Todmorden Curve

[Viscount702]

To go back to a previous post can someone please clarify what works will be done between
Bolton and Blackburn and when are they due to start. All the press on it says redoubling throughout but I thought it was extending and/or adding a new longer loop.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Pacers are Quite Common on Todmorden Terminators i've had 2 Myself today and two 150's 150222/5 and two Northern Bus Seated 142's

It is news like this that will cause the latest set of jubilations at the offices of those who run the X43 "Lancashire Witch" bus service from the Burnley area to Manchester, with their ultra modern service vehicles with 21st century seating and free-wifi which passes quite close to Burnley Manchester Road railway station.

 

[Whistler40145]

Hmm...Northern could be running some empty trains then, especially if we're treated to some of Newton Heath's 142s?[emoji17]

 

[Joseph_Locke]

To go back to a previous post can someone please clarify what works will be done between
Bolton and Blackburn and when are they due to start. All the press on it says redoubling throughout but I thought it was extending and/or adding a new longer loop.

The current two-track section through Darwen will be extended both ways so that the two-track section runs from just north of the tunnel to just south of the Motorway bridge, making it about 2.75 miles long. The press release, IIRC, says "redoubling between" but doesn't say "throughout".

The main works should happen over summer this year, during the period that the single line working is in place for Farnworth Tunnel.

 

[anti-pacer]

Hmm...Northern could be running some empty trains then, especially if we're treated to some of Newton Heath's 142s?[emoji17]

As I predicted.....

 

[Whistler40145]

I don't fancy being on a 142 attempting the climb to Copy Pit!

 

[Viscount702]

The current two-track section through Darwen will be extended both ways so that the two-track section runs from just north of the tunnel to just south of the Motorway bridge, making it about 2.75 miles long. The press release, IIRC, says "redoubling between" but doesn't say "throughout".

The main works should happen over summer this year, during the period that the single line working is in place for Farnworth Tunnel.

Thanks Joseph.

I don't remember seeing a NR press release only what has been wrongly put out by the local press.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Thanks Joseph.

I don't remember seeing a NR press release only what has been wrongly put out by the local press.

That's the Lancashire Telegraph for ya, hardly worth the paper it's printed on these days.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is specifically not in the scope for the extension of the Darwen two track section as a) it's far too expensive and b) it introduces some very funny signal spacings.

Just as a final thought on the discussed matter, would the fact that the Holme tunnel already has the Blackpool North to York service running through it in addition to the "mythical" Todmorden Chord proposed service from Blackburn to Manchester have given it a much higher priority rating with Network Rail rather than the Sough tunnel and the solitary service pattern that passes through that tunnel?

 

[158756]

Is there any news about if this service will happen in May or if it'll be delayed again? Today's news about TPE mentions Northern running electric trains between Manchester and Liverpool in May, but doesn't mention Wigan. With 6 156s being used by TPE there would appear to be no units left over for the Todmorden Curve.(If Wigan-Liverpool isn't electric by then)

 

[Viscount702]

I have asked on other threads but no response. What I don't know is when the required number of 319s are due to release the DMUs for this service in light of the transfer of units to TPE

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That's the Lancashire Telegraph for ya, hardly worth the paper it's printed on these days.

That's a tad too strong a comment to make. Are you referring to all sections of the Lancashire Telegraph with that sweeping statement?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

That's a tad too strong a comment to make. Are you referring to all sections of the Lancashire Telegraph with that sweeping statement?

Yes. I was reading a copy over Christmas and it did nothing to change my mind from when I last read it in summer. The journalism is bang average, sports reporting (naturally) tediously biased and the new features they introduced to justify the 50%~ price increase about two years ago have either vanished into thin air or been thinned out to the point that they don't really serve a purpose. As far as I can tell their website (which I read quite a lot at uni) is just a straight copy and paste of what makes the physical edition, though it's a lot better as the comments usually provide some mild amusement, and it gets rid of a lot of the pointless page-fillers. I probably wouldn't take a copy if I was offered it for free in all honesty.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Is there an expected Open Date for this Todmorden Curve yet?

 

[spongsdad]

Is there an expected Open Date for this Todmorden Curve yet?

It's definitely May; i.e. any May between 2015 and 2019

 

[Y961 XBU]

It's definitely May; i.e. any May between 2015 and 2019

pmsl, Cheers mate

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's definitely May; i.e. any May between 2015 and 2019

Do you remember the TV series "May to September"...perhaps they also have a flexible time period in mind....

"Todmorden Chord" would now be taken as a descriptive term that signifies "putting off today what you can do tomorrow". I can well imagine a harassed housewife haranguing her husband to finally do something that had been promised, but never started....."You're a right Todmorden Chord.."

 

[Whistler40145]

Very witty Mr Sidorczuk[emoji14]

 

[Ploughman]

Or could it be that Network are awaiting delivery of a missing piece of equipment?


They will open the line when they get A R0UND TUIT.

 

[HowardGWR]

I do hope they get some pax when it does (start). A lot of people would look a bit sheepish if that did not happen. Still, "open it and they will come".

 

[Hophead]

I can confirm it's definitely may:

it may open

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I do hope they get some pax when it does (start). A lot of people would look a bit sheepish if that did not happen. Still, "open it and they will come".

Will these be flocks of Swaledale or Leicester Longwools who may not mind being transported around in "Newton Heath's Finest"...

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Do you remember the TV series "May to September"...perhaps they also have a flexible time period in mind....

"Todmorden Chord" would now be taken as a descriptive term that signifies "putting off today what you can do tomorrow". I can well imagine a harassed housewife haranguing her husband to finally do something that had been promised, but never started....."You're a right Todmorden Chord.."

Whereas a 'Kings Cross' would be a denial that there was even a problem and that if there was it will fix itself and no-one will know?

I feel a whole new thread coming on - euphemisms in the railway world.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Will these be flocks of Swaledale or Leicester Longwools who may not mind being transported around in "Newton Heath's Finest"...

One of the regular commentators on my local newspaper website refers to the great unthinking mass of the population as 'sheeple'.

 

[northwichcat]

For the benefit of Paul Sidorczuk the original plan was for a cascaded 150 to be used to allow the Todmorden extension.

The plan for last December was to switch 2 diagrams on Manchester Airport to Liverpool services to 319s, to introduce a new early morning ECS working from Allerton to Chester consisting of 2 x 156s eliminating the need for 5H33 (Longsight to Chester). Then that would have left a 142 for strengthening a Hazel Grove-Preston diagram and a 150 for the Todmorden extension.

No idea what will happen now. Although, I'm doubtful of the Mid-Cheshire line now getting 2 x released 156s with TPE getting 6x156s.

 

[Whistler40145]

I thought TPE was getting 158s not 156s?

 

[northwichcat]

I thought TPE was getting 158s not 156s?

No 6 x 156s to operate as 3 diagrams of 4 car 156s on Blackpool-Manchester Airport services. First Class, trolley service and seat reservations won't be offered on those services anymore:

http://www.tpexpress.co.uk/about-us/news/2015/01/announcement/
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=110490

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

First Class, trolley service and seat reservations won't be offered on those services anymore:

http://www.tpexpress.co.uk/about-us/news/2015/01/announcement/
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=110490

Those services that you mention were because that the Class 185 units and First TPE facilities could offer these.

 

[Whistler40145]

I see 156s as a suitable substitute for 185s.

 

[PhilipW]

So the TPE stock changes in summary are:

Gain : 6 Class 156 sets from Northern = 12 carriages
Loss : 5 Class 170 sets to Chiltern = 10 carriages

Therefore Net Gain of 2 carriages.

Hmm. Is that it ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

For the benefit of Paul Sidorczuk the original plan was for a cascaded 150 to be used to allow the Todmorden extension.

The plan for last December was to switch 2 diagrams on Manchester Airport to Liverpool services to 319s, to introduce a new early morning ECS working from Allerton to Chester consisting of 2 x 156s eliminating the need for 5H33 (Longsight to Chester). Then that would have left a 142 for strengthening a Hazel Grove-Preston diagram and a 150 for the Todmorden extension.

No idea what will happen now.

Original plans for the Todmorden Chord now seem to have no connection whatsoever with the never-ending saga of disappointments that have now become synonymous with this project for which many have excuses for tardiness and even for the excuse of the bid win award that went towards the early part of this project,

This long running thread, that starts with such bright hopes and aspirations of what might have been such a very long time ago, would appear now to have been worthy of inclusion an addendum to the book called "Paradise Lost"..