MML Electrification: progress updates

[Nottingham59]

3 tracks to the East of near where Warwick Road is now. 4 tracks to the West.

 

[PJM]

By Nigel Tout (http://www.nigeltout.com) - http://www.nigeltout.com/html/around-kibworth-1960s.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79923178

The bridge is about half a mile from the old Kibworth station with just double track as pictured above so I am guessing that there may have been sidings or some such?

3 tracks to the East of near where Warwick Road is now. 4 tracks to the West.

Interesting, how far did the tracks extend?

 

[muddythefish]

Some excellent pictures there and a reminder of the variety of traffic on the MML all those years ago. I liked the Peaks

It looks to me like 2 tracks through the station with up and down relief lines north of it, possibly because of what appears to be significant gradient?

 

[Nottingham59]

Interesting, how far did the tracks extend?

Here's the track layout at Kibworth Station in the 1929 OS map:

And this is the track layout at where (I think) the Warwick Road bridge is:

Both images taken from https://maps.nls.uk/view/114595479
Ordnance Survey, 25 inch to the mile
Revised: 1928
Published: 1929

 

[td97]

Looking north from the bridge at Main Street, Great Bowden. It looks to me as the track has been lowered?

It has now been lowered, yes - the drainage in the 6-foot (between the DM & UM) was the last piece of the puzzle.

Site photos during construction were posted here.

Central Rail Systems Alliance on LinkedIn: The CRSA team did a great job this weekend delivering 67 metres of six…

The CRSA team did a great job this weekend delivering 67 metres of six foot drainage on the East Midlands Route at Market Harborough. Great work.

www.linkedin.com

Capital Delivery Eastern on LinkedIn: Week 08 - Summary of significant works: Anglia Route Cambridge South…

Week 08 - Summary of significant works: Anglia Route Cambridge South (SRSA) - South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA) undertook a CAT 14 PL track renewal (404…

www.linkedin.com

 

[380DC]

Something to do with the bridge nearby, or the ground conditions perhaps?

A bumper weekend just gone!
6-foot drainage installed through SPC3-28D (Main St, Gt Bowden): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cent...Rt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Ancillary Wiring (EW & ATF) installation works near East Langton (looks more like West Langton from the shots): https://www.linkedin.com/posts/spl-...rG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

113 Masts & 14 Booms in over this weekend: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam...Vb?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

So, there's two reasons:
- CWNS are incredibly expensive compared to AFNS to install and maintain
- The specific issue restricting the use of AFNS in high speed areas has supposedly been rectified and been through NR product approval

 

[Edvid]

Now, that is interesting and I'd imagine quite welcome from a budgetary perspective. Depending on when that happened it may also explain why the Sharnbrook neutral (fast lines) is inline.

On a quick tangent, what does that mean for the proposed Bushey neutral on the WCML? Is that one still going to be an overlap installation? (Note - I've not been there for a while so am unsure what progress is like there)

 

[snowball]

The June Modern Railways has a couple of pages on the projects to upgrade the OLE and power supplies south of Bedford. The last paragraph says

While there is still uncertainty about the prospects for completing electrification north of Wigston to Sheffield and Nottingham, Mr Crook highlights that NR is funded to carry out early development work, including review and revalidation of the design work carried out before the previous plan to electrify the full route was paused in 2015. Since then, new techniques such as voltage controlled clearances have come on stream, and Mr Crook says SPEED principles are being applied to establish how the scheme could be delivered quicker and more cheaply.

 

[Smoggy]

Following final testing & commissioning, Derby ECR went live at 12:33 today, taking over control of MML from York ECR.

 

[John Webb]

Apologies for lack of updates from the Napsbury site - it's either been too dark, too wet or other things have got in the way! However I managed to stop on my way home from an Open Afternoon at the St Albans South box today.
The site has been much tidied up:


I did try to wend my way through the scrubland on the opposite side of the line to get a view of the connections to the OLE, but that proved impossible due to the density of growth and the lack of a footpath along Napsbury Lane - a well-used short-cut by the locals and others.
This is the best view I could get - taken from the west side of the road bridge:

 

[Ploughman]

Following final testing & commissioning, Derby ECR went live at 12:33 today, taking over control of MML from York ECR.

What is the boundary mileage now?

 

[Elecman]

What is the boundary mileage now?

Presumably the whole of the MML from St Pancras?

 

[59CosG95]

Presumably the whole of the MML from St Pancras?

And perhaps the Thameslink Core from City Thameslink northward as well?

ISTR that there are neutral sections in the Canal Tunnels separating the MML & ECML supplies; I imagine everything north of those neutrals remains under York's jurisdiction.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Apologies for lack of updates from the Napsbury site - it's either been too dark, too wet or other things have got in the way!
This is the best view I could get - taken from the west side of the road bridge:
View attachment 136107

looks pretty darned good to me. Thanks for posting.

 

[Edvid]

The June Modern Railways has a couple of pages on the projects to upgrade the OLE and power supplies south of Bedford. [...]

I've attached screenshots of the article. Not the best quality so I'll list the key OLE125 points (plus my own additions/interpretations in italics):

* Scheme was approved in March 2023 and priced at £84m; wholesale OLE replacement was considered but not chosen (implied cost £~250m)
* Hendon mentioned as the project's southern limit (further south towards Cricklewood already delivered by the BCW project, including a mid-point anchor portal I think)
* Around half of the ~800 headspans "are in need of imminent replacement to improve resilience and electrical safety", either within OLE125 or the ongoing asset management programme; existing contact/catenary wires and (for the most part) masts to be kept (no portalisation at key crossovers?)
* Adjustments to contact wire grading/tension for the benefit of both 810s and 360s (already known here, but good to see in a published article nonetheless)
* First associated weekend closure (for Luton - Bedford) will be sometime this autumn; Hendon - Luton will require a longer blockade (at least one week)
* Completion of the project currently estimated around summer 2025 and not tied to fleet or timetable changes; the 810s will initially have to run on diesel along part of the BedPan stretch (southernmost power changeover near Borehamwood suggested)

As for the power supply work I presume 17/18 June (looks like a busy weekend!) will pretty much be the last of it unless a conversion to AT feeding north of Borehamwood is funded.

 

[zwk500]

I've attached screenshots of the article. Not the best quality so I'll list the key OLE125 points (plus my own additions/interpretations in italics):

* Scheme was approved in March 2023 and priced at £84m; wholesale OLE replacement was considered but not chosen (implied cost £~250m)
* Hendon mentioned as the project's southern limit (further south towards Cricklewood already delivered by the BCW project, including a mid-point anchor portal I think)
* Around half of the ~800 headspans "are in need of imminent replacement to improve resilience and electrical safety", either within OLE125 or the ongoing asset management programme; existing contact/catenary wires and (for the most part) masts to be kept (no portalisation at key crossovers?)
* Adjustments to contact wire grading/tension for the benefit of both 810s and 360s (already known here, but good to see in a published article nonetheless)
* First associated weekend closure (for Luton - Bedford) will be sometime this autumn; Hendon - Luton will require a longer blockade (at least one week)
* Completion of the project currently estimated around summer 2025 and not tied to fleet or timetable changes; the 810s will initially have to run on diesel along part of the BedPan stretch (southernmost power changeover near Borehamwood suggested)

This is a remarkable fit of pragmatic decision making!

 

[59CosG95]

Paid a visit to Kettering North this afternoon - no civils works have started on the TSC to convert it into Kettering North SATS, but SPL welfare cabins have sprung up north of the TSC compound, indicating to me that work might be starting soon.

Further north at Rushton (bridge SPC3-42), ribbed plastic ducts are awaiting installation on both the Down side and the Up side. These ducts are likely to take the ATF in cables through the bridge.


Can't remember if it was previously reported here about the catenary and contact wires being run beneath the bridge, but they have, albeit without contenary yet.

 

[YourMum666]

How long till the wires go live ?

 

[59CosG95]

How long till the wires go live ?

Quite a while yet I think, there's still a lot of wires to run north of Mkt H'boro.

So far the northern limit of structures is about 6 masts west of O/B SPC3-7 (Wigston Rd, Newton Harcourt). Masts have now gone up all through Newton Harcourt, and piles are in through the Gt Glen area (but sans masts for the time being).

The biggest 'gaps' (i.e. without any infrastructure in at all) so far are:

• By Braybrooke ATFS;
• Through Great Bowden;
• West of Newton Harcourt, through Kilby Bridge and up to the Wigston Triangle.

 

[PJM]

Quite a while yet I think, there's still a lot of wires to run north of Mkt H'boro.

So far the northern limit of structures is about 6 masts west of O/B SPC3-7 (Wigston Rd, Newton Harcourt). Masts have now gone up all through Newton Harcourt, and piles are in through the Gt Glen area (but sans masts for the time being).

The biggest 'gaps' (i.e. without any infrastructure in at all) so far are:

• By Braybrooke ATFS;
• Through Great Bowden;
• West of Newton Harcourt, through Kilby Bridge and up to the Wigston Triangle.

Why do we think that Braybooke is still sans piles? Great Bowden now has track lowered at Main Street bridge, so ?

 

[snowball]

Why do we think that Braybooke is still sans piles?

Maybe if you leve the OLE near the feeder station until last, it guarantees no accidental premature energisation?

 

[PJM]

Maybe if you leve the OLE near the feeder station until last, it guarantees no accidental premature energisation?

OK, I can see that but Great Bowden? Also there is a train of thought that if energised it discourages cable theft?

 

[59CosG95]

Why do we think that Braybooke is still sans piles? Great Bowden now has track lowered at Main Street bridge, so ?

Track still has to be lowered beneath the footbridge south of Main St, along with the work that needs to take place on the footbridge itself.

 

[PJM]

Track still has to be lowered beneath the footbridge south of Main St, along with the work that needs to take place on the footbridge itself.

Ah, I had forgotten about the footbridge.

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the situation at Great Bowden yesterday
View South to Mkt Hbro station



View North with Great Bowden footbridge just visible in the distance where the two track converge.



As can be seen, veg clearance done, but no piles driven yet.

 

[59CosG95]

Here is the situation at Great Bowden yesterday
View South to Mkt Hbro station
View attachment 137180


View North with Great Bowden footbridge just visible in the distance where the two track converge.
View attachment 137181


As can be seen, veg clearance done, but no piles driven yet.

Thanks for the update @Flying Phil. The MMLE map is reporting that piling shifts have been/will be taking place between MP83 & MP85 (0ch on both; between the north end of Mkt H'boro' stn and a point north of the A6) as follows:

• 22:00 3/6/23 to 08:00 4/6/23 (done);
• 22:00 10/6/23 to 08:00 11/6/23 (done);
• 22:00 13/6/23 to 08:00 18/6/23 (upcoming; those times every night); and
• 22:00 26/6/23 to 08:00 29/6/23 (upcoming; those times every night).

Additionally, piling work will be taking place in Desborough (78m 11ch to 78m 19ch) from 22:00 13/6/23 to 08:00 14/6/23 - this must be to finish the augering work for the foundation on the DM just east of bridge SPC3-39 (B576 Harborough Rd).

 

[swt_passenger]

Here is the situation at Great Bowden yesterday
View South to Mkt Hbro station

Isn’t the piling so far the northern limit of the project? There was some discussion a while ago whether or not it would be long enough to allow for a train to shunt and return south on electrical power.

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi swt
I suspect when the approval for electrification was only to Mkt Hbro, the idea was to go sufficiently past the station to allow the cross over to be used if required.
However, now the approval is to Leicester (well - Wigston so far), I think the wires will go live all the way from Kettering to Wigston at the same time. There are a lot of masts and cantilevers etc all the way to Kibworth, and now beyond.

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi swt
I suspect when the approval for electrification was only to Mkt Hbro, the idea was to go sufficiently past the station to allow the cross over to be used if required.
However, now the approval is to Leicester (well - Wigston so far), I think the wires will go live all the way from Kettering to Wigston at the same time. There are a lot of masts and cantilevers etc all the way to Kibworth, and now beyond.

I probably need to check a map then, thanks. So basically those heavy duty gantries usually denoting the end of a wire run have been there a while, (from a time when they were the limit), but we‘re now going to see masts appearing southwards coming from a construction compound further north?

 

[Flying Phil]

Hi swt
If you look at post #6299 you can see lots already in place from the compound North of Kibworth. There is also a compound in the Langton area.