Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[Brissle Girl]

Not sure the Network Rail image of the existing track in the video in the consultation gives the right impression.

 

[Starmill]

Perhaps they need to trim some of the "nice to haves but commercially barmy". For example the flyover at Ravensthorpe-the purpose of which seems to be to avoid conflicts with the Castleford-Huddersfield trains which largely convey fresh air. Better to simply cut this service which really lost its purpose when it ceased to give connections from Westgate

Surely the primary purpose of the grade separation as proposed is to remove the conflict between slow line trains calling at Dewsbury then Ravensthorpe from getting in the way of fast trains towards Leeds? Separating out the Castleford-bound services, Grand Central services and freight is also beneficial of course.

 

[quantinghome]

Surely the primary purpose of the grade separation as proposed is to remove the conflict between slow line trains calling at Dewsbury then Ravensthorpe from getting in the way of fast trains towards Leeds? Separating out the Castleford-bound services, Grand Central services and freight is also beneficial of course.

True, and doing both with one structure is more efficient.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Surely the primary purpose of the grade separation as proposed is to remove the conflict between slow line trains calling at Dewsbury then Ravensthorpe from getting in the way of fast trains towards Leeds? Separating out the Castleford-bound services, Grand Central services and freight is also beneficial of course.

Indeed it avoids any conflict between stoppers and fast TPE trains between Dewsbury and Huddersfield. Regardless of where the stoppers are going to and from. That covers the Huddersfield to Leeds, Leeds to Victoria via Dewsbury, Huddersfield to Bradford and Huddersfield to Wakefield routes. Otherwise somewhere you'd constantly have slow trains crossing Infront of fast trains. The freight is a secondary benefit.

 

[YorkshireBear]

First trip via Victoria to Piccadilly for a while. Steady progress although saying exactly where is hard. Still plenty of gaps but noticed plenty of piles east of the M60 for the first time today.

 

[Ken H]

First trip via Victoria to Piccadilly for a while. Steady progress although saying exactly where is hard. Still plenty of gaps but noticed plenty of piles east of the M60 for the first time today.

Just piles? Nothing above ground?

 

[jonesy3001]

I went to Victoria this Saturday just gone and seen bolts on top of some of the orange piles and on the new alignment either side of the new bridge, will they be piling on the old alignment as noticed the tracks where still down.

 

[snowball]

Just piles? Nothing above ground?

I don't believe there is any currently contracted work for masts or wires between Victoria and Stalybridge. See #4629 and the subsequent discussion.

 

[WAO]

I imagine that somewhere in NR there will be an activity time-line, possibly an MSProject file, showing the earliest and latest dates for starting each activity, consistent with the critical path. The piles have gone in with the curve re-alignment, probably for economy both of cost and disruption. The steel-work and wiring would go in as late as possible to reduce the time capital is unused.

There's plenty of time.

WAO

 

[Glenn1969]

I imagine that somewhere in NR there will be an activity time-line, possibly an MSProject file, showing the earliest and latest dates for starting each activity, consistent with the critical path. The piles have gone in with the curve re-alignment, probably for economy both of cost and disruption. The steel-work and wiring would go in as late as possible to reduce the time capital is unused.

There's plenty of time.

WAO

it needs the funding to be confirmed and announced

 

[Purple Orange]

it needs the funding to be confirmed and announced

For this project, that phrase can be copied and paste throughout. It’s funding is intended to be by piecemeal.

 

[Glenn1969]

Come back to this after the spending review on 27th October

 

[Purple Orange]

Yes, I expect to see funding announcements & commitments.

 

[twin turbo]

Yes, I expect to see funding announcements & commitments.

Interesting with all the talk about when the IRP will be released and talk of phase 2b of HS2 maybe cancelled that they have just further safeguarded more land from Wakefield to Church Fenton.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1008212/New_Safeguarding_Leeds_Vol4_watermarked_02-08-21_UPDATE_2.pdf

This was released at the beginning of August and is now much wider than the original safeguarding!

 

[WAO]

There does look to be land included to allow for a connection at Barnbow Common to the HS line from Cross Gates, perhaps to allow fast TPE to use it?

WAO

 

[Class 170101]

I guess safegauarding of land is a cheap and easy option. Like housing developers the government can sit on it for many many years.

 

[59CosG95]

Mancunians amongst us: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...nine-route-upgrade/manchester-to-stalybridge/
There is an update on the works west of Stalybridge - a new compound is being established off Sunnyside Lane, Droylsden, in order to strengthen the embankment by Sunnyside Lane O/B before the existing bridge is replaced with a new, OLE-compatible one.
Details are on the main Manchester - Stalybridge page, as well as this local residents' newsletter: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-co...ane-Sheet-Piling-railway-neighbour-letter.pdf

 

[InOban]

Will the replacement bridge be wider?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Will the replacement bridge be wider?

Good lord I hope so - build back better and all that.

 

[WAO]

So more than just piling then...

WAO

 

[snowball]

From Google Streetview, Sunnyside Lane is a very narrow road, gated at the south end of the existing bridge, presumably a private access road:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

I don't think NR will widen the bridge unless the private owners or local authority fund it.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

From Google Streetview, Sunnyside Lane is a very narrow road, gated at the south end of the existing bridge, presumably a private access road:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

I don't think NR will widen the bridge unless the private owners or local authority fund it.

Ah ok thanks for that. Makes sense I suppose.

 

[snowball]

This site that has been showing progress on the piling is currently showing no red, green or yellow:

manchestertostalybridge.co.uk

This domain may be for sale!

manchestertostalybridge.co.uk

 

[Spod]

Interesting with all the talk about when the IRP will be released and talk of phase 2b of HS2 maybe cancelled that they have just further safeguarded more land from Wakefield to Church Fenton.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1008212/New_Safeguarding_Leeds_Vol4_watermarked_02-08-21_UPDATE_2.pdf

This was released at the beginning of August and is now much wider than the original safeguarding!

There does look to be land included to allow for a connection at Barnbow Common to the HS line from Cross Gates, perhaps to allow fast TPE to use it?

WAO

There was a plan for NPR (and perhaps anything else 140 mph capable) to use the HS2 line to bypass Garforth to Church Fenton on the way to York, joining just after the proposed station at Thorpe Park. Speaking of which, is that what the isolated safeguarded section is in map SG-02-248-L1 in the document linked above? Leeds City Council aspired to a four platform station there, to serve Thorpe Park, The Springs, all the new housing east of Seacroft and a new park and ride off the M1. Is the safeguarded area big enough for that, or have the ambitions been scaled back to two platforms? It looks like two offset platforms, but maybe I'm misinterpreting the scale and how much land is needed for four platforms.

I have a feeling that until the spending review is published, everyone is working on the assumption that the Integrated Rail Plan won't be significantly impacted by it, at least until proven otherwise. So if the current timetable says this is the point when that land needs safeguarding, then they can't assume they don't need to until a decision is announced. In other words, this map doesn't prove it's all going to happen, merely that they haven't officially cancelled anything yet.

For my part, despite knowing some local businesses and ancient woodland that will be closed and partially demolished by HS2, I think cancelling the eastern branch would be a monumentally stupid idea, given the economic and environmental benefits, the transport need, the way it's financed and the alternatives. I sincerely hope NPR will add another pair of lines all the way from Leeds to Manchester, and electrified capacity from Liverpool to Hull and Newcastle. TPU is great for what it delivers, and entirely appropriate given the traffic on the route, but it's not any kind of substitute for the sort of capacity new lines can deliver. And I don't believe for a second that rail use won't recover and continue to increase, given the need to move to less car ownership and use (Battery Electric Vehicles won't solve everything).
Anyway, back to TPU...

 

[59CosG95]

This site that has been showing progress on the piling is currently showing no red, green or yellow:

manchestertostalybridge.co.uk

This domain may be for sale!

manchestertostalybridge.co.uk

It now says on the second point on the line-graph "Update on works in the area to be issued shortly".

Also, I've passed through Huddersfield this weekend (having had the good fortune to see Messrs Collins, Banks & Rutherford et al at Manchester Arena), and I noticed that the eastern and western approaches to the station have gained a number of square timber frames, and a couple of sprayed squares on the ground too.

(Perhaps the non-TWAO elements of the piling work is imminent around Hudds?)

Finally, I was able to film progress between Ashton-u-Lyne & Man Vic from my train window both on Friday & this afternoon. I counted 73 piles so far on the Down side (i.e. towards Leeds), and 100 on the Up Side (towards Manchester).

 

[YorkshireBear]

The compound to the east of Miles Platting on the north side now has OLE steelwork in it. No idea if this is alterations to the OLE at Manchester East or whether it is for some of the now installed piles.

In addition, piles seem to be gaining their bolts and base plates quite rapidly. I wouldn't be installing them if the masts weren't planned to come soon as it increases risk of the parts not fitting together.

 

[snowball]

Network Rail press release:

Manchester railway upgrades continue this weekend - passengers reminded to check their journey

Major Transpennine Route Upgrade work continues between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge this weekend The latest stage of improvements include strengthening Williamson Street viaduct, upgrading more track at Miles Platting and installing new equipment for signalling cables The project will...

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

• Major Transpennine Route Upgrade work continues between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge this weekend
• The latest stage of improvements include strengthening Williamson Street viaduct, upgrading more track at Miles Platting and installing new equipment for signalling cables
• The project will bring faster, more reliable services between Manchester and York, via Huddersfield and Leeds
• Trains between Manchester and Stalybridge will run via Manchester Piccadilly only (not Manchester Victoria) on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October – passengers urged to check their journey

Network Rail is reminding passengers travelling between Manchester and Stalybridge this weekend to check their journey, as essential railway upgrades continue to bring more reliable journeys for passengers.

Major work took place last month to reconstruct railway bridges, install new signals and upgrade over 3000m of track in Greater Manchester. The work is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), which will improve connectivity in the North of England by providing faster, more reliable services for passengers travelling between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.

In the latest phase of the project, TRU teams will strengthen railway bridges which form part of the viaduct on Williamson Street. They will also make further upgrades to the track at Miles Platting, install overhead line equipment foundations and install new equipment for cables - ahead of work in October to upgrade the signalling system.

Some street plans do not show Williamson Street by name. It is apparently a name for a stretch of Bromley Street nearest the city centre, near its junction with Gould Street. So Williamson Street viaduct appears to be this:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

 

[59CosG95]

The October Works tracker for York - Church Fenton is now out.

Vis-a-vis piling, there's some this weekend at Colton Jn, and some on midweek nights 18th-22nd plus the night of Saturday 30th at Dringhouses...

Looks like some new structures will be going in north of Colton after all.

Earth Wires are also going in on various stretches of the route on various nights. They'd better demolish the old outhouse near the footbridge before the EW goes in along the Up Normanton...

 

[snowball]

Earth wires are wires, so we can say the first wires will be appearing.

 

[Halish Railway]

Looking at the press release, it says that train services between Manchester Piccadilly and Stalybridge, as well as Manchester Piccadilly and Hadfield will not run on Sunday the 10th & 17th. What is this for?

Also, a rather different question: How long are platforms 7, 13 & 14 at Leeds? Having seen 3 car 170s & 158s on these platforms, it seems like it would be difficult to fit another 23 meter coach in, so that could mean that the local stopping services out of Leeds that will switch over to electric traction post TRU won’t be able to use 331s or 333s, unless they terminate on a through platform.