Blackburn to Bolton line improvements

[Sox]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/9908601.Double_boost_for_Blackburn_Bolton_railway_plan/

Double boost for Blackburn-Bolton railway plan

A LONG-RUNNING campaign to improve rail links between Bolton and Blackburn has received a double boost.

Electrification and the restoration of the “double track” railway between the towns are options being investigated by transport chiefs.

Now Bolton Council has agreed to seek an alliance to improve rail links and protect existing ones.

The authority will work with Blackburn with Darwen and Ribble Valley to launch a campaign for the replacement of the current single line.

Coun David Chadwick, Bolton Council's cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “Network Rail has started to evaluate how the rail network in East Lancashire can be improved and have already carried out some proprietary investigation work.”

 

[GRALISTAIR]

at least there is constant talk and desire to do something with the railways at long last. Doubling yes -electrification I fear will have to wait a while.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Anything to remove "pinch-points" on this line will be welcomed by the travelling public.

 

[Inox]

i travel on the route twice daily. not sure how they're going to double up in bradshaw gate tunnel

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ditto Sough, I doubt it's possible. Then there's the single track bridge over the motorway at Darwen... I don't think it needs full redoubling, just another loop would suffice.

 

[furryfeet]

Bradshawgate tunnel WAS double track until Bolton was resignalled in 1985.
However I would not expect it to be redoubled since this would entail resignalling work at Bolton.
Probably the easier and cheapest ( from a laymans perspective ) way would be
a) extend the Darwen loop so it ran from Horrocksford Jn to just north of Sough tunnel
b) extend the double track from Bromley Cross to just south of Sough tunnel.

Thus the existing interface between the Manchester and Preston control centres can be retained
OR
pass control of the Darwen to Bromley Cross section of route to a new panel in Bromley Cross signal box. This would then be retained to act as the fringe between the two main control centres.

I know that some bridges in the Turton area will have to be rebuilt for double track and the level crossing at Chapeltown will have to be upgraded, plus Entwistle will need another platform, but there is nothing there that presents severe difficulty to the engineers.

Anyone know anything about these issues in more detail ?

 

[WatcherZero]

Boltons already due for resignalling movements through the station isnt it?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Bradshawgate tunnel WAS double track until Bolton was resignalled in 1985.
However I would not expect it to be redoubled since this would entail resignalling work at Bolton.
Probably the easier and cheapest ( from a laymans perspective ) way would be
a) extend the Darwen loop so it ran from Horrocksford Jn to just north of Sough tunnel
b) extend the double track from Bromley Cross to just south of Sough tunnel.

Thus the existing interface between the Manchester and Preston control centres can be retained
OR
pass control of the Darwen to Bromley Cross section of route to a new panel in Bromley Cross signal box. This would then be retained to act as the fringe between the two main control centres.

I know that some bridges in the Turton area will have to be rebuilt for double track and the level crossing at Chapeltown will have to be upgraded, plus Entwistle will need another platform, but there is nothing there that presents severe difficulty to the engineers.

Anyone know anything about these issues in more detail ?

Yes, but it was a while ago, sorry. The key question we came up against was what kind of service level is required, as this determines where, if anywhere, any lopp(s) might go.

Control isn't an issue, as Preston PSB will go into Ashburys in 2017 and many things can be "wrapped up" in this at little cost.

I am not aware of a re-signalling scheme for Bolton any time soon, but the Platform 5 scheme still has a pulse!

Ultimately it will all depend on the collective vision for the shortly-to-be-electrified route between Salford Crescent and Euxton. If some of the more extreme scenarios for this line come to pass, then Wigan and Blackburn services via Bolton will have to be much higher performance than 150s ( :roll: ), which in turn opens the debate about electrifcation.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Ditto Sough

Does the Grade II listing status applied to the Sough Tunnel make it difficult to obtain permission with regard to any upgrading work there.

Also can someone clarify that it is the embankment land that is the problem by being prone to landslip activity (they do seem quite steep next to the northern portal), rather than any major structural defects in the bore itself, as I have had "confident" assertions made to me with regard both of these two matters.