Capacity enhancements are also being examined between Peterborough and Nuneaton to accommodate the forecast growth in intermodal traffic generated by the loading gauge clearance of the Ipswich to Nuneaton corridor in CP4 and the anticipated doubling of the Birmingham New Street to Cambridge/Stansted Airport passenger service.
Journey time improvements on the total Birmingham Peterborough corridor in association with signalling and switch and crossing renewals are proposed, whilst remodelling of the Leicester area to provide additional capacity, together with signal immunisation for electrification.
Electrification
Beyond the extended electrification of the MML, the Network RUS recommends that further work is undertaken in the future to consider the benefits from electrifying the following parts of the network:
Electrification of the route between Birmingham New Street and Derby would be part of a longer term strategy to convert the CrossCountry Birmingham to Nottingham service to electric traction. Electrifying between Nuneaton and Water Orton is part of a wider strategy to electrify between Birmingham and Nuneaton to provide a diversionary capacity for the Rugby to Birmingham route.
Felixstowe Ipswich and Haughley Junction Nuneaton electrification would allow many freight trains to be electrically hauled as well as a substantial number of passenger services.
Doncaster Sheffield and South Kirkby Junction (Moorthorpe) to Swinton, if combined with MML, Birmingham Wichnor Junction Derby (above) and other electrification further south would allow many services to be converted to electric operation, including long distance services already running for many miles in an electrified area from Edinburgh, Newcastle and York.
Westcoast
Liverpool South Parkway turnback facility.
Proposals are being developed to provide a new turnback facility south of Liverpool South Parkway. This is to allow extra services to run through Liverpool Central station to a turnback facility to the south which will improve capacity in central Liverpool. This is currently a candidate scheme for CP5 and forms the second phase of infrastructure
interventions recommended by the draft Merseyside Long Term Rail Planning Strategy.
The Northern Hub
There are proposals for significant investment in infrastructure in the Manchester area which will improve service frequencies and connectivity across the whole of the North West region, and deliver significant capacity benefits and operational flexibility at Manchester Piccadilly station.
One component of the Northern Hub, the Ordsall curve has been approved by the Government in March 2011 and is now a committed scheme referred to as Phase 1 commencing in CP4 for delivery in 2016. Other interventions Phase 2 are also being considered, targeted for delivery in 2018.
North West electrification
The programme of electrification in the North West continues in CP5, with works expected to be completed around 2016. Local services on various routes will be converted to electric traction following the electrification of additional lines in the North West. A timetable recast on the Bolton and Atherton corridors will be needed to make best use of rolling stock following electrification of the Blackpool - Preston - Bolton - Manchester route, to meet growth and connectivity requirements.
North Trans-Pennine electrification
There are a wide range of benefits from electrifying the North Trans-Pennine route. These include increased deployment of electric multiple units replacing diesel rolling stock, increasing on train capacity, reducing journey times and improving performance.
Proposals are currently being developed to establish the appropriate scope and timescale for delivery of this scheme. North West platform lengthening A series of platform extensions are required to implement the rolling stock plan operated across the Network in order to allow the operation of longer trains giving improved capacity.
Hadfield/Dinting/Glossop journeytime improvements
A number of linespeed improvements are envisaged allowing shorter journey times.
Liverpool Lime Street capability improvements Work is underway to align and develop
opportunities that may arise from signalling, track and switch and crossing (S&C) renewals planned in 2016. Proposals that are being developed include additional and longer platforms, and work to increase operational functionality to create greater capacity for anticipated longer and increased service frequencies.
Expanding the electrified railway
The Network RUS: Electrification strategy considers electrification across the whole of the national network and sets out a potential longer term strategic approach for further electrification. Its recommendations for further analysis are based on the identification of opportunities where future electrification of lines or infill schemes would help to enable efficient operation of passenger and freight services, increased diversionary route availability and future new patterns of service to operate. The strategy has prioritised routes with the strongest business cases, but also recognises that future opportunities may arise from exploiting synergies with rolling stock replacement, development of infill schemes as part of a phased approach, exploitation of synergies with other enhancement projects and changes in funding availability and the industry appraisal process. Within the London North Western route, the key routes to consider for future electrification are:
Cross-Country routes: electrification of the key cross-country routes radiating from Birmingham is recommended as part of longer term strategy. This would enable key crosscountry long distance services to be operated by electric traction.
London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill: electrification would enable the Chiltern line services to be converted to electric traction. An opportunity to develop this scheme may arise with the life expiry of Class 165 units during Control Period 6 and would enable more efficient operation of passenger services.
Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley: electrification would enable the conversion of the Birmingham to Rugeley service to electric traction and provide an alternative electrified
route for passenger and freight trains from Birmingham to the West Coast Main line when the Stafford to Wolverhampton line is not available. It would also allow longer distance services to run via Walsall, providing the city with direct connecting with key locations to the north and south.
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury: electrification would allow the conversion of the local
Birmingham to Shrewsbury services to electric traction and potentially enable a restructuring of services which would provide through trains from London Euston to Shrewsbury. Electrifying between Oxley Junction and Bushbury Junction would provide diversionary route opportunities.
Coventry to Nuneaton: electrification would provide an electrified diversionary route to
avoid the three-track section between Brinklow Junction and Attleborough South Junction.
Birmingham/Walsall to Nuneaton: as well as providing a valuable diversionary route
between Birmingham and London Euston, the route could potentially be used to provide capacity which is not available along the Coventry corridor.
Crewe to Chester: electrification would enable the Euston to Chester services to be converted to electric traction.
Wrexham Central to Bidston: electrification Wrexham Central to Bidston: electrification
would enable direct services to operate between Liverpool and Wrexham Central.
Oxenholme Lake District to Windermere: electrification would allow further diesel units to be allocated on other non-electrified routes
Lancaster to Morecombe/Heysham: electrification will enable the replacement of diesel units with faster and more environmentally friendly electric units.
Manchester Victoria Stalybridge and Guide Bridge Stalybridge Leeds Colton
Junction/Hull: electrification would allow the conversion of major cross-Pennine flows to fully electric operation
Horbury Junction Wakefield Track and signalling renewals are planned which will create the opportunity for linespeed improvements giving rise to reduced journey
times between Nottingham and Leeds via Barnsley, in line with stakeholder aspirations.
Leeds area capacity and performance To accommodate growth and improve performance, it is envisaged there will be a need to create at Leeds station a new through Platform 13/14, a new Platform 0 and a longer Platform 17 together with a new G running line. It is proposed to develop improved access/egress arrangements at Neville Hill depot to mitigate the impact of incidents and service perturbation at this key facility for train services over a wide area. A scheme is in development to provide a station on a new site to the west of the existing Micklefield station with a turnback facility. The new station would be further expanded to create a parkway station close to the A1/M1 link road.
Huddersfield.
Humber area reduced headways Track renewals in the Immingham Humber Road Scunthorpe and Kirton Lane Stainforth Junction sections will allow signalling
enhancements to give reduced headways, so enhancing the ability to accommodate freight growth and improve performance. Opportunities to improve linespeeds will also be examined. It is proposed to take the opportunity presented by resignalling between Melton Lane and Gilberdyke to create shorter block sections and improve the linespeed and route availability.
The Northern Hub
There are proposals for significant investment in infrastructure in the Manchester area which will improve service frequencies and connectivity across the whole of the Northern England. One component of the Northern Hub, the Ordsall curve has been approved by the Government in March 2011 and is now a committed scheme. Whilst
outside the LNE Route boundaries, it will have significant impact on services throughout the north.
Electrification
The Network RUS: Electrification Strategy considered issues affecting the whole national network and set out a potential longer term strategic approach to further electrification. Its recommendations for further analysis are based on the identification of opportunities where future electrification of lines or infill schemes would help to enable efficient operation of passenger and freight services, increased diversionary route availability and future new patterns of service to operate.
Within LNE Route, the Network RUS found that a financially positive case existed to electrify beyond Bedford to Sheffield via Chesterfield. Cascaded diesel trains would then become available for enhancing LDHS services elsewhere. Network Rail is developing the scheme to update the business case, including possible extensions to Doncaster and/or South Kirkby in conjunction with possible cross- Pennine North electrification (see below) but the decision on timing and extent of any further
extended electrification rests with Government.
Cross-Pennine North electrification (York/Hull Leeds Huddersfield Manchester) would allow many prime urban and interurban flows to be operated by electric traction and as a result almost certainly allow some improvement in journey times due to improved acceleration and performance on gradients. Additionally, improved flexibility for planned engineering works or service perturbation would arise since ECML electric trains could divert Doncaster Leeds York without the need for diesel haulage over the Leeds York section.
