MML Electrification: progress updates

[Merle Haggard]

I hope the following is of interest and includes something new.
I travelled on the MML today, and noticed the following;
On the down, riding on the east side so I could also see the mileposts; up (and presumably down) fully wired from Kettering to a run-off about MP77; after a gap, further wiring to another run-off about MP81. Odd stretches of foundations for masts including MP90-91.
Returning on the up, riding on the west side and therefore unable to see MPs; mast uprights (but no more) furthest North start about 10 columns North of Kilby Bridge (A6 under). Other noticeable point is that there's only foundations through Desborough (site of station) - noticeably in the area of the over bridge, but columns (at least) each side. Maybe waiting work on the overbridge.
On this electrification use is made of OLE supports with a column on only one side therefore if you are viewing from a train and only able to see one side, absence of bases/foundations might just mean the base is on the other side.
All in all, quite remarkable progress beyond the M.H. turn back.

 

[PJM]

Nice observations @Merle Haggard, so north of Kilby Bridge is new thank you for the post.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Nice observations @Merle Haggard, so north of Kilby Bridge is new thank you for the post.

Thanks. It's quite hard spotting stuff at speed, takes some concentration! I hope I got it all correct. I am quite certain about North of Kilby Bridge, not sure exact no. of masts.

 

[Bald Rick]

And you’d have been one of the first passengers to experience of slightly lower track under Wistow Road bridge at Kibworth

 

[Nottingham59]

According to HS2, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar grid connection was to be located just opposite the power station where the 400kV lines cross the MML. See the map in post #5168, copied below.

... The 400kV tap was indeed the second pylon outside the power station. It looks like they planned to feed the Kegworth ATFS with a +25kV/0/-25kV cable buried along the southern side of the A453 between these two sites.

View attachment 113230

I had a look today. On the ground, there was no sign of any activity at all, but there was a notice from Rushcliffe Council about a Local Development Order for the power station site and the land where I thought the Grid Supply Point was going to be.

According to the LDO, the GSP site is now destined to be a car park and "Tree Buffer Areas".

See https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/planningpolicy/ratcliffelocaldevelopmentorder/
and Masterplan maps at: https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/media/1rushcliffe/media/documents/pdf/planningandbuilding/planningpolicy/ratcliffeldo/Ratcliffe LDO Display Boards August 2022.pdf

So does anyone know where the 400kV Grid Supply Point is now going to go? I'm told upthread that the electrical equipment is already on order. So presumably they know where it's going to be installed.

 

[59CosG95]

Returning on the up, riding on the west side and therefore unable to see MPs; mast uprights (but no more) furthest North start about 10 columns North of Kilby Bridge (A6 under).

Don't believe the A6 goes near the MML at Kilby Bridge - perhaps you mean the A5199? (interestingly this used to be the A50)

 

[InTheEastMids]

That'll be the work for the ATF then. I'd suspect that the ATF insulators atop little stovepipes above the booms will be in by Monday morning.

There is new wiring mounted on insulators in Harborough. It's mounted high up on the steelwork and starts at the heavyweight portal next to Bellfields Lane and heads South.

So does anyone know where the 400kV Grid Supply Point is now going to go?

So, the pictures you showed were the proposed HS2 grid supply point, and I'm not sure I've ever seen evidence that this was tied into whatever NR were going to do for MML. It's likely that given they'd each want a lot of power, then they might need to be connected to different 400 kV circuits (assuming HS2 ever gets this far).

So, if you look at the transmission network around Ratcliffe on Soar...
(the link shows this on the open infrastructure map: https://openinframap.org/#14.59/52.84907/-1.26296)

What I gather from the HS2 drawings linked in the above post is that the HS2 point of connection would be to the circuit labelled ZD. I have a very dim recollection (which I can't source/support) that the MML point of connection was just South of the Ratcliffe redevelopment area, so if my memory's right then I would guess a connection and substation to the 4YZ circuit where it crosses the MML next to Kegworth Road.

 

[59CosG95]

There is new wiring mounted on insulators in Harborough. It's mounted high up on the steelwork and starts at the heavyweight portal next to Bellfields Lane and heads South.

Excellent - that's the ATF definitely in as far south as Little Bowden Footbridge. I don't know if the ATF has gone in south of the footbridge yet, but I suspect it might well have done.

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the view South from the Langton worksite



And the view to the North.

 

[59CosG95]

LinkedIn post with an update on the weekend works just gone - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/capi...VW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

In summary - the new con-arches and concrete parapets at SPC3-10 (Glen Station Bridge) have been landed, the track lowering beneath bridge SPC3-15 (Wistow Rd, Kibworth) is complete, and 6 more wire runs (3 pairs) have now bee completed.
The wiring images look as if they're in the Braybrooke footbridge area.

 

[Kneedown]

Thanks. It's quite hard spotting stuff at speed, takes some concentration! I hope I got it all correct. I am quite certain about North of Kilby Bridge, not sure exact no. of masts.

I fear you may be mistaken regarding work at Kilby Bridge. Driving the route yesterday I noted only vegetation clearance in that area. The first piling location was North of Newton Harcourt, just shy of milepost 93 IIRR. The piles are then pretty much continuous to Kibworth with only small gaps, and the first structure in place is at Kibworth Bridge No 23a.

 

[Flying Phil]

I had a look today and there is still a 1/4 mile mast "Gap" North of the Braybrooke supply point. That is still not connected to the 400Kv power line. Through Desborough there are still no masts (1/2 mile) but all the piles appear to have been driven.

 

[Bald Rick]

Lots of work going on at East Hyde neutral section today.

 

[59CosG95]

Lots of work going on at East Hyde neutral section today.

Indeed - I saw a few pics on LinkedIn from SPL to that effect. They've cut in the contact/catenary insulation either side of the cantilevers, and put in the white Neutral Section boards immediately north of the NS structure (which I remember to be F/42/06).
The MMLe Map had this in for "South of Bedford - April 2023":


So looks as if East Hyde was commissioned this weekend just gone, and Luton Hoo TSC (near the top of the white line) is being decommissioned at the moment (or certainly will be by Easter Monday if things all go to plan).

LinkedIn picture from an SPL operative on site at the Neutral Section:

LinkedIn pictures from Capital Delivery Eastern showing the disconnection of Luton Hoo TSC from the OLE:

 

[Edvid]

Certainly looks like a weekend well spent. Wasn't expecting the insulators on that NS portal to be removed just a weekend later!

So other than (perhaps) Luton Hoo, what's left of the London-Bedford KO1a works besides the 125mph OLE mods?

 

[59CosG95]

Certainly looks like a weekend well spent. Wasn't expecting the insulators on that NS portal to be removed just a weekend later!

So other than (perhaps) Luton Hoo, what's left of the London-Bedford KO1a works besides the 125mph OLE mods?

The new TSC at Napsbury has yet to be commissioned AIUI, and the existing TSCs at Radlett and Sandridge (MPTSC) also need to be decommissioned. Sandridge also needs to have its Neutral Section removed; I don't know what the bypass arrangements there are, if any, for that. (I suppose East Hyde must have its bypassing enabled so that Long Meadow Farm/Chalton (AT)FS can still feed south to Sandridge while Borehamwood ATFS feeds northwards to Sandridge, and I'm also assuming this will persist until Sandridge goes.)
While the TSC at Radlett will go, new switching arrangements (manually controlled) will be installed in place of the existing ones.
The old FS building at Sundon is still in situ the last time I looked.

On a smaller scale, the bonding works to remove old mid-point connections (redundant now that the Return Conductors have been converted to Earth Wires) are still ongoing AIUI.
There's also the Cubed works going on to re-register structures, and the BWA conversion programme to Siemens Anti-Fall assemblies. IIRC there's also a mini-project at Luton (town) to reposition the crossover between Platforms 4 & 5, either by lengthening the crossover to allow higher speeds or moving it further northwards like-for-like (or a combination of the two).

 

[Edvid]

Speaking of the OLE Cubed works, here's another example from near Ampthill, that same weekend:

SPL POWERLINES UK on LinkedIn: #ole #teamwork

A very successful Week 1 at Ampthill with SPL POWERLINES UK delivering the OLE Cubed project for Capital Delivery Eastern this weekend. Great work from all…

uk.linkedin.com

This is one of the deboostered overlaps, I believe.

----------

Going back a month or so, some shots from within the GSP compound at Braybrooke:

SPL POWERLINES UK on LinkedIn: #teams #engineering #powerdistribution #electrification

Great feedback Paul Walker IEng MIET - thank you! Well done #teams #engineering #powerdistribution #electrification

www.linkedin.com

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for posting those pictures Edvid.

 

[Edvid]

You're welcome.

Incidentally the East Hyde OHNS (F42/06) was previously a regular Mk3b headspan - the start of its conversion (installing a boom) can be seen in a timelapse:

SPL POWERLINES UK on LinkedIn: #midlandmainline #rail #networkrail

This work was carried out before Christmas - Week 33 - East Hyde, but some great footage taken by Graeme Holland When: Works during Weekend 33 Project:…

www.linkedin.com

 

[Merle Haggard]

I fear you may be mistaken regarding work at Kilby Bridge. Driving the route yesterday I noted only vegetation clearance in that area. The first piling location was North of Newton Harcourt, just shy of milepost 93 IIRR. The piles are then pretty much continuous to Kibworth with only small gaps, and the first structure in place is at Kibworth Bridge No 23a.

Sorry for the delay in responding, didn't get reminders for this thread. I meant the bridge over the A6 near Kibworth which I always thought was called Kilby Bridge.
Obviously I was wrong - also explains

Don't believe the A6 goes near the MML at Kilby Bridge - perhaps you mean the A5199? (interestingly this used to be the A50)
View attachment 131761

I apologise for my error.

 

[Kneedown]

Sorry for the delay in responding, didn't get reminders for this thread. I meant the bridge over the A6 near Kibworth which I always thought was called Kilby Bridge.
Obviously I was wrong

No problem at all.
The location you were referring to is simply known as Kibworth, or Kibworth Harcourt.
Kilby Bridge Junction is between Newton Harcourt and Wigston South, and is where the Up/Down Slow line to Wigston commences/ends.
No further updates to report as of today. Passing through on my mighty 180 it looks pretty much the same.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Thanks for posting those pictures Edvid.

seconded great to see the NG side close up

 

[GardenRail]

Another 8 years and still won't be at Sheffield

 

[Trainben]

Copper contact wires now being installed in Market Harborough, appears to be just from Kettering Road bridge, then over Rockingham road into the mouth of the station.

 

[59CosG95]

Copper contact wires now being installed in Market Harborough, appears to be just from Kettering Road bridge, then over Rockingham road into the mouth of the station.

Lovely jubbly! Wonder if the crossover at the north end of the station will follow soon too.

 

[Flying Phil]

Inspired by Trainben I popped along with my camera to Hbro station....


The view to the South above
and the view to the North..


So contact wire on the Northbound line, but still some stovepipes and gubbins needed for the other line yet.

 

[londonmidland]

Some pictures taken from my train today, not far from Market Harborough (north)

(Apologies for basic terminology but there seems to be more STC & TTC placed, as well as the wires from the pylon ‘connected’ to ground equipment)

 

[59CosG95]

Some pictures taken from my train today, not far from Market Harborough (north)

(Apologies for basic terminology but there seems to be more STC & TTC placed, as well as the wires from the pylon ‘connected’ to ground equipment)

They're powering through now (get it? )
Good to see the pylon connected (physically) to the new substation at Braybrooke though - or at least half-connected.
Looks as if the "London end" of the pylon isn't connected yet.

This application has been superceded by application 23/00249/PDN, which is basically the same, but now states that the bridge no longer needs to be lifted (which was part of the original application).

A new application has also gone in for bridge SPC3/9 (Wistow Road), numbered 23/00203/PDN: https://pa2.harborough.gov.uk/onlin...s.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RPPTYMHW06O00

Time to add more Planning Applications!
23/00057/PDN | Application for Prior Approval for alterations to bridge SPC3/7 Wigston Road Bridge (increase in height and replacement of parapets and infill of 2 smaller arches, installation of safety barriers and pallisade fencing): https://pa2.harborough.gov.uk/onlin...s.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RODFODHW0KU00 (not sure how I missed this!)
23/00447/PDN | Application for Prior Approval for alterations to bridge SPC3-18 Grammar School Bridge (same as the above): https://pa2.harborough.gov.uk/onlin....do?caseType=Application&keyVal=RRZA7NHW06O00

This means that, out of all the bridges under Harborough DC's jurisdiction, only FB SPC3-16B & O/B SPC3-16 (Warwick Rd) remain as unknowns.

 

[ABB125]

Looks as if the "London end" of the pylon isn't connected yet.

Are they definitely taking power from both circuits on the pylons? Surely one circuit would be sufficient?
For anyone interested, based on what I can work out using OpenInfraMap and Google maps, the circuit currently connected runs from Grendon to Staythorpe, the circuit currently unconnected from Grendon to Cottam (bypassing Staythorpe).

 

[59CosG95]

Are they definitely taking power from both circuits on the pylons? Surely one circuit would be sufficient?
For anyone interested, based on what I can work out using OpenInfraMap and Google maps, the circuit currently connected runs from Grendon to Staythorpe, the circuit currently unconnected from Grendon to Cottam (bypassing Staythorpe).

Based on the way the pylon arms are arranged, and the fact that I can see the other HV switching site off to the right, I think they're using both circuits. There are two 400kV to 25kV transformers, after all...

See the mark-up I've made of @londonmidland's image below.