Except that, on its own, it doesn't realise a single extra train path...
I thought it was required for 2tph to Kings Lynn as per govai contract commitments
Except that, on its own, it doesn't realise a single extra train path...
I thought it was required for 2tph to Kings Lynn as per govai contract commitments
Perhaps the job needs to be combined with a revised scope including the Ipswich line, adding about a mile of double track from the junction south of Ely over the new river bridge instead of the complete doubling to Soham planned previously and recently shelved. The more limited double track could be combined with one or two additional block signals along the single line, so flights of long intermodal trains could be assembled in the Ely area then dispatched closely following each other over the single line towards Felixstowe.
There is no point doubling Soham to take more freight unless they do work on the Felixstowe line first, and as that is unlikely in the forseeable future, there seems little point, as extra freight cant be handled, there is too much now for what is there !
Well you have to do something first! I thought part of the argument for improving the Ely route was to divert more of the existing trains away from London, where there's also a capacity crisis due to far more passenger traffic on the NLL etc.
Note my argument was for a more limited Soham scheme (i.e only a short double section at the Ely end, so the remainder of the single line could be used more flexibly and effectively.
Except that, on its own, it doesn't realise a single extra train path...
What kind of work do you need for that? Are we talking about just a recast, or additional resignalling, or something altogether more expensive?
There is no point doubling Soham to take more freight unless they do work on the Felixstowe line first, and as that is unlikely in the forseeable future, there seems little point, as extra freight cant be handled, there is too much now for what is there !
The Ely-Soham and Felixstowe lines have always been single track...
They tried to put in freight loops at the Ely end put they lost funding from Europe due to not making the start date
People on this forum claim the compound for the work was set up/cleared
Railway herald article
http://railwayherald.com/uknews/work_starts_on_new_freight_loops_at_ely
I thought it was required for 2tph to Kings Lynn as per govai contract commitments
Except that, on its own, it doesn't realise a single extra train path...
They don't necessarily have to do anymore work on the Felixstowe line, there was talk of withdrawing the passenger service between Ipswich and Felixstowe with the port owners paying for replacement buses although that idea has gone quiet in recent months
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No, not correct, only in recent years, before the war and before Soham nearly got obliterated by a MOD train it was double all the way (Ely to Soham)
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Yes because the money was specifically for the loops, however they decided they wanted to double Ely to Soham instead so the money had to go back, infrastructure was set up at Ely for months with hardly any work taking place then they just cleared up and went overnight, the location was next to the bridge that collapsed they built a roadway down there and a yard, had office portokabins and other machinery present then as I said they disappeared
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I think they will need to spend more money and do more work than Ely North Junction for these ECS moves (if you have been on any the hourly services between 9am and 4pm you will know why I have just called them ECS moves)
In truth the trains they send down there after 6pm get stacked at Littleport and usually arrive at KLN late
They don't necessarily have to do anymore work on the Felixstowe line, there was talk of withdrawing the passenger service between Ipswich and Felixstowe with the port owners paying for replacement buses although that idea has gone quiet in recent months
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
No, not correct, only in recent years, before the war and before Soham nearly got obliterated by a MOD train it was double all the way (Ely to Soham)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yes because the money was specifically for the loops, however they decided they wanted to double Ely to Soham instead so the money had to go back, infrastructure was set up at Ely for months with hardly any work taking place then they just cleared up and went overnight, the location was next to the bridge that collapsed they built a roadway down there and a yard, had office portokabins and other machinery present then as I said they disappeared
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I think they will need to spend more money and do more work than Ely North Junction for these ECS moves (if you have been on any the hourly services between 9am and 4pm you will know why I have just called them ECS moves)
In truth the trains they send down there after 6pm get stacked at Littleport and usually arrive at KLN late
CockneySparrow, the line from Soham to Ely Dock Jn was always single with a passing loop for freight at Barway. The LNER had a scheme to double it before WWII but the money got diverted elsewhere due to the war.
at the end of the day it is the busiest Port in the UK, the busiest Rail Port in the UK, and has a 1950's single lane country B road running to it !
The modern A14 dual-carriageway trunk road runs right into the port area.
That's the first time I've ever heard the term 'modern' used to describe the A14...
Bidi on the curve would have been good, but would have required another set of crossovers at each end.
So a 'Ha'porth of tar' really in comparison to all the other work that had to be done. The people and equipment had to be on-site to put in the new junctions and signalling anyway, so the incremental cost should have been quite low if it was all done at the same time.
A good start on relieving congestion on the Felixstowe branch would be the banning of light engine movements.
Any light engine to or from the docks should be attached, top or tail, to a revenue freight.
It's not the final solution but it could buy a bit of time.
Ely to Soham re-double has been officially postponed anyway as the initial surveys have indicated the cost will be way above original budget.
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Or minimised - used to gt 4x37 coupled together to work the 2130 and 2200 departures to Trafford Park. This was in 1981 though.
A fuelling point at Felixstowe might also help.
Which is, presumably, why MarkyT suggested just doing the first mile south of Ely.
What makes the cost so much above the originally planned budget - land stabilisation?
There aren't actually that many light engine moves at the moment. Those that do exist are either when theres not much else about or going from one terminal to the other via Trimley.
...and the removal of a LE path doesn't necessarily equate to an additional freight path.
There aren't actually that many light engine moves at the moment. Those that do exist are either when theres not much else about or going from one terminal to the other via Trimley.