Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[GRALISTAIR]

Or quite possibly to minimise disruption after the TRU upgrade has been completed. Imagine it being completed then shut again not long after to replace track, it would be a PR disaster.

Indeed!

 

[swt_passenger]

I should add that the TRU work-site at Morley station was wound down, with machinery and portakabins removed etc around Christmas. However, there were workmen there 10 days or so ago tarmac-ing the site, not entirely sure why they would do that after leaving?

I noticed there’s a caption in the recent video, (at 1m 18s), that refers to installing a ‘maintenance storage area’, might that be what you saw?

 

[grdc]

Or quite possibly to minimise disruption after the TRU upgrade has been completed. Imagine it being completed then shut again not long after to replace track, it would be a PR disaster.

Some very elderly sleepers by Cottingley:


The similar wooden sleepers/track on the bed by the White Rose Centre were replaced last year, so maybe these will be replaced in due course?

Can't be many wooden sleepers left on the National Rail network, surely? From my casual observation even most heritage railways seem to have moved over to pre-stressed concrete.

I noticed there’s a caption in the recent video, (at 1m 18s), that refers to installing a ‘maintenance storage area’, might that be what you saw?

Here's the compound in question, it is freshly tarmacked with parking spaces painted on, railings round the edge and a security guard's hut. Ignore the portakabins behind, these are part of a concrete company's site.

Other observations from yesterday:

Men working on removing the edge of the old Leeds-bound platform at Morley. 10 watching, one working!



First tensioner? between Churwell viaduct and Cottingley station:


(They fitted two to this mast)

TTC next to Cottingley footbridge has had its jib fitted:

 

[AndrewE]

Some very elderly sleepers by Cottingley:
View attachment 175768

The similar wooden sleepers/track on the bed by the White Rose Centre were replaced last year, so maybe these will be replaced in due course?

Can't be many wooden sleepers left on the National Rail network, surely? From my casual observation even most heritage railways seem to have moved over to pre-stressed concrete

they don't look particularly old - or at all bad to me. Nice free-draining ballast (on top anyway) and no rot visible. One minor split which is irrelevant to the strength lengthwise.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Some very elderly sleepers by Cottingley:
View attachment 175768

The similar wooden sleepers/track on the bed by the White Rose Centre were replaced last year, so maybe these will be replaced in due course?

Can't be many wooden sleepers left on the National Rail network, surely? From my casual observation even most heritage railways seem to have moved over to pre-stressed concrete.

Woods will still have to be used in certain locations like bridge decks with a weight loading issue and tunnels if not sufficient ballast depth for concretes. Those are in very good condition at least a decade of life left in them.

 

[themiller]

Woods will still have to be used in certain locations like bridge decks with a weight loading issue and tunnels if not sufficient ballast depth for concretes. Those are in very good condition at least a decade of life left in them.

Still some on the WCML just north of Carlisle platform 3 with 95lb bullhead.

 

[edwin_m]

Woods will still have to be used in certain locations like bridge decks with a weight loading issue and tunnels if not sufficient ballast depth for concretes. Those are in very good condition at least a decade of life left in them.

I believe they are gradually being superseded by synthetic ones.

 

[td97]

Some very elderly sleepers by Cottingley:

The track system there looks fine. The timber split is brittle, not rot. The fastening system is also in good condition, with the main giveaway the square coach screw heads (not rounded off through decades of maintenance degradation). Topped off with well maintained ballast free from vegetation that is level with the sleeper tops.

Woods will still have to be used in certain locations like bridge decks with a weight loading issue and tunnels if not sufficient ballast depth for concretes. Those are in very good condition at least a decade of life left in them.

No timber sleepers any more in renewals - composite are the default in place of concrete. Exceptions in tunnels, guard rail systems and for use as S&C bearers.

 

[Halish Railway]

The track system there looks fine. The timber split is brittle, not rot. The fastening system is also in good condition, with the main giveaway the square coach screw heads (not rounded off through decades of maintenance degradation). Topped off with well maintained ballast free from vegetation that is level with the sleeper tops.

Can it accommodate an increase in linespeed through? 75mph to 90mph I believe is the plan.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Can it accommodate an increase in linespeed through? 75mph to 90mph I believe is the plan.

Based on that picture yes it can definitely. Looks absolutely fine.

 

[Bald Rick]

Some very elderly sleepers by Cottingley:

Look oretty new to me.

Can it accommodate an increase in linespeed through? 75mph to 90mph I believe is the plan.

Easily. There’s timber sleepers and bearers out there on 125mph stretches.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Piles now in the ground most of the way from Cross Gates to Church Fenton.

There is still some to do at the Crossgates end, most marked out and there is a big gap over the embankment West of Garforth.

Then the other big gap is around Micklefield with no piles at all round the junction, and then a gap on the Leeds end of Church Fenton.

 

[superkev]

Latest Sarah Bell video shows gantrys (4 track wide) in place at Hllhouse.
Impressive to see they have most of the fittings already atrached.
Difficult to tell but probably over the 4 new sidings for stabling Northern units.
K

 

[Meerkat]

Latest Sarah Bell video shows gantrys (4 track wide) in place at Hllhouse.
Impressive to see they have most of the fittings already atrached.
Difficult to tell but probably over the 4 new sidings for stabling Northern units.
K

The captions say that there isn’t electrification metalwork on the main lines - it’s just the sidings

 

[59CosG95]

Passing northwards on the DOL lines (Doncaster - Leeds) this morning, I noticed that a number of new OLE structures beyond Cottingley now have "stovepipes"/"drop tubes".

 

[Hellzapoppin]

Aren't wooden sleepers used for a transition between concrete and steel sleepers ? Seem to remember my old track mate telling me something along those lines as well as wooden sleepers having a right way up.

 

[D Mylchreest]

Still some on the WCML just north of Carlisle platform 3 with 95lb bullhead.

A lot at Carnforth but with flat bottom rail

 

[Tetragon213]

Can it accommodate an increase in linespeed through? 75mph to 90mph I believe is the plan.

I'm not sure how much I can give away on the forums, and I can never rule out plans that I am not personally involved in (and therefore have no reason to see), but I personally haven't seen anything on the few signalling plans that I am privy to, to indicate a line speed increase to 90mph through Cottingley.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Passing northwards on the DOL lines (Doncaster - Leeds) this morning, I noticed that a number of new OLE structures beyond Cottingley now have "stovepipes"/"drop tubes".

Are these new feeding structures on the Doncaster line or on Huddersfield field line and you were observing them from the mainline?

 

[59CosG95]

Are these new feeding structures on the Doncaster line or on Huddersfield field line and you were observing them from the mainline?

The new structures were on the Huddersfield Lines (MDL1), while I travelled north on an XC service on the mainline (or Doncaster Lines).

 

[coubpro]

Can it accommodate an increase in linespeed through? 75mph to 90mph I believe is the plan.

Sounds like a classic case of 'plans on paper vs reality'

 

[sjm77]

I'm not sure how much I can give away on the forums, and I can never rule out plans that I am not personally involved in (and therefore have no reason to see), but I personally haven't seen anything on the few signalling plans that I am privy to, to indicate a line speed increase to 90mph through Cottingley.

Well in the early posts to this thread somebody shared a presentation which included the planned line speed increases from Manchester Victoria all the way to York. There was a section of 90mph envisaged through Cottingley, however this could now have changed. There was also 80mph through Clayton vale area in East Manchester but as far as I am aware it remains at 75mph even after all the civils regarding Electrofication have been completed.

 

[Tetragon213]

Well in the early posts to this thread somebody shared a presentation which included the planned line speed increases from Manchester Victoria all the way to York. There was a section of 90mph envisaged through Cottingley, however this could now have changed. There was also 80mph through Clayton vale area in East Manchester but as far as I am aware it remains at 75mph even after all the civils regarding Electrofication have been completed.

As stated, the files I have access to don't indicate a 90mph line speed increase, but I will not rule out the possibility of it being in a document that I simply don't have access to; in fact it seems quite likely that there is a lot more under the surface than the rather limited suite of LAPs available to me.

 

[Killingworth]

Well in the early posts to this thread somebody shared a presentation which included the planned line speed increases from Manchester Victoria all the way to York. There was a section of 90mph envisaged through Cottingley, however this could now have changed. There was also 80mph through Clayton vale area in East Manchester but as far as I am aware it remains at 75mph even after all the civils regarding Electrofication have been completed.

I'm sure I saw an early plan for the Hope Valley scheme through Dore showing higher line speeds across a junction than are now being operated. I asked why and was told that points for a higher speed cost a lot more and couldn't be made in the UK in time. Which is when I got an explanation of curvature and cants across junctions and the specialised business of manufacturing such points from the right types of steel and the waiting list to get such tailor made items for only slightly higher speeds!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Passing northwards on the DOL lines (Doncaster - Leeds) this morning, I noticed that a number of new OLE structures beyond Cottingley now have "stovepipes"/"drop tubes".

The new structures were on the Huddersfield Lines (MDL1), while I travelled north on an XC service on the mainline (or Doncaster Lines).

So project W4 then.

• W4 – Ravensthorpe - Leeds

 

[Nottingham59]

Well in the early posts to this thread somebody shared a presentation which included the planned line speed increases from Manchester Victoria all the way to York. There was a section of 90mph envisaged through Cottingley, however this could now have changed. There was also 80mph through Clayton vale area in East Manchester but as far as I am aware it remains at 75mph even after all the civils regarding Electrofication have been completed.

Could it have been the PWI presentation here, which is only to Leeds?

I found this talk on the Permanent Way Institute (PWI) Youtube channel which gives an up to date overview of the project. There's too much to summarise but there's an up to date line speed graph, discussion of Huddersfield station track layout and plenty more. It's a long watch but worth a look.

 

[sjm77]

Could it have been the PWI presentation here, which is only to Leeds?

It definitely included the Leeds to York section so it couldn't have been this one, although this too includes 90 mph through Cottingley albeit in one direction only. However the speed profile I saw did include 80mph through East Manchester and also higher speeds through the 3 mile Standedge tunnel.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

This was the Presentation. It is also where the famous "You don't need to go fast - just don't go slow" comment came.

The key bits start at 37.00 minutes and the line speed profile at 38:25 - one of my favourite presentations of all time.

 

[sjm77]

This was the Presentation. It is also where the famous "You don't need to go fast - just don't go slow" comment came.

The key bits start at 37.00 minutes and the line speed profile at 38:25 - one of my favourite presentations of all time.

YES! This was the one most definitely. I too remember this bit;

you don't need to go fast - just don't go slow

Thank you for sharing and showing that my memory is actually quite good (sometimes)

 

[Batley Lad]

Batley Area Update:
Lady Ann signal box demolished today 10th March.




Track renewals:

These started in November 2024 and have progressed during the week-day blockades in 2025.

Both up and down lines have been renewed between the Batley end of Morley tunnel through Lady Ann to Batley train station.

The track through the station has not been started. (I assume this will be completed when the subway is filled in and platform 2 is rebuilt later in the schedule of works)

I’ve not seen any evidence of pilling works for OLE in the area. Best guess and based upon works around Cottingley/Morley in 2024, then I would suggest those works are not that far away in the Batley area.