Manchester - Liverpool Electrification

[LNW-GW Joint]

Final ole support for St Helens crossover installed last night it's to be wired very shortly

Will that finally use the autotensioner near the signal box that has stood devoid of wires for more than 2 years?

 

[PDG1949]

Final ole support for St Helens crossover installed last night it's to be wired very shortly

Oooh - presuming that means the previously 'banned' station crossover, should make an interesting town shopping expedition...

 

[deltic08]

Final ole support for St Helens crossover installed last night it's to be wired very shortly

It must be one from Spain then!

 

[PDG1949]

Final ole support for St Helens crossover installed last night it's to be wired very shortly

Some pics either side of Corporation St. bridge at StH Central this afternoon

 

[mcnw35282]

Couple of masts up by Huyton bus station, as well as some arms attached to the previous reported danglies between huyton and roby.

 

[Steelwheels]

Couple of masts up by Huyton bus station, as well as some arms attached to the previous reported danglies between huyton and roby.

And there's nothing worse than being caught by the danglies between Huyton and Roby I can tell you!

I'll get my coat now........:roll:

 

[KevinTurvey]

Does anybody know why the new platform 4 at Roby is being dismantled? Also on Huyton platform 4 there are pallets of new paving materials, presumably for the same reason.

I can only assume they have been built or set out incorrectly.

 

[8A Rail]

Does anybody know why the new platform 4 at Roby is being dismantled? Also on Huyton platform 4 there are pallets of new paving materials, presumably for the same reason.

I can only assume they have been built or set out incorrectly.

Yes, I've notice that too and like you got me curious, as I thought both platforms were completed and ready! Strange!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yes, I've notice that too and like you got me curious, as I thought both platforms were completed and ready! Strange!

Maybe the OHLE clearance regulations have hit.
All the platforms were built in 2014, while the new regs came in on 1 Jan 2015.

 

[8A Rail]

Maybe the OHLE clearance regulations have hit.
All the platforms were built in 2014, while the new regs came in on 1 Jan 2015.

They would of known about them before 2015 and surely taken them into consideration. Also the first electric trains only operated from 5th March 2015 on the other "new" platforms along the route!

 

[snowball]

They would of known about them before 2015 and surely taken them into consideration. Also the first electric trains only operated from 5th March 2015 on the other "new" platforms along the route!

I think changes to recent works on account of the regs are happening in other places, e.g. further parapet raising.

 

[childwallblues]

I think changes to recent works on account of the regs are happening in other places, e.g. further parapet raising.

Was it 2014 when Platform 4 was installed?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Was it 2014 when Platform 4 was installed?

The main rebuilding was, as I recall, during the July/August 2014 Huyton blockade, finishing off the stations ready for the new service in Dec 2014.
I also thought the first electric trains through (to Man Airport) were soon after the Christmas blockade.
All the platforms were done at the same time.

Re-reading the thread posts around this time, it's amusing how optimistic we all were about electrification.
We were still arguing about whether the CLC or Calder Valley lines should be wired next.
All the reports about wiring priorities can now go in the bin, starting with NR's Electrification RUS.

 

[8A Rail]

The main rebuilding was, as I recall, during the July/August 2014 Huyton blockade, finishing off the stations ready for the new service in Dec 2014.
I also thought the first electric trains through (to Man Airport) were soon after the Christmas blockade.
All the platforms were done at the same time.

Re-reading the thread posts around this time, it's amusing how optimistic we all were about electrification.
We were still arguing about whether the CLC or Calder Valley lines should be wired next.
All the reports about wiring priorities can now go in the bin, starting with NR's Electrification RUS.

First passenger operated "electric" trains was on 5th March 2015 as stated previously. All duly recorded at Whiston and Rainhill on the day.

 

[8A Rail]

Was it 2014 when Platform 4 was installed?

Yes it was along with Roby Station too.

I think changes to recent works on account of the regs are happening in other places, e.g. further parapet raising.

Any new or rebuilt bridges had the raised "pointed" parapet's put in place at that time. Work on others were carried out after the main work was done with some only completed last year. Footbridges were the last as far as I am were the last structures to be altered.

 

[LDECRexile]

8A Rail has kindly sent a shot of platform edging works at Roby.

I've added it to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157683639340646

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157648494725811

Thank you 8A Rail.

Several people have commented on recent visible work on this scheme, notably danglies in the Roby/Huyton area, masts at Huyton Junction and the St Helens crossover. I would be pleased to publish photos of such things in the traditional, if rusty, way.

 

[LDECRexile]

Paul Gaskell has kindly sent photos he took a couple of weeks ago at St Helens station.

I've added them to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157649792560381

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157648494725811

Please note he posted them directly on this thread at the time, so you may have seen them before.

Thank you Paul.

 

[notlob.divad]

So did we get to the bottom of why they are re-doing platform 4 at Roby? is it clearance work for the new trains or to do with electrical clearances? Seems like an incredible waste of money to be relaying the platform edge of a currently unused platform.

As for the St. Helens Central Crossover, I assume this has been wired in anticipation of electrical trains turning back there during the blockade to complete the Huyton - Roby 4th track work.

 

[PDG1949]

Photos of Lime Street work from SSC Liverpool Railway News & Discussion

https://flic.kr/p/WqFdza

https://flic.kr/p/W8uVDB

 

[8A Rail]

Travelled into the City Centre this afternoon from Whiston and looked at what was going on around Huyton / Roby in connection with the fourth (Up slow) line.

I noted a number (10+) of 60' track panels east and west of Huyton Station lying on the fourth track, these included the crossover rail panels for the Junction too. The fourth line still goes as far as the telephone exchange including some ballast but as yet to be levelled off - cannot go any further due to existing electrification mast in the way! Near to the Junction, at least 3 new masts / stanchions in place too but they may of been there a while. Platform 4 at the station was still intact and as yet no work carried out but did suggest would commence 7th August according to recent notices!

At Roby, Platform 4 Top Edgings / wall have been completely taken up but there seems no work been carried out since I last visited a couple weeks ago. West of the bridge at Roby Junction, again quite a number of 60' track panels along both sides of the Up running line, again including the crossover rail panels.

I have taken some images and I will forward these to Dave asap to upload on his flickr site.

 

[LDECRexile]

8A_Rail has kindly sent photos of Lime St and Huyton.

I've added them to his album here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157683639340646

and to the Combined Volume here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/albums/72157648494725811

Thank you 8A.

 

[PDG1949]

More Lime Street photos from Liverpool SSC railway & discussion thread (scroll down)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1351855&page=369

 

[Elecman]

St Helens Crossover is now fully wired

 

[PDG1949]

St Helens Crossover is now fully wired

Good ! Any idea why it wasn't done originally?

Hope they remember to remove the lineside notice !!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/22116851515/in/album-72157648494725811/

 

[notlob.divad]

Good ! Any idea why it wasn't done originally?

Hope they remember to remove the lineside notice !!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127646831@N03/22116851515/in/album-72157648494725811/

I believe there is plans for it to go, or move northward out of the station when they remove the signalling from the box and transfer to the central signalling centre. So initially it wasn't going to be done. However with trains turning there for the Huyton blockade, and the desire to keep electric traction where it can be used, a small OHLE extension to cover the crossover makes sense.

I don't know this for definite, but there where some documents on the St. Helens Council planning website that implied this. If I can dig them out I will.

 

[driver_m]

I believe there is plans for it to go, or move northward out of the station when they remove the signalling from the box and transfer to the central signalling centre. So initially it wasn't going to be done. However with trains turning there for the Huyton blockade, and the desire to keep electric traction where it can be used, a small OHLE extension to cover the crossover makes sense.

I don't know this for definite, but there where some documents on the St. Helens Council planning website that implied this. If I can dig them out I will.

In one sense it's good keeping the track as is and box in place as it keeps the very slight possibility of ever reopening the line to the junction to get St Helens a proper service to Manchester. Once in the ROC it's probably gone forever.

 

[notlob.divad]

In one sense it's good keeping the track as is and box in place as it keeps the very slight possibility of ever reopening the line to the junction to get St Helens a proper service to Manchester. Once in the ROC it's probably gone forever.

Well now you mentioned it that was the focus of those documents. Network Rail and the council want to sell the land to the east of the station for development and fund a car park expansion with it. The documents where outlining how much they can sell with the last revision dated June. It seemed quite keen to stress the keeping of the 3rd track area, and the package included the details of the scheme to relay the track through there with a northern connection and crossover back onto the mainline.

What stage it is at I don't know, but it was interesting that the thoughts are still there to do it and if they are developing land around the station they may have a source of funding for such work.

 

[notlob.divad]

Sorry heading off electrification, but to clarify it looks like I missunderstood the document I saw. It was St. Helens Councils objection to the ORRs consultation. The conclussion of which is less promissing:
orr consultation on land sale
Although it does state that they removed the sale of the old 3rd platform to allow any scheme to go ahead in the future.

 

[PDG1949]

Sorry heading off electrification, but to clarify it looks like I missunderstood the document I saw. It was St. Helens Councils objection to the ORRs consultation. The conclussion of which is less promissing:
orr consultation on land sale
Although it does state that they removed the sale of the old 3rd platform to allow any scheme to go ahead in the future.

Thank you for that Notlob; very interesting. Don't remember seeing anything in the local press about it.

 

[fflint]

Going slightly off topic, can I ask how the 319s are doing ie servicability, public feed back and have they changed the timetables yet to reflect their faster acceleration etc.
Thanks again to everybody who have been out and about supplying reports and LDECRexile for keeping the photos etc up to date..