Meir Tunnel track upgrade 5 - 12 March 2023

[thenorthern]

Just seen this on BBC News

Are they still singling the line through the Meir tunnel to increase the loading gauge or will it still be double track?

Track upgrade in 175-year-old railway tunnel in Stoke-on-Trent​

Rail services will be disrupted in part of Staffordshire next month while a £2m track upgrade project is carried out.
Almost a mile of track will be replaced through 175-year-old Meir railway tunnel to improve journeys and reliability, Network Rail said.

The track between Longton and Blythe Bridge has not had any major work since 1968 and an "essential upgrade" was required, they added.
The tunnel will close 5 to 12 March and replacement bus services will operate.

The buses will replace trains between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent, with a normal train service to resume on Monday 13 March.

Steve Hopkinson, East Midlands operations director for Network Rail, said: "This tunnel holds so much history and is a vital part of the railway in Staffordshire, and these upgrades will make sure that passengers can continue to travel through it reliably well into the future.

"To do the work safely, we inevitably need to close the tunnel so there will be some changes to services and I'm sorry if this impacts people's plans. Our best advice is to allow some extra time and to check your journey before setting off."

Track upgrade in 175-year-old railway tunnel in Stoke-on-Trent

Buses will replace train services between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent between 5 and 12 March.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[3973EXL]

Reliability upgrade through 175-year-old Staffordshire tunnel this March

More reliable journeys are in store for passengers travelling between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent as Network Rail invests £2 million to upgrade track through a 175-year-old tunnel.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

This March, engineers will replace almost 1.6 kilometres of rail and supporting ballast and sleepers along both tracks through Meir railway tunnel to help more trains run on time between the two Staffordshire locations.

 

[The Planner]

Just seen this on BBC News

Are they still singling the line through the Meir tunnel to increase the loading gauge or will it still be double track?

Its a renewal, nothing more.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If only the information regarding replacement services was remotely accurate. No actual timetable to view, you have to extract it line by line from an online source.

We have this from National Rail Enquires:

Engineering work is taking place between Blythe Bridge and Stoke-on-Trent, closing all lines.
A rail replacement bus service will operate between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe.

Buses will actually operate between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent. From Stoke-on-Trent there will be no onward EMR service and the bus arrives 3 minutes before the London Midlands departure for Crewe so journey planners are showing an hour plus wait at Stoke-on-Trent.

Trains will run between Derby and Uttoxeter. Where the service in one direction is one of the 'missing' services (currently only four trains every five hours are operated) the train will run empty to/from Etches Park.

 

[thenorthern]

According to the papers today the Stoke-on-Trent South MP Jack Brereton reckons Meir station could open next year. I think it's a bit far fetched but I wonder if the track replacement has anything to do with that given Meir station would be next to the tunnel.

 

[The Planner]

According to the papers today the Stoke-on-Trent South MP Jack Brereton reckons Meir station could open next year. I think it's a bit far fetched but I wonder if the track replacement has anything to do with that given Meir station would be next to the tunnel.

No, the track is knackered and is being replaced. Any new station doesnt play a part in it.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

A twitter conversation, from 27 February

1 EMR: #EMRUpdate Engineering work is taking place between Blythe Bridge and Stoke-On-Trent from the 5th- 12th March, affecting services on our Nottingham/Crewe route. Buses will run between Stoke-On-Trent and Crewe during this time. More info online:

Buses replace trains between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent from Sunday 5 to Sunday 12 March | EMR

bit.ly

2 Shadey: Replying to @EastMidRailway
Isn't it buses between Blythe Bridge and Stoke, rather than Stoke and Crewe?

3 EMR: Hi Shadey, whilst the engineering work is taking place between those locations, the rail replacement buses are only needed between Stoke-On-trent and Crewe. You can find more information here: https://eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/timetables-updates/planned-engineering-works ^LW

4 Shadey: In fact, when you read the timetable, it shows a bus between Uttoxeter and Stoke...so what happens at Stoke?

5 EMR: The engineering work is from Blythe Bridge to Stoke-on-Trent. However, the line is only completely unpassable between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe, which is the reason for the rail replacement buses. I hope this clarifies. ^LW

6: Shadey Strange. London Midland are running trains between Stoke and Crewe. YOUR timetable shows buses running between UTTOXETER and Stoke, not Stoke and Crewe.

Someone better tell the orange army to keep one track in place through the tunnel then!

On further investigation, there are buses between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent Sunday 5th to Friday 10th then buses from Uttoxeter to Stoke-on-Trent and/or Crewe on Saturday 11th / Sunday 12th.

LW needs to get on top of the situation.

 

[thenorthern]

A twitter conversation, from 27 February



Someone better tell the orange army to keep one track in place through the tunnel then!

On further investigation, there are buses between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent Sunday 5th to Friday 10th then buses from Uttoxeter to Stoke-on-Trent and/or Crewe on Saturday 11th / Sunday 12th.

LW needs to get on top of the situation.

Also I would be surprised if London Midland are running any trains at the moment.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Also I would be surprised if London Midland are running any trains at the moment.

Well, if they could make up their mind who does what and stick to the same name/branding for more than a few seconds, it may be possible to get used to the new names.

We have LNR which is London Northwestern Railway which really ought to be LNWR of course.

We also have WMR which is West Midlands Raiilway.

Both provide printed (well online pdf copies at least) of the same timetable, confusingly referred to as either the Birmingham to Liverpool service (LNR) or the Crewe to Birmingham New Street via Stoke-on-Trent service (WMR).

The WMR pdf refers to services being operated by London Northwestern Railway in the same way as it refers to Avanti West Coast or Cross Country as though they are not related.

Yet online their website says services are operated by West Midlands Trains

The same website states the station operator to be West Midlands Railway. Hartford, on the same route (or not, depending on your viewpoint) is operated by London Northwestern Railway.

 

[43055]

If only the information regarding replacement services was remotely accurate. No actual timetable to view, you have to extract it line by line from an online source.

We have this from National Rail Enquires:


Buses will actually operate between Uttoxeter and Stoke-on-Trent. From Stoke-on-Trent there will be no onward EMR service and the bus arrives 3 minutes before the London Midlands departure for Crewe so journey planners are showing an hour plus wait at Stoke-on-Trent.

Trains will run between Derby and Uttoxeter. Where the service in one direction is one of the 'missing' services (currently only four trains every five hours are operated) the train will run empty to/from Etches Park.

Strange as about a week ago there was pdfs of the timetables showing the buses between Stoke and Uttoxeter.

 

[plugwash]

As I understand it, "West Midlands Trains" is the legal name of the operator. "West Midlands Railway" and "London Northwestern" are brands they operate under.

My understanding is that the brand split was done in anticipation of a split in operations but this was all before covid, so who knows if said split will ever happen now.