MML Electrification: progress updates

[59CosG95]

However, this is interesting, there is a long single stretch of catenary on the DM from the Braybrooke supply to Harborough station but a short stretch UM, from Braybrooke supply to Bellfields Lane which is where it stops?

This is Little Bowden footbridge.
View attachment 133580View attachment 133581

Meanwhile, further north, masts through Kibworth as far as the Church Road bridge in the centre of town. After that, piles for quite a long way but not as far as Kilby Bridge.

South of the bridge Newton Lane
View attachment 133582
View attachment 133583
View attachment 133584

North
View attachment 133585

As far as I can make out, the Bellfields Lane area is an overlap, with another overlap being north of Market Harborough station.

 

[PJM]

AFAICMO (as far as I can make out), the Bellfields Lane area is an overlap, with another overlap being north of Mkt H'boro' station.

Is this where an overlap would be?

 

[59CosG95]

Is this where an overlap would be?
View attachment 133604

Precisely! The DM/UM runs past Little Bowden FB start here and run south, past the powerlines near the new housing estate and end on that long straight section between there and Braybrooke.

 

[snowball]

The May Modern Railways has an item on p. 11 saying the DfE has approved the project ("OLE125") to upgrade the wires south of Bedford to allow electric trains to run above 100mph. Network Rail will now enter a contract for the work with SPL Powerlines who hold a framework contract for the MML programme.

A separate but related scheme is to upgrade the power supplies south of Bedford for the increased number of electric trains. (Lots of pictures have of course been posted in this thread relating to the power supplies work.)

 

[DDB]

Does it say or do we know when the OLE125 project is expected to complete?

 

[snowball]

Does it say or do we know when the OLE125 project is expected to complete?

Not mentioned in the article.

 

[59CosG95]

The May Modern Railways has an item on p. 11 saying the DfE has approved the project ("OLE125") to upgrade the wires south of Bedford to allow electric trains to run above 100mph. Network Rail will now enter a contract for the work with SPL Powerlines who hold a framework contract for the MML programme.

A separate but related scheme is to upgrade the power supplies south of Bedford for the increased number of electric trains. (Lots of pictures have of course been posted in this thread relating to the power supplies work.)

Are there any further details on how far south of Bedford the OLE125 work goes? I've seen it mentioned a couple times on here that you'd get most of the benefits north of Luton but I imagine there'd be a few places up to Brent X that would benefit from the upgrades too, even where it doesn't quite need to hit 125mph.
Bridge approach regrading springs to mind.

As for the power supply work, all the new substations (Napsbury TSC, East Hyde MPTSC, Long Meadow Farm ATFS, Ampthill TSC & Bedford TSC (plus Sharnbrook MPTSC, Irchester TSC, Harrowden TSC & Kettering North TSC)) all have AT capability built in.

Napsbury & East Hyde have the upper hand as they have additional piles in the 'switch farms' for ATF disconnector masts; everything from Long Meadow Farm northwards would require more civils interventions for the disconnectors and fresh trough routes. None of them seem to have civils work underway for building the AT bases, but who knows what the future might bring...

 

[swt_passenger]

Are there any further details on how far south of Bedford the OLE125 work goes? I've seen it mentioned a couple times on here that you'd get most of the benefits north of Luton but I imagine there'd be a few places up to Brent X that would benefit from the upgrades too, even where it doesn't quite need to hit 125mph.
Bridge approach regrading springs to mind.

One of the descriptions in an enhancements delivery plan from about 2016 states that the work was to allow long distance trains with two pans up to run at “line speed”, and for 12 car EMUs with 3 pans up to run at 110 mph. I think, as you say, there are gradually increasing line speeds, there’s 110 mph through Cricklewood and Brent Cross, and a bit of 125 mph by Radlett, and then occasional 120 mph sections.

But what I’m wondering if there would be any significant cost difference between wiring runs designed for say 115, 120 or 125 mph, and is it more likely they’d use the same kit at the same settings throughout?

 

[snowball]

There are no further details in the MR item.

 

[59CosG95]

There are no further details in the MR item.

Thanks for clarifying!
Sure details will become more apparent soon.

One of the descriptions in an enhancements delivery plan from about 2016 states that the work was to allow long distance trains with two pans up to run at “line speed”, and for 12 car EMUs with 3 pans up to run at 110 mph. I think, as you say, there are gradually increasing line speeds, there’s 110 mph through Cricklewood and Brent Cross, and a bit of 125 mph by Radlett, and then occasional 120 mph sections.

But what I’m wondering if there would be any significant cost difference between wiring runs designed for say 115, 120 or 125 mph, and is it more likely they’d use the same kit at the same settings throughout?

Above 100mph, the registration arms on STCs all have to be Deep Curve, except at bridge approaches (IIRC). This is the same irrespective of whether the speeds are 105, 110, 115, 120 or 125.
The grading at bridge approaches would have to be made shallower to accommodate the higher speeds - my personal bet is they'll focus on using the 125mph grading for uniformity's sake (and easier maintenance later). Each location may represent unqiue challenges, however.

AFAIK the tensions in the OLE on the ECML from King's X to Peterborough (and how they interface with multiple pans at speed) are one of the preclusors to 12-car EMUs (read: 387s) running at 110mph on Cambridge & Peterboro' fasts. The OLE can take a single 91 or 2 80x pans at 125, sure, but 3 Electrostar pans at 110 is one straw too many for the ECML camel.

 

[londonmidland]

This was given to resident’s yesterday who live alongside affected areas of the MML.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Very encouraging indeed. Bit like TPU notifications

 

[YorksLad12]

Very encouraging indeed. Bit like TPU notifications

It could just be me, but I think Network Rail has upped its game on telling people what's happening. As a railway neighbour myself, the work at Leeds Station a few years back was poorly communicated (hence being unexpectedly woken up at 1am while the car park was dug up). The TRU stuff is much more informative, so glad to see it happening on other projects as well.

 

[59CosG95]

This weekend just gone (23rd April), new cess drainage was installed in the UM cess at Bridge SPC3-15 (Wistow Rd, Kibworth).
Think that bridge might be all done now, with the possible exception of new parapets. Both tracks have been lowered and new 6-foot/wideway drainage was installed earlier in the year.

 

[zwk500]

This weekend just gone (23rd April), new cess drainage was installed in the UM cess at Bridge SPC3-15 (Wistow Rd, Kibworth).
Think that bridge might be all done now, with the possible exception of new parapets. Both tracks have been lowered and new 6-foot/wideway drainage was installed earlier in the year.

Wistow Road bridge is listed in the Calendar posted above for work on the end of May, so there's something left to do.

 

[59CosG95]

Wistow Road bridge is listed in the Calendar posted above for work on the end of May, so there's something left to do.

More than likely new parapets, then. It could also be for a nearby culvert, for strengthening or similar.
Suppose we'll find out in a month's time!

 

[zwk500]

More than likely new parapets, then. It could also be for a nearby culvert, for strengthening or similar.
Suppose we'll find out in a month's time!

Yes, although I notice the NR release has it in the 'Newton Harcourt' column but you mention Kibworth, are there two Wistow Road Bridges?

 

[59CosG95]

Yes, although I notice the NR release has it in the 'Newton Harcourt' column but you mention Kibworth, are there two Wistow Road Bridges?

There are, yes - SPC3-15 (Wistow Rd, Kibworth) and SPC3-9 (Wistow Rd, Newton Harcourt). The latter is due for a reconstruction similar to what Glen Station Rd (SPC3-10) is currently getting. SPC3-7 (Wigston Rd, Newton Harcourt) will be following suit soon too.

 

[PJM]

The `Desborough Gap` has pretty much been stuffed!
Gladstone Road looking north.


Co-op car park looking south.




About 200 metres without piles between this point and Gladstone Road.

 

[Flying Phil]

Thanks for the update pictures PJM.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The `Desborough Gap` has pretty much been stuffed!
Gladstone Road looking north.
View attachment 133756
The mast on RHS is well setback?

 

[snowball]

Signal sighting?

The row of four masts seem to be successively more offset from the track.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Signal sighting?

The row of four masts seem to be successively more offset from the track.

Could be all these factors that have to be taken into consideration now the structures are so much larger than BR mkIII masts

 

[59CosG95]

Signal sighting?

The row of four masts seem to be successively more offset from the track.

Definitely signal sighting. Looks like the RHS is for a Mid Point Anchor portal too, and they probably would have opted for the RHS (Series 1) design owing to the radial loads presented by the curve here (although ground conditions presumably also have a part to play at this spot. I've seen it elsewhere where the MPA portal is a standard Series 2/MkIII design, both on tangent track and on curves (that applies to the Series 1 design too)).

 

[PJM]

Little Bowden footbridge, a new pile? What purpose? At this point there is double catenary.

 

[59CosG95]

Little Bowden footbridge, a new pile? What purpose? At this point there is double catenary.
View attachment 133786

That's most likely to anchor the UM ATF south of the footbridge to allow it to pass beneath the bridge in a trough.
Currently, it's temporarily attached to the TTC there and anchored to the SSA north of the bridge, until the new mast goes in.

 

[PJM]

This?

 

[59CosG95]

This?
View attachment 133801

Yep, that's the one. The way I see it, they've temporarily anchored the ATF there to get all 4 of them in the Little Bowden area (from the local powerlines to the overlap at Bellfields Road) run in as few shifts as possible (or maybe even one shift). Once the missing mast is in on the London side, they can simply anchor it there and wait for the cable installation team to come along.

When that'll be, however, I'm less sure on. I've no idea how far the base is into the 28-day curing period.

 

[PJM]

Thanks for the insight, that shot was taken on 20th April, so at least a few weeks for the curing.

 

[Edvid]

AFAIK the tensions in the OLE on the ECML from King's X to Peterborough (and how they interface with multiple pans at speed) are one of the preclusors to 12-car EMUs (read: 387s) running at 110mph on Cambridge & Peterboro' fasts. The OLE can take a single 91 or 2 80x pans at 125, sure, but 3 Electrostar pans at 110 is one straw too many for the ECML camel.

Interesting that the OLE125 programme appears to be driven by two different needs - regrading / re-registration (primarily for the 125mph 2x810 pans) and retensioning (for the 110mph 3x360 pans).

Out of curiosity, what particular workstreams do the terms "SoBEER" and "MML3" refer to? And what is the former short for?