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MML Electrification: progress updates

Peter Sarf

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Would you have preferred the bus?
Good question. I would rather have a slower diversion but stay in my seat rather than lugging luggage and myself onto a RRB (Rail Replacement Bus) and then back off again. Not to mention hanging around for said connections. Overall it is not uch pain for the gain of electrification.
 
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Bald Rick

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Good question. I would rather have a slower diversion but stay in my seat rather than lugging luggage and myself onto a RRB (Rail Replacement Bus) and then back off again. Not to mention hanging around for said connections. Overall it is not uch pain for the gain of electrification.

Exactly. 1.1 miles of 20mph is hardly a crisis.
 

DannyMich2018

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At least Wellingborough this weekend is regaining direct trains to Leicester and the north as the Corby 360s are not running. Was surprised earlier when stopping at Corby going north a fair few getting on so enjoying rare northbound regular services. It's great, however to see progress finally been made on electrifying this busy route and therefore reducing emissions and noise.
 

BrianW

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Good question. I would rather have a slower diversion but stay in my seat rather than lugging luggage and myself onto a RRB (Rail Replacement Bus) and then back off again. Not to mention hanging around for said connections. Overall it is not uch pain for the gain of electrification.
IIRC, that's what Transport Focus found when surveying train travellers- most prefer a diversion than 'Rail replacement bus' (regardless of reason).
 

59CosG95

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Hairy Bear

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I'm currently on a diverted train via Corby. Ok as far as Corby but the line speeds north of here are pathetic. Took just over 2 mins to pass through Corby Tunnel and there's a like a severe restriction just north of Harringworth viaduct. Not even going 20mph there.

You should be thankful it's only 20mph or you might end up rolling down the embankment! .
The stretch between Corby and Glaston is very unstable and there's 2 additional restrictions due to multiple embankment slips.
Needs utter thousands spending on it.
 

Flying Phil

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Looks like a substantial amount of main steelwork has gone up around Rushton - a nice little Xmas present from SPL!
Wow! compared to my post #4734 taken on Wednesday from the bridge shown in the second picture....
 

WAO

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Adam N reported 29 masts up. At 50m a time that's c1500m for just one of the two teams on site, albeit with a long possession.

More good news.

Greetings

WAO
 

59CosG95

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You should be thankful it's only 20mph or you might end up rolling down the embankment! .
The stretch between Corby and Glaston is very unstable and there's 2 additional restrictions due to multiple embankment slips.
Needs utter thousands spending on it.
Absolutely - send for the soil nails at once!
(in an ideal world)

Obviously the question for the EM route is which cuttings/embankments take priority for intervention. Corby - Glaston, while important, probably falls lower in the pecking order as it's not used as often for pax services than others, such as the Hope Valley Line. The short stretch on the Up Slow between Oakley & Milton Ernest (another short 20mph PSR) is in a similar boat; while it is on the Midland Main Line, the Slows between Bedford & Wellingborough see next to no passenger traffic.
 

Nicholas Lewis

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Adam N reported 29 masts up. At 50m a time that's c1500m for just one of the two teams on site, albeit with a long possession.

More good news.

Greetings

WAO
So approx 3 masts/hr based on 10hrs productive time in the shift. Sounds reasonable just need to scale it up so they are working at multiple fronts on each shift to maximise utilisation of the possession.
 

DannyMich2018

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I'm assuming the short bit from Sheet Stores Jct to Trent East Jct is also been wired as some early morning and evening service go via Nottingham from the Derby line to and from St Pancras.
 

GRALISTAIR

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I'm assuming the short bit from Sheet Stores Jct to Trent East Jct is also been wired as some early morning and evening service go via Nottingham from the Derby line to and from St Pancras.
On page 48 of this document there are two small maps which show potential interventions on this section/area. Perhaps they are waiting for this to avoid having to redo stuff.


Partial Quote
To deliver the quantum of passenger and freight services required to achieve the 2043 conditional outputs
Insufficient capacity exists in the section between Sheet Stores Junction and Trent South and East Junctions due to the
convergence of multiple routes
 
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Class360/1

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The BBC have written an article about it. Work due to start on the 24th,


Work to lay the foundation for the planned electrification of the Midland Mainline is due to get under way this week, the government has said.
The upgrade of the route between Kettering, in Northamptonshire, and Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, is due to start on Christmas Eve.
The government said the project would allow for potential electrification of the route to Sheffield and Nottingham.
The plans were previously paused by the government in 2015.

'Better connections'​

The government said electrification would allow for quieter trains, greater decarbonisation, better connectivity and more local services across the region.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, on a visit to the Leicester hub of Network Rail contractors SPL, said the project marked the beginning of "a transformation of rail journeys for the Midlands and the North".
"We will slash journey times and build better connections between towns, cities and everywhere in between," he said.
"Under our plans, people won't have to wait two decades for better services."
Maria Machancoses, chief executive of government-funded transport group Midlands Connect, said: "Extending the Midland Mainline electrification is an early Christmas present to the region and is the first step towards giving the East Midlands the transport infrastructure it deserves."
Paul McKeown, investment director for Network Rail's Eastern Region, said his teams would be working throughout Christmas to install the equipment to carry the electric wires.
Silviya Barrett, head of policy and research at the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Electrifying more of the railway is key to helping make one of our greenest forms of transport even greener."
The plans form part of the government's Integrated Rail Plan, which was announced in November.
The plan also included the axing of the eastern leg of HS2 in favour of a link that terminates at East Midlands Parkway, in Nottinghamshire.
 
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Mollman

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The BBC have written an article about it. Work due to start on the 24th,

And a typical DfT press-release that plays fast and loose with the truth
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...0f6c-478e-8c40-45d5c1ee549f&utm_content=daily
News story

Spades in ground as government delivers on rail investment promise for North and Midlands​

The next stage of electrification on the Midland Mainline starts, ultimately bringing quieter trains, greater decarbonisation and better connectivity in the region.
From:Department for Transport, High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, Network Rail, and The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MPPublished21 December 2021

Railway gantry manufacturing.

  • work begins on rail projects to slash journey times between towns and cities like Sheffield, Leicester, Chesterfield, Nottingham and London and between Leeds and Manchester
  • under the Integrated Rail Plan, rail journeys will be transformed across the North and Midlands, creating a commuter culture to rival that of London and the South East
  • plan backed by biggest ever government investment in rail – £96 billion to create high-speed lines, upgrade existing ones and rolling out Oyster-style pay-as-you-go tickets
Just a month after announcing £96 billion of rail investment for the North and Midlands, work is already starting on the Integrated Rail Plan with the launch of the next stage of Midland Main Line electrification.
Main works to electrify the Midland Mainline between Kettering and Market Harborough will start on 24 December 2021, laying the foundation for the planned upgrade of the line all the way to Sheffield and Nottingham and setting the starting gun for quieter trains, greater decarbonisation, better connectivity and more local services across the region.
Today (21 December 2021), on a visit to the Leicester hub of Network Rail contractors SPL, the Transport Secretary saw wiring gantries being built for the Midland Mainline and met with staff to mark the launch of the biggest ever government investment package for the North and Midlands, which will boost opportunity and support job creation across the regions.
The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP visits a railway gantry manufacturing factory.

The Integrated Rail Plan is the blueprint for the government’s commitment to building better transport links, generating prosperity and opportunity across the North and Midlands up to 15 years sooner than previously planned, all while delivering on levelling up the country.
Works over Christmas and the New Year between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge will speed up the electrification and resignalling of the railway and renew the track, which is a critical stage in the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). This will pave the way for delivering passengers in Greater Manchester faster, more frequent and more reliable trains.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
Last month, I promised we would get on with delivering the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Today marks the beginning of a transformation of rail journeys for the Midlands and the North, where we will slash journey times and build better connections between towns, cities and everywhere in between.
Under our plans, people won’t have to wait 2 decades for better services. This unprecedented investment will deliver better railways sooner.
As the first part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, TRU will transform the railway between York and Manchester, delivering more reliable and comfortable services while cutting journey times between 2 of the economic powerhouses in the North – Manchester and Leeds – first to 41 minutes then eventually to 33 minutes. Full electrification of TRU will also increase capacity on the network by more than 90%.
The Integrated Rail Plan will cut journey times from Chesterfield to London to 76 minutes, Derby to London to 58 minutes and Nottingham to London to 57 minutes. Passengers will also see services and capacity nearly doubled, making travelling by train more convenient and comfortable.
It will also deliver more seats, more frequent services and shorter journey times, and ensure benefits are not just for those travelling between the centres of the biggest cities, but also between smaller towns and communities across the North and Midlands.
It sets out a commitment to 3 new high-speed lines including the completion of HS2 from Crewe to Manchester, a new high-speed line between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway, and a new high-speed line between Warrington, Manchester and Yorkshire.
It also provides £360 million to roll out a programme of fares, ticketing and retail reform including the rollout of contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing to 700 stations in urban areas, including around 400 in the North.
The government will also drive towards rolling out digital ticketing across the whole network.
Silviya Barrett, Head of Policy and Research at Campaign for Better Transport, said:
This is good news for passengers who will benefit from quicker journeys and better connections, and also good news for the planet. Electrifying more of the railway is key to helping make one of our greenest forms of transport even greener.
Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive Officer of Midlands Connect, said:
It is great to see the government putting the Integrated Rail Plan into action so quickly after the report was released. Extending the Midland Main Line electrification is an early Christmas present to the region and is the first step towards giving the East Midlands the transport infrastructure it deserves.
Our job now is to build the infrastructure around it with HS2 trains coming to Derby and Nottingham through East Midlands Parkway and our flagship project the Midlands Rail Hub progressing well, too.
Today’s news is testament to local councils, businesses and MPs who have successfully made the case for upgrades on the Midland Main Line for years and the Department for Transport for working with us. Today is a good day for the Midlands as spades start to go into the ground.
Paul McKeown, Investment Director for Network Rail’s Eastern Region, added:
It’s our pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State to Leicester. This next phase of electrification will bring real benefits to passengers and the communities we serve in the East Midlands. Teams will be working throughout Christmas to install the equipment which will carry the electric wires as far north as Market Harborough.
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Flying Phil

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Well they are cracking on. The Braybrooke electrical supply site has two big transformers and more prep work trackside.
DSC01227.JPGDSC01228.JPG
 
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WAO

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It says "next stage" not final stage and talks of the upgrade "all the way to Sheffield". The Braybooke GSP is far too big only to reach to Market Harborough.

Pessimism can sometimes be "fake news".

Greetings,

WAO
 

Flying Phil

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There are now masts up from the North of Desborough through past the Braybrooke compound #3. There are also masts up South of Desborough through to the Rushton civils compound.
DSC01238.JPGDSC01234.JPGDSC01230.JPG
 

Brissle Girl

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It says "next stage" not final stage and talks of the upgrade "all the way to Sheffield". The Braybooke GSP is far too big only to reach to Market Harborough.

Pessimism can sometimes be "fake news".

Greetings,

WAO
It's extremely misleading to say that substantive work is only now starting, as though it is a speedy start following the somewhat controversial announcement of revised plans for the Midlands and North a few weeks back. It's been going on for months, as a trawl back through this thread will quickly show.
 

Mikey C

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So work originally announced 2 years ago, is an early benefit of the work announced a month ago :D
 

Snow1964

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And a typical DfT press-release that plays fast and loose with the truth
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...0f6c-478e-8c40-45d5c1ee549f&utm_content=daily

The timescale of parts of this press release are many years away
The Integrated Rail Plan will cut journey times from Chesterfield to London to 76 minutes, Derby to London to 58 minutes and Nottingham to London to 57 minutes. Passengers will also see services and capacity nearly doubled, making travelling by train more convenient and comfortable.
How many years will it be before those times are acheived

 

59CosG95

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There are now masts up from the North of Desborough through past the Braybrooke compound #3. There are also masts up South of Desborough through to the Rushton civils compound.
View attachment 107382View attachment 107383View attachment 107384
Thanks for the update @Flying Phil! I might still pop out myself this week to get some more details. There's certainly going to be a lot of changes after Christmas!
Looks like the single track cantilevers between Rushton & Desboro' might be tall enough to take Autotransformer insulators.
 

bnsf734

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According to January 2022's Modern Railways the wires may also reach Wigston South Junction depending on what the Governments £249 million investment announced on November 18 covers. Network Rail are waiting for confirmation. It does cover the 125 mph upgrade on the fast lines south of Bedford.
 

GRALISTAIR

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According to January 2022's Modern Railways the wires may also reach Wigston South Junction depending on what the Governments £249 million investment announced on November 18 covers. Network Rail are waiting for confirmation. It does cover the 125 mph upgrade on the fast lines south of Bedford.
Every mile helps.
 

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