Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[Brissle Girl]

Getting the operators to use the wires is not straightforward.
TPE could be using 5 miles of ECML wires from York to Colton Jn today but they don't, preferring to switch while stationary in York.

I'm guessing pan-down would need to be prior to the ladder to the north of the junction. So barely 4 1/2 miles. And in reality, how long would it be after departing York before the process needed to begin to leave appropriate margins for error?

 

[trebor79]

I'm guessing pan-down would need to be prior to the ladder to the north of the junction. So barely 4 1/2 miles. And in reality, how long would it be after departing York before the process needed to begin to leave appropriate margins for error?

But a large power requirement on that 4 and a half miles accelerating away from the station stop. Worth doing if it can be done.

 

[snowball]

Keeping some diesel fumes out of the station is also a consideration.

 

[Ken H]

But a large power requirement on that 4 and a half miles accelerating away from the station stop. Worth doing if it can be done.

And regening when slowing for stations is worth it. In saving energy and saving brake wear.

 

[Nottingham59]

But a large power requirement on that 4 and a half miles accelerating away from the station stop. Worth doing if it can be done.

Not sure it make that much difference. At 1 m/s/s acceleration (0.1g), an 80x will take 100s to go 5km. Taking 3MW for 120s is 3000 kW x 1/30h = 100 kWh. So around £15 for the electricity costs, at wholesale rates.

I'd expect doing the same on diesel would cost less than twice this. (Does anyone have figures for 80x fuel consumption on diesel?) So putting the pan up might save £10, with all the attendant risks of driver distraction or dewirement. I'm not surprised TPE have chosen to change over at York.

Maybe it's time to charge fuel duty on railway diesel at the levels paid by road users, to encourage TOCs and FOCs to switch?

 

[td97]

attendant risks of driver distraction or dewirement.

How many times has the automatic power changeover failed or the driver been distracted at Temple Hurst Jn on Hull Trains or LNER Hull services?
Don't forget that regenerative braking on EMUs can produce approx 20-25% energy savings.

 

[Halish Railway]

Heard last week that the bridge at Church Fenton does have to be raised. Contractors have set another compound up next to the station to start doing interim strengthening work which is necessary and expected to take 9 weeks to complete. This according to surveyors is only temporary prior to the bridge being replaced in the near future (within 2 years I understand) Has anyone else heard anything in respect of this.

Hopefully when the bridge is replaced the pillar between the Up Leeds and Down Leeds will be moved/removed. The pillar means that the curve south of Church Fenton is much shallower on the Up Leeds than on the Down Leeds, resulting in a 10pms difference in permissible speed between the two. Hopefully the Up Leeds can have its limit increased by running exactly parralel to the Leeds, in addition to any speed increases facilitated by re-canting the track on the curve.

 

[Jozhua]

Not sure it make that much difference. At 1 m/s/s acceleration (0.1g), an 80x will take 100s to go 5km. Taking 3MW for 120s is 3000 kW x 1/30h = 100 kWh. So around £15 for the electricity costs, at wholesale rates.

I'd expect doing the same on diesel would cost less than twice this. (Does anyone have figures for 80x fuel consumption on diesel?) So putting the pan up might save £10, with all the attendant risks of driver distraction or dewirement. I'm not surprised TPE have chosen to change over at York.

Maybe it's time to charge fuel duty on railway diesel at the levels paid by road users, to encourage TOCs and FOCs to switch?

Charging fuel duty just rearranges money really - the main barrier is still lack of electrification on a lot of very busy routes!

To be honest, the issue could be resolved just by decree - DfT/NR ask it to happen and it happens.

 

[CAF397]

Noticed today that East of Stalybridge tunnel all the way to Stalybridge Station (but not Stalybridge Jn it seems) there are brand new axle counters being installed. They don't appear to be connected to the trackside equipment yet.

Is this a planned resignalling to do with remodelling, or just a replacement of track circuits for detection?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

To be honest, the issue could be resolved just by decree - DfT/NR ask it to happen and it happens.

Don’t you mean the Treasury?

 

[59CosG95]

Beth Moorhouse on LinkedIn: #trueast #civilengineering #piling

Another Saturday night learning and engaging with the teams. Last night seeing the piling take place at Wheldon Road was extremely insightful and incredibly…

www.linkedin.com

Beth Moorhouse

Site visit to Diversionary Routes at Castleford last night, not been out for a while! Learned a lot and great to be out and about seeing the work I resource taking place! #murphy #civils

Looks like some piling is going in around Castleford!
(It might be a signal gantry but it looks like a standard 610 dia. OLE pile)

 

[_toommm_]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned on here but Stalybridge Atochem Siding has been removed past the stop board, but I know it’s been marked as out of use for a while. It looks to be used as a safe point, or some sort of access point for the Pway gang.

 

[Elecman]

Not sure it make that much difference. At 1 m/s/s acceleration (0.1g), an 80x will take 100s to go 5km. Taking 3MW for 120s is 3000 kW x 1/30h = 100 kWh. So around £15 for the electricity costs, at wholesale rates.

I'd expect doing the same on diesel would cost less than twice this. (Does anyone have figures for 80x fuel consumption on diesel?) So putting the pan up might save £10, with all the attendant risks of driver distraction or dewirement. I'm not surprised TPE have chosen to change over at York.

Maybe it's time to charge fuel duty on railway diesel at the levels paid by road users, to encourage TOCs and FOCs to switch?

Your maths are slightly adrift 3MW for 5 mins is 250 KWHrs and the price for Traction electricity is around 10p/KWHr so the cost would equate to £25

 

[Nottingham59]

3MW for 5 mins is 250 KWHrs

True, but 100 seconds is less than two minutes. Anyway, it's not a huge amount in the great scheme of things

 

[Jozhua]

Don’t you mean the Treasury?

Oh yes, I apologise!

I thought Treasury never tried to micromanage other departments of the government

 

[snowball]

Press release

Calder Valley rail route to keep Transpennine passengers moving this month

The newly reinforced Calder Valley line will keep passengers moving this Summer as Network Rail upgrades a bridge in Huddersfield to unlock space for more trains in the future.

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

The newly reinforced Calder Valley line will keep passengers moving this Summer as Network Rail upgrades a bridge in Huddersfield to unlock space for more trains in the future.

As part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade, engineers will replace Fieldhouse Lane bridge in Huddersfield this August.

This essential upgrade will allow the bridge to support faster, more frequent trains in the future. It will also support the future doubling of tracks between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury) from two to four – a project which was given the green light by the Secretary of State for Transport on Monday 27 June.

Passengers can keep their plans on track while the work takes place over the first two weekends in August (Saturday 6 and Sunday 7, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14) as the majority of trains through Huddersfield will continue to run via Brighouse and the Calder Valley route.

People planning to catch the train should check before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator for the latest updates.

Over the last two years, the Calder Valley line has undergone major work to make it more resilient, especially when faced with heavy downpours. The improvements will be on show this August as the route is used at its full capacity, carrying an additional two trains per hour.

Further enhancements will eventually allow the Calder Valley route, which runs between Leeds and Manchester, to run an additional three trains per hour, giving passengers a better chance of finding a seat.

 

[AndrewE]

True, but 100 seconds is less than two minutes. Anyway, it's not a huge amount in the great scheme of things

but "every little helps!" On every train, all day, every day, it will add up over a year. And it will allow regen braking (saving energy.) Which also cuts wear and postpones brake component replacements.
Please don't tell me "Its too difficult, UK staff are bound to do it wrong and cause problems." I have more faith, and any way, can't the pantograph-dropping system be adapted to prevent inappropriate raising? Maybe our new all-singing all-dancing units could use GPS to ensure the train does what it should regardless of what the driver tells it to do?

 

[td97]

To clear up the discussion from yesterday, dynamic Automatic Power Changeover is proposed to be installed by Network Rail and will be implemented as TRU electrification progresses (both electric to diesel and diesel to electric). Including at Church Fenton, Micklefield, Ravensthorpe, Heaton Lodge, and west of Huddersfield.

 

[59CosG95]

To clear up the discussion from yesterday, dynamic Automatic Power Changeover is proposed to be installed by Network Rail and will be implemented as TRU electrification progresses (both electric to diesel and diesel to electric). Including at Church Fenton, Micklefield, Ravensthorpe, Heaton Lodge, and west of Huddersfield.

Does APCO only work for 80x units? Or will it be future-proofed for any other bi-mode (diesel/electric, battery/electric etc.) classes that may arrive?

 

[td97]

Does APCO only work for 80x units? Or will it be future-proofed for any other bi-mode (diesel/electric, battery/electric etc.) classes that may arrive?

Yes AT300 series only

 

[stuu]

Yes AT300 series only

Given they are passive devices, anything can read them with the right equipment

 

[td97]

Given they are passive devices, anything can read them with the right equipment

The system to be installed as part of TRU will be optimised for AT300 only (AT300 has its own power change-over specification). If any future bi-mode stock happens to be compatible then that is a bonus.

 

[vic-rijrode]

To clear up the discussion from yesterday, dynamic Automatic Power Changeover is proposed to be installed by Network Rail and will be implemented as TRU electrification progresses (both electric to diesel and diesel to electric). Including at Church Fenton, Micklefield, Ravensthorpe, Heaton Lodge, and west of Huddersfield.

I have visions of the pantographs going up and down like a fiddler's elbow on the route...

 

[gingertom]

I would have hoped that a 755 Stadler Flirt with a diesel pod would auto changeover at APC locations as well.

 

[59CosG95]

Church Fenton Level Crossing Reduction - Network Rail

As part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, we are proposing to replace three private railway crossings in the Church Fenton area – Rose Lane, Adamsons and Poulters – with a safer alternative. The Transpennine Route Upgrade will transform the railway between York, Leeds and Manchester to enable...

www.networkrail.co.uk

The former "Rose Lane" page on Network Rail's main website has been renamed "Church Fenton Level Crossing Reduction", and the TWAO docs are now visible on the link above.

Earth Wire has started to be run on route W1...

Jake Berry on LinkedIn: #ole #teamwork #progress #electrification #tru #keltbray | 11 comments

Nice to see the effort and planning by the TRU West OLE team coming to fruition with the successful delivery of the first two earth wire runs. #OLE #teamwork… | 11 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

 

[snowball]

Earth Wire has started to be run on route W1...

Jake Berry on LinkedIn: #ole #teamwork #progress #electrification #tru #keltbray | 11 comments

Nice to see the effort and planning by the TRU West OLE team coming to fruition with the successful delivery of the first two earth wire runs. #OLE #teamwork… | 11 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

That's great news which I sometimes doubted I'd live to see - some actual wire (even if only earth wire) between Bromley Street and Stalybridge.

Thanks to this forum's automerge system, the news didn't get its merited prominence.

Interesting that wires are beginning to go up despite there being no masts yet in the Stalybridge area.

Meanwhile the TRU site has a page on the upcoming works at Huddersfield, much the same content as the press release in #5716 but not quite identical wording.

Calder Valley line to keep passengers on the Transpennine Route moving this August

thetrupgrade.co.uk

As part of the multi-billion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade, engineers will replace Fieldhouse Lane bridge in Huddersfield this August - and the newly-reinforced Calder Valley line will help us keep passengers moving while we carry out this work.

This essential upgrade will allow the line to be electrified, enabling cleaner, quieter electric trains to run in the future. It will also support the future doubling of tracks between Huddersfield and Dewsbury from two to four – a project which was given the green light by the Secretary of State for Transport on Monday 27 June.

We will also be carrying out other improvement work in and around Huddersfield Station.

Passengers can keep their plans on track while the work takes place over the first two weekends in August (Saturday 6 & Sunday 7, and Saturday 13 & Sunday 14) as the majority of trains through Huddersfield will continue to run via Brighouse and the Calder Valley route, with rail replacement bus services in place to ensure you can get to and from where you want to go.

People planning to catch the train should check before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator for the latest updates.

Over the last two years, the Calder Valley line has undergone major work to make it more resilient, especially when faced with heavy downpours. The improvements will be on show this August as the route is used at its full capacity, carrying an additional two trains per hour.

Further enhancements will eventually allow the Calder Valley route, which runs between Leeds and Manchester, to run an additional three trains per hour, giving passengers a better chance of finding a seat.

 

[greyman42]

I have been told that today the northbound TPE 8xx were arriving into York with their Pantograph's raised. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[59CosG95]

I have been told that today the northbound TPE 8xx were arriving into York with their Pantograph's raised. Can anyone shed any light on this?

I don't know about proof, but the Down Leeds is the most complete track in terms of wires run, so it wouldn't surprise me.

I think a gap nr Bolton Percy & the half-tension length through the future Carrier Wire Neutral Section (CWNS) were the last parts that needed doing; they may well have been done if TPE 802s are running pan up into Colton Jn now.

 

[sjm77]

I have been told that today the northbound TPE 8xx were arriving into York with their Pantograph's raised. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Let me tell you about something that happens on the CLC route via Warrington Central when 802s are diverted this way. They are not allowed to pan-up on the move so you would expect them to pan-up when stopped at Oxford Road station. However, twice I have seen them pan-up whilst stopped at the protecting signals for Castlefield Junction.
My guess would be that any TPEx 802s arriving Northbound into York pan-up have been signal checked to a stop just South of the station.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Previously Some drivers when signal checked at Holgate would pan up at that point. It saves time in the station especially where a crew change may be involved, train is stationary anyway so is permitted.

APCO (Automatic Power Change Over) has now gone “Live” on TPE units so changeovers now occur automatically on the move at Chathill or Colton rather than stationary at locations such as York or Alnmouth