Engineering works between Manchester and Bolton

startingaparty · 5 Jan 2024

Does anyone know what the engineering works are between Manchester and Bolton on Saturdays? There's no trains running on Saturdays between Manchester and Bolton until Saturday 17th February 2024.

RailUK Forums

Mcr Warrior · 5 Jan 2024

Apparently it's engineering work at "Springs Tunnel", wherever that actually is. (Anyone able to clarify?)

More info here...

West Engineering early 2024

Northern | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

www.northernrailway.co.uk

Extract...

Engineering work will affect areas in the Northwest of our network between January and March 2024

Noted that there also appears to be one further Saturday closure date scheduled (= Saturday 24th February 2024).

The Planner · 5 Jan 2024

Electrification work, drainage and track renewal at Hindley, under track crossings (cables etc), track renewal at Swinton, track renewal at Pendleton.

Shaw S Hunter · 5 Jan 2024

The Planner said:
Electrification work, drainage and track renewal at Hindley, under track crossings (cables etc), track renewal at Swinton, track renewal at Pendleton.

Given that the Bolton route is being affected by closures does this mean that work is also being carried out at Windsor Bridge North Jn? And will the sidings on the Atherton line just to the west of the junction be rejuvenated to enable trains to be reversed at Salford Crescent from the Manchester direction?

Geeves · 5 Jan 2024

Shaw S Hunter said:
Given that the Bolton route is being affected by closures does this mean that work is also being carried out at Windsor Bridge North Jn? And will the sidings on the Atherton line just to the west of the junction be rejuvenated to enable trains to be reversed at Salford Crescent from the Manchester direction?

Even in times of disruption to my knowledge they are very rarely used. I only know one time in the last 15 years, I think operationally they are hard to access and there's some other reasons but if anything they could probably go. The new sidings are supposed to be in the Salford Central area around the junction to Hope St stone terminal

I think the second to last Saturday is trains via Bolton but not Wigan but the final Saturday weekend sees all lines blocked again at the Crescent etc.

The Planner · 5 Jan 2024

Shaw S Hunter said:
Given that the Bolton route is being affected by closures does this mean that work is also being carried out at Windsor Bridge North Jn? And will the sidings on the Atherton line just to the west of the junction be rejuvenated to enable trains to be reversed at Salford Crescent from the Manchester direction?

That is an enhancement, not a renewal. As some of the work is at Pendleton itself, you couldn't use them anyway. As @Geeves has noted, new turn back sidings will be provided at Hope St prior to Salford Crescent for TRU.

snowball · 5 Jan 2024

Described as drainage improvements in this press release. There's also another press release which I'll post in the TRU thread.

Check before you travel ahead of Greater Manchester weekend railway drainage upgrades

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel while £2.7m of essential drainage work to reduce flooding and improve the reliability of the railway between Bolton and Manchester takes place over the next five weekends.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel while £2.7m of essential drainage work to reduce flooding and improve the reliability of the railway between Bolton and Manchester takes place over the next five weekends.

Every weekend from 6 January to 4 February, bus replacement services will be in place at all railway stations between Bolton, Salford Crescent, Salford Central, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria while Network Rail completes vital drainage upgrades in response to recent storms.

Tom Carrington, project manager at Network Rail, said: “We are very sorry to weekend passengers travelling between Bolton and Manchester for the inconvenience to their journeys while we put in a better drainage system to future proof the railway from heavy rainfall experienced during recent storm events.

“While journeys can still take place between Bolton and Manchester via bus replacement services, and from Preston and Blackpool with train services diverting through Wigan, it’s important passengers know their travel options first by checking before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk.”

Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “I’d like to thank our customers for their co-operation and patience while these important works take place. It is important to allow more time for your journey during this period and if in doubt, ‘check before you travel’ on the Northern website.”

Every weekend from Saturday 6 January until Sunday 4 February, the railway between Bolton and Manchester will be closed while 1404 metres of new drainage pipes are laid and six foot trenches are dug to better manage water levels to keep passengers and freight on the move.

td97 · 5 Jan 2024

Is there likely to be any end to the 75mph TSR on the Up line at the embankment south of Kearsley?

Mcr Warrior · 6 Jan 2024

So, where is "Springs Tunnel"?

The Planner · 6 Jan 2024

td97 said:
Is there likely to be any end to the 75mph TSR on the Up line at the embankment south of Kearsley?

Not if its embankment related.

td97 · 6 Jan 2024

The Planner said:
Not if its embankment related.

Murphy's had a site set up around autumn 2022, regraded the embankment and finished work last spring (2023) but still the TSR remains. Bizarre.

jonesy3001 · 6 Jan 2024

Makes sense doing the electrification works on the westhoughton line at the same time while other works are happening.

driver9000 · 6 Jan 2024

td97 said:
Is there likely to be any end to the 75mph TSR on the Up line at the embankment south of Kearsley?

Already lifted a couple of months ago.

Mcr Warrior said:
So, where is "Springs Tunnel"?

Signed the route for 15 years and never heard of it. As the line is open Euxton Junction to Bolton I assume they mean Farnworth tunnel.

D6975 · 6 Jan 2024

Springs tunnel is near Baildon on the Yorkshire triangle, so I think someone has got their wires crossed here.

edit - it's between Baildon and Guiseley, closer to the latter.

MadMac · 7 Jan 2024

D6975 said:
Springs tunnel is near Baildon on the Yorkshire triangle, so I think someone has got their wires crossed here.

edit - it's between Baildon and Guiseley, closer to the latter.

Are they possibly referring to Springs Branch?

td97 · 7 Jan 2024

driver9000 said:
Already lifted a couple of months ago.

Thanks, hadn't noticed. Not a huge help that the Blackpool North to Airport service is pathed immediately behind the Rochdale.

Lampshade · 7 Jan 2024

td97 said:
Thanks, hadn't noticed. Not a huge help that the Blackpool North to Airport service is pathed immediately behind the Rochdale.

Oooo so *that’s* why the Blackpool - Airport routinely has to wait outside Salford Crescent.

Darren Hayward · 7 Jan 2024

Why this work could not be done in December over the Christmas period with a December closure

The Planner · 8 Jan 2024

Darren Hayward said:
Why this work could not be done in December over the Christmas period with a December closure

Resource more than likely, also you need operators to agree to it.

Engineering works between Manchester and Bolton

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