Blackpool - Manchester Electrification

[cool2005]

when are they going 2 be starting on the blackpool north line and is it true they getting rid of 2 platforms?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

when are they going 2 be starting on the blackpool north line and is it true they getting rid of 2 platforms?

Define start. All/most of the civil were done nearly 4 years ago.

 

[Jamesrob637]

I went from Salford to Bolton yesterday and you would have been very hard-pressed to believe that electrification will be achieved by December 2017! A few bases here and there if that! Is the line from Manchester to Bolton going to be closed on occasions next year, in order to allow the wiring to progress?

 

[Geeves]

This is the post from the Northern internal site 'The shed'

Thought you guys might like to read it too

If you’ve been travelling past Leyland and Preston in the past few weeks, you may have noticed a flurry of activity. Network Rail have been busy mobilising temporary sidings at both sites.

Sidings at Preston Croft Street and the disused Leyland Lancashire Enterprises Sidings are being redeveloped as temporary sidings. These will provide an alternative stabling locations to Blackpool LMD whilst the route between Preston and Blackpool gets electrified.

The first mid-week possessions to deliver the electrification will commence at the beginning of October. When this happens some of the units that normally stable at Blackpool will be stabled at both Preston and Leyland. Possessions will continue in preparation for a blockade starting in November 2017, in order to deliver an electrified route between Preston and Blackpool by May 2018.

At Leyland, Network Rail are in the process of laying new track and ballast, with wash plant, tanking, sanding and fuelling facilities built to enable the servicing of our trains.

At Preston fuelling equipment is being installed. This will supplement the equipment already on site to support the servicing of some TPE vehicles.

Work is expected to be completed at both sites by early September. Plans are being put in place for Northern to mobilise at the sites throughout September in ready for the sites to become operational in October.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Some more piles have appeared on the Up line.
There are now about 12 north of Horwich, and a second at Pendleton.
I think I can now see the "wires on poles" problem.
There are low level power lines along both sides of the track, for about a mile through Horwich.
They run at about catenary height, sometimes only just outside the railway boundary.
I'm not sure why the type of mast base makes any difference to the OHLE installation, though.

 

[ianhr]

This is the post from the Northern internal site 'The shed'

Thought you guys might like to read it too

Interesting, but no reference to Salford-Leyland. Does this mean that Preston-Blackpool will be finished first?...If so the only benefit at that stage will be the extension of the Liverpool-Preston 319s to Blackpool.

There were notices at Man Vic last Saturday (20th) saying that TPE trains would not be running through Victoria due to work taking place to "electrify the line" between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Interesting, but no reference to Salford-Leyland. Does this mean that Preston-Blackpool will be finished first?...If so the only benefit at that stage will be the extension of the Liverpool-Preston 319s to Blackpool.

There were notices at Man Vic last Saturday (20th) saying that TPE trains would not be running through Victoria due to work taking place to "electrify the line" between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge!

My guess is that the work at Blackpool will be the start of the resignalling/remodelling project at Blackpool itself, rather than directly linked to electrification from Preston.
Looks like they will be decommissioning the carriage sidings and maybe some platforms.
The current Stalybridge line work is also route upgrade (track in this case) rather than electrification.

 

[Whistler40145]

Interesting, but no reference to Salford-Leyland. Does this mean that Preston-Blackpool will be finished first?...If so the only benefit at that stage will be the extension of the Liverpool-Preston 319s to Blackpool.

There were notices at Man Vic last Saturday (20th) saying that TPE trains would not be running through Victoria due to work taking place to "electrify the line" between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge!

If Blackpool North to Preston is completed first, not only will the Preston to Liverpool Class 319 services be extended to Blackpool, but Virgin would be able to transfer the Euston service to a Pendolino.

If this is true, surely this is down to the fact that it's only 17 miles to wire, which of course would take less time to complete.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[GRALISTAIR]

If Blackpool North to Preston is completed first, not only will the Preston to Liverpool Class 319 services be extended to Blackpool, but Virgin would be able to transfer the Euston service to a Pendolino.

If this is true, surely this is down to the fact that it's only 17 miles to wire, which of course would take less time to complete.

And in 2012 was initially planned to be done first anyway.

 

[Geeves]

Also you have to remember for the sake of passenger confusion the electrification work from Bolton to Chorley comes under its own advertising and route plan and that is how it is put over to the passengers.

We of course know it to all be one project but for the passengers poor mind and hatred of buses this is how it being put out in two easy to handle dollops

 

[cool2005]

what do you mean by remodeling the station?

 

[LDECRexile]

I'm pleased to hear that some piles have gone in.

ALX400 has sent some photos of the work at Chorley which I've added to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157651121057352

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157661069863633

Thank you ALX400

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

what do you mean by remodeling the station?

Taking out steam-age facilities and rebuilding the place for the future.
Usually involves considerable simplification and a more flexible layout, maybe with fewer, straighter platforms.
Probably some reversible signalling towards Poulton.
It's complicated by the large amount of sidings still there from when Blackpool hosted wakes weeks and frequent excursions.

They might even remodel the layout at Kirkham too, with one of the oddest avoiding lines in the country.
I think the Fleetwood junction at Poulton is coming out too.
All the manual signalling (semaphores) has also to be replaced.
Most of this will be done during a blitz 2017/18, but NR has to get started well in advance of that, probably doing part of the station at a time.

 

[cool2005]

Taking out steam-age facilities and rebuilding the place for the future.
Usually involves considerable simplification and a more flexible layout, maybe with fewer, straighter platforms.
Probably some reversible signalling towards Poulton.
It's complicated by the large amount of sidings still there from when Blackpool hosted wakes weeks and frequent excursions.

They might even remodel the layout at Kirkham too, with one of the oddest avoiding lines in the country.
I think the Fleetwood junction at Poulton is coming out too.
All the manual signalling (semaphores) has also to be replaced.
Most of this will be done during a blitz 2017/18, but NR has to get started well in advance of that, probably doing part of the station at a time.

The station well needs an upgrade during winter it's freezing in there and the QS To manchester end up going past the ticket gate. there used to be a big shop that closed down and now it's just a car park couldn't they end some extra lines in or even extended the station?

 

[PR1Berske]

Removing the Fleetwood link will be very controversial. Enthusiasts who dream of a return to passenger services will have to admit defeat when it comes.

 

[Joseph_Locke]

what do you mean by remodeling the station?

It would have been easier to answer this if you'd quoted the original statement: I'm going to assume you mean Blackpool North?

The signal box is abolished and control of the area passed to MROC at Ashburys. The area is thus completely resignalled and re-interlocked. The opportunity is being taken to rationalise the S&C, and straighten and lengthen the platforms, to suit current and medium-term future needs.

AFAIK the station buildings and facilities are untouched by these works.

Removing the Fleetwood link will be very controversial. Enthusiasts who dream of a return to passenger services will have to admit defeat when it comes.

You implicitly make the assumption that the current layout is the best one: it may be better to route the Fleetwood branch through a new platform on the north side and then make the junction on the Preston end of the station, giving Poulton an extra platform.

Northern Hub may actually be doing some good ...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Doesn't the revised track layout at Blackpool North in connection with electrification involve reducing the number of platforms to six and straightening them out?

If Blackpool North to Preston is completed first, not only will the Preston to Liverpool Class 319 services be extended to Blackpool, but Virgin would be able to transfer the Euston service to a Pendolino.

I can't speak for the return leg northbound in the evening, but the morning service couples to the 0448 ex-Holyhead at Crewe to form a double set to Euston, so I can't see it happening that way at least.

 

[Chrism20]

Doesn't the revised track layout at Blackpool North in connection with electrification involve reducing the number of platforms to six and straightening them out?



I can't speak for the return leg northbound in the evening, but the morning service couples to the 0448 ex-Holyhead at Crewe to form a double set to Euston, so I can't see it happening that way at least.

The return is a single all the way.

If demand was required the outbound in the morning could be swapped with the early Lancaster I suppose but that would mean that one running a bit later so that it connected with the other voyager so not much point until the recast.

 

[scrapy]

Not sure if the number of platforms at Blackpool North after remodelling has been finalised. There will definitely be a reduction but I've also heard a reduction to 4 platforms (two 8 car & two 11 car) being talked about.

 

[El Blanco]

Summary information regarding Blackpool and Kirkham here.

http://www.travelwatch-northwest.org.uk/NWelectrification_0616.pdf

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Summary information regarding Blackpool and Kirkham here.
http://www.travelwatch-northwest.org.uk/NWelectrification_0616.pdf

Seems to be the official plan.
Looks like a new Up platform at Kirkham and the elimination of the avoiding lines. The Blackpool South branch gets its own platform.
6 platforms at Blackpool North instead of 8, and a much simpler and faster layout with 80mph towards Poulton (but still 75 at Kirkham).

The dates are the ones we know from Hendy.
But it's just not feasible to wire Salford-Euxton and Victoria/Guide Bridge-Stalybridge in the next 15 months (plus all the work at Bolton).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The dates are the ones we know from Hendy.
But it's just not feasible to wire Salford-Euxton and Victoria/Guide Bridge-Stalybridge in the next 15 months (plus all the work at Bolton).

I am the eternal optimist but starting to agree with you. If all done Stalybridge to Blackpool by May 2018 I will be happy. They are just too far behind IMHO.

 

[snowball]

But it's just not feasible to wire Salford-Euxton and Victoria/Guide Bridge-Stalybridge in the next 15 months (plus all the work at Bolton).

Well before Hendy, Guide Bridge to Stalybridge ceased to have the same nominal target date as Victoria to Stalybridge. It now has the same timescale as Stalybridge-Hudds-Leeds-York/Selby.

Not that that's a very big subtraction from the work to be done.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Well before Hendy, Guide Bridge to Stalybridge ceased to have the same nominal target date as Victoria to Stalybridge. It now has the same timescale as Stalybridge-Hudds-Leeds-York/Selby.

Not that that's a very big subtraction from the work to be done.

I hear what you are saying but I could swear I had seen on this thread that the line was going to be fed from Stalybridge feeder station otherwise the power supply would be overloaded if done from elsewhere? If I find the post - I will post! So Staly -Man Vic will be needed was my understanding.

 

[snowball]

I hear what you are saying but I could swear I had seen on this thread that the line was going to be fed from Stalybridge feeder station otherwise the power supply would be overloaded if done from elsewhere? If I find the post - I will post! So Staly -Man Vic will be needed was my understanding.

Yes it will. But once you've got one route for the current to flow (Stalybridge to Victoria and on towards Euxton, still with the 2017 Hendy date), the second route (via Guide Bridge) is not an urgent necessity.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Yes it will. But once you've got one route for the current to flow (Stalybridge to Victoria and on towards Euxton, still with the 2017 Hendy date), the second route (via Guide Bridge) is not an urgent necessity.

Oh - absolutely -totally agree.

 

[QueensCurve]

You implicitly make the assumption that the current layout is the best one: it may be better to route the Fleetwood branch through a new platform on the north side and then make the junction on the Preston end of the station, giving Poulton an extra platform.

Anywhere we can get a sneak preview of proposed track layouts. Edit: I have now seen the link posted above.

Certainly Kirkham needs remodelling and interesting to see what they have in mind for Blackpool and Poultice-le-Fylde.

 

[SodTheDrummer]

Anywhere we can get a sneak preview of proposed track layouts. Edit: I have now seen the link posted above.

Certainly Kirkham needs remodelling and interesting to see what they have in mind for Blackpool and Poultice-le-Fylde.

Poulton-L-F is detailed here http://www.pwrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NR-Plain-Line.jpg not sure which document this is taken from..

Note nothing re: Bolton yet. Mr Locke? Is this still secret?

 

[childwallblues]

Interesting, but no reference to Salford-Leyland. Does this mean that Preston-Blackpool will be finished first?...If so the only benefit at that stage will be the extension of the Liverpool-Preston 319s to Blackpool.

The sooner the better as far as Merseyside residents are concerned. I was on P2 at Preston last night awaiting the 2140 to Liverpool and families on their way home were saying how ridiculous the situation was.

 

[snowball]

Deleted