Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBLIN) electrification

[Starmill]

You know that diesel emissions do not just consist of CO2 don't you?

Obviously. But a piece like that needs to be clear on the causes of health problems: particulates, NOx, sulfur compounds, carbon monoxide and particularly nasty hydrocarbons.

 

[87015]

Reliable people whisper that operators have finally been approached for the blockade to be extended by at least three weeks...

 

[QueensCurve]

You know that diesel emissions do not just consist of CO2 don't you?

They also contain Carbon partoiculates which have a direct effect on human health

 

[Class 170101]

Reliable people whisper that operators have finally been approached for the blockade to be extended by at least three weeks...

Disappointingly yes. Rumours been flying around for a while.

 

[class303]

Tfl still not announced a date for the reopening of the line. I fear the worst.

Anyone with any news?

 

[hwl]

Tfl still not announced a date for the reopening of the line. I fear the worst.

Anyone with any news?

NR Twitter Feed quoting Late Feb reopening. TfL website still saying Early Feb

 

[Mordac]

National Rail Inquiries says 28/02, so very late February!

 

[AlanFry1]

No way will it be done by Feb, lines are no where near going up at South Tottenham.

 

[76020]

I live in the London area and in the last few weeks I have seen a few small sections of the GOBLIN line on my travels
Firstly the good news, new wiring is installed from the bay platform at Barking up to the existing wiring on the flyover west of the station.
There is also new wiring at Gospel Oak, see picture below from early Nov 2016.

I crossed the GOBLIN line just south of Harringey two weeks ago on the ECML, from what I could see of this small section, all the masts are up including the spur to the ECML but there was no wiring anywhere, also there is a similar story near the bridge that crosses Seven Sisters Road just west of South Tottenham.
Today I went on the Central Line between Leyton and Leytonstone, just west of Leytonstone station the GOBLIN line crosses the tube line on a viaduct and I could not see any portals on the viaduct or any masts in Leytonstone High Street station, not good news then but there is still another five or six weeks before TFL states it will reopen.

 

[fgwrich]

I live in the London area and in the last few weeks I have seen a few small sections of the GOBLIN line on my travels
Firstly the good news, new wiring is installed from the bay platform at Barking up to the existing wiring on the flyover west of the station.
There is also new wiring at Gospel Oak, see picture below from early Nov 2016.
View attachment 30277
I crossed the GOBLIN line just south of Harringey two weeks ago on the ECML, from what I could see of this small section, all the masts are up including the spur to the ECML but there was no wiring anywhere, also there is a similar story near the bridge that crosses Seven Sisters Road just west of South Tottenham.
Today I went on the Central Line between Leyton and Leytonstone, just west of Leytonstone station the GOBLIN line crosses the tube line on a viaduct and I could not see any portals on the viaduct or any masts in Leytonstone High Street station, not good news then but there is still another five or six weeks before TFL states it will reopen.

Nice phot!

There seems to be a lot to do on the eastern section - I passed through Woodgrange Park this afternoon and the whole station was still a building site - and a mess of that!

I've got some pictures which I took in Barking. Will upload tomorrow after work.

 

[IrishDave]

No way will it be done by Feb, lines are no where near going up at South Tottenham.

The blockade ending in February is not about getting wires up, but rather doing the necessary civil engineering works (raising bridges, lowering tracks, etc) that are required before the wires can go up. So a lack of wires is not indicative of a lack of progress towards handing back the blockade.

 

[Class 170101]

I understand NR are having issues with the overrun in terms of possession complications and fitting extra access for Electrification around other possessions particularly Crossrail and leaving access for freight across Thameside to the rest of the network particularly the WCML.

 

[87015]

The blockade ending in February is not about getting wires up, but rather doing the necessary civil engineering works (raising bridges, lowering tracks, etc) that are required before the wires can go up. So a lack of wires is not indicative of a lack of progress towards handing back the blockade.

Well, thats the story now - NR only dropped that bombshell to operators that they are so behind its being handed back sans OHL just before Christmas. Good thing there wasn't a taker for the 172s really... There isn't a plan for the extra access as 170101 hints which shows it certainy wasn't plan A!

 

[HSTEd]

So how long will it be until you can run electric trains on it, whether or not any are actually available.

 

[absolutelymilk]

Well, thats the story now - NR only dropped that bombshell to operators that they are so behind its being handed back sans OHL just before Christmas. Good thing there wasn't a taker for the 172s really... There isn't a plan for the extra access as 170101 hints which shows it certainy wasn't plan A!

The plan as of Feb 2016 was:

http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/tfl-tries-to-reduce-line-closure-time-for-goblin-electrification

The 14-mile line will be completely closed from October 2016 to early February 2017, with rail replacement buses operating instead. Once the line reopens, there will be further evening and weekend works until late June 2017, then four months of commissioning works before the wires go live.

Or are you saying that the wires will not be up by Christmas 2017?

 

[Mikey C]

Well LOL had planned to run 172s under the wires until the new stock arrives anyway...

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Wil they commission the OLE in sections or the entire lot in one go?

 

[Class 170101]

Parts are already commissioned.

However its very complex with feeding arrangements. I get the impression that not all the questions have yet been answered satisfactorily.

 

[fgwrich]

Two pictures from Barking station which came out alright last night. Apologies if it auto rotates again, I've resized them to hopefully stop it but we'll see.

 

[W230]

I understood the case was always as stated above by IrishDave. Not getting wires up but getting everything lowered etc ready. I live between Blackhorse Road & Walthamstow Queens Rd and this bit hasn't seen much work for a while.

There are a few OLE cantilevers up but not much else going on. Though they have been running a water pump 24/7 for days on end for a short section near to Pretoria Avenue. Pumping it straight in to the sewer on the road above. Not sure where all this water has been/is coming from!

 

[450.emu]

Driving up from Stamford Hill towards Tottenham on the A10 (South Tottenham Station) I have seen the first cantilevers being fitted to the stanchions / catenery masts, they seem to be the same design as rolled out in the North West a couple of years ago, no Furrer+Frey kit as on GEML or GWR... No other wiring apart from one single wire at the side of the masts. What looked like a wire tensioner had been fitted to one of the masts just before the station. Sorry, don't know the OHLE terminology :roll:

 

[sjoh]

Could anyone tell me what the work is they're doing under the bridge at Wanstead Park? It's necessitated one way traffic lights on Woodgrange road for the best part of 6 months at least! It doesn't look like particularly heavy duty stuff - usually a van or two and a cherrypicker type contraption, but I'm assuming whatever it is it must be fairly important as they've been at it for quite some time.

 

[fredk]

Driving up from Stamford Hill towards Tottenham on the A10 (South Tottenham Station) I have seen the first cantilevers being fitted to the stanchions / catenery masts, they seem to be the same design as rolled out in the North West a couple of years ago, no Furrer+Frey kit as on GEML or GWR... No other wiring apart from one single wire at the side of the masts. What looked like a wire tensioner had been fitted to one of the masts just before the station. Sorry, don't know the OHLE terminology :roll:

It's probably a bit rich as I should be thankful for the electrification, but the masts do look incredibly unsightly with the crisscross metal and sharp edges.

 

[450.emu]

It's probably a bit rich as I should be thankful for the electrification, but the masts do look incredibly unsightly with the crisscross metal and sharp edges.

I guess it fits in with the rest of the line :roll: take a look at the vintage knitting at Camden Road, and near Willesden Junction I guess to Joe Public who has endured months of replacement buses, they will be happy just to use the train to get to work, regardless of the knitting

Seen the masts by Harringay Green Lanes, but no supports, wires etc. Yet... when is the line expected to reopen?

 

[Domh245]

Seen the masts by Harringay Green Lanes, but no supports, wires etc. Yet... when is the line expected to reopen?

27th Feb. Do not forget that the main reason for this closure was for the big civil projects (track lowering, bridge raising, etc) and not for the complete electrification. I have also read that there have been issues with getting the small part steelwork, which is the main reason for the lack of wires, but it should be mostly there come opening day.

 

[absolutelymilk]

The Ham & High are reporting that the work is behind and further closures will be needed to catch up.
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/gospel_oak_barking_overground_line_back_this_month_but_more_disruption_likely_as_work_well_behind_1_4879631

Network Rail, which has been electrifying the route so two-car diesel trains can be replaced by more modern four-car electric ones, told the Ham&High it is planning to allow passengers to travel on the line from February 27.

But they admit they have been unable to finish all the work within the eight-month closure period – from June 2016 to February 2017 – as originally planned.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: “We are currently re-planning this and will update those affected by this future work as soon as possible.

 

[reddragon]

There are a few OLE cantilevers up but not much else going on. Though they have been running a water pump 24/7 for days on end for a short section near to Pretoria Avenue. Pumping it straight in to the sewer on the road above. Not sure where all this water has been/is coming from!

Banging piles through sewers has put a dampener on progress so to speak!

 

[plcd1]

Network Rail have now confirmed the line will reopen on 27 Feb 2017.

Press Release

The London Overground line between Gospel Oak and Barking will reopen to passengers on Monday 27 February, following a phased eight-month closure to electrify the route. However the installation of all of the overhead wires has not been completed on time and more work is required.

Network Rail set about modernising the old Victorian infrastructure in June 2016, as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan and the work was due to be completed at the end of February. Along the 14-mile route, a number of the structures, which carry the overhead lines, were incorrectly designed and couldn’t be installed at the planned locations. Late delivery of materials and structures also led to further delays.

A robust plan is being put in place by Network Rail to complete the work before the new electric trains arrive in early 2018. Further closures will be required over a series of weekends and will likely involve another full closure for a period of time later in the year. A schedule is being finalised and will be published as soon as possible.

The work will not affect the reopening of the line to diesel trains, as planned, on Monday 27 February.

Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, Richard Schofield, said: “I sincerely apologise to passengers that we have not been able to complete all of the work in the time we set out, and for the future disruption we will cause to their journeys. I have instructed the project team to quickly deliver a robust plan to finish the work before new trains arrive next year, and passengers can be reassured that the line will reopen later this month to diesel trains as planned. A full review into what went wrong has already begun.

“I recognise also that we will further inconvenience those living next to the railway line, I apologise and thank them for their continued patience while we complete our work to enable new electric trains to run next year.”

The upgrade will enable four carriage electric trains, which are currently being built by Bombardier, to operate along the route from early 2018, doubling capacity and replacing the existing two carriage diesel trains. Those living along the route will also benefit from cleaner air quality as a result of the switch from diesel to electric trains with reduced CO2 emissions.

Five sections of track have been lowered between Walthamstow Queens Road and Gospel Oak stations, to create space for overhead wires and the structures that carry them. Ten bridges have been reconstructed or strengthened along the route that runs through seven London boroughs, and three electrical switching stations have been constructed.

Network Rail is delivering the project, which is funded by the Department for Transport and Transport for London (TfL).

Let's just say that's not exactly a good position for the project to be in.

I had a look round the eastern end of the route yesterday. Lots still to do and not a new wire in sight although I didn't get to Barking where P1 has been wired.

 

[Mikey C]

Network Rail have now confirmed the line will reopen on 27 Feb 2017.

Press Release



Let's just say that's not exactly a good position for the project to be in.

I had a look round the eastern end of the route yesterday. Lots still to do and not a new wire in sight although I didn't get to Barking where P1 has been wired.

"Along the 14-mile route, a number of the structures, which carry the overhead lines, were incorrectly designed and couldn’t be installed at the planned locations. Late delivery of materials and structures also led to further delays."

That's a bit disappointing, I wonder who was at fault?

 

[reddragon]

That's a bit disappointing, I wonder who was at fault?

Everyone but the client London Overground / TfL who must be now seething over NR & their Contractors poor management of this project.