Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[59CosG95]

Wonder if they'll put the wires up on the guide bridge line first before they do the Victoria line or will it be the other way round?

That depends on staging; I personally think that wires will physically go up on the Guide Bridge - Stalybridge branch first (less overbridges to rebuild now, and less general rework overall), but that both routes will go live at the same time.
This begs the question whether a new TSC will be required on the line between Guide Bridge & Stalybridge: I've had a look at the isolation diagrams and can't see anything existing, so a new one will doubtless be required, along with switches at both Guide Bridge & Stalybridge. (I expect some might be in the offing around Man Vic/Miles Platting too)

 

[snowball]

In relation to Manchester-Stalybridge, there seems to be no recent information on any of the websites. There are some closures between Victoria and Stalybridge still to come over the next few weekends, but none on the Guide Bridge line, where the two overbridges are now done AFAIK. We still seem to have no answers to the questions I asked in the second half of #5333:

1. Is the track layout at Stalybridge, remodelled in 2012, going to be re-remodelled or not?
2. What works are needed at Stamford Street East bridge?
3. What works are required at the tunnel known to the railway as Katherine Street Tunnel (under the A670)?
4. When will these be done?

 

[59CosG95]

In relation to Manchester-Stalybridge, there seems to be no recent information on any of the websites. There are some closures between Victoria and Stalybridge still to come over the next few weekends, but none on the Guide Bridge line, where the two overbridges are now done AFAIK. We still seem to have no answers to the questions I asked in the second half of #5333:

Re question 1: no idea.
2: Increase in parapet height, and track lowering - or complete reconstruction. (The former seems more likely. It may even be a surge arrester location, with that insulating paint used in Cardiff.)
3: work to install tunnel supports within the roof of the tunnel.
4: no idea yet.

 

[Ken H]

do we have a date for electric running between Vic and Stalybridge, or between Colton Jct and Church Fenton yet?

 

[Elecman]

There will be aTSC at Stalybridge apparently

 

[GRALISTAIR]

There will be a TSC at Stalybridge apparently

I suppose that is a logical place for one.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

do we have a date for electric running between Vic and Stalybridge, or between Colton Jct and Church Fenton yet?

That appears to be a state secret given NR websites never give any dates!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

That appears to be a state secret given NR websites never give any dates!

It's always possible the wiring contract may not have been let yet.
I got the impression the piling has been done while other possessions were in place for track work.
Wiring won't be done until any remodelling has finished, notably at Stalybridge (if NR changes anything there).

 

[snowball]

I was hoping we'd get some more information on this and other projects with the turn of the financial year but no luck.

It was at that time a year ago when the Huddersfield T&W application went in, though that may have been a coincidence.

Meanwhile the time since the last "annual" update on the enhancements pipeline is now 2.5 years.

 

[Greybeard33]

This begs the question whether a new TSC will be required on the line between Guide Bridge & Stalybridge: I've had a look at the isolation diagrams and can't see anything existing, so a new one will doubtless be required, along with switches at both Guide Bridge & Stalybridge. (I expect some might be in the offing around Man Vic/Miles Platting too)

Does anyone know if Ardwick to Hadfield will remain fed as now, or be fed from Stalybridge once the wires are up?

 

[Elecman]

I would think it would remain fed from Edgeley

 

[Class 170101]

Potentially could you not do both? though not at the same time of course.

 

[Elecman]

Yes but you would need additional switchgear at Ardwick TSC and a bus coupler

 

[59CosG95]

Yes but you would need additional switchgear at Ardwick TSC and a bus coupler

And we don't know if that's in scope...

 

[GRALISTAIR]

And we don't know if that's in scope...

I bet you 3 pints of beer it ain’t

 

[snowball]

There doesn't appear to have been a York to Church Fenton project tracker this month.

Transpennine Route Upgrade - Network Rail

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a multi-billion pound, long-term railway infrastructure programme that will improve connectivity.

www.networkrail.co.uk

 

[59CosG95]

There doesn't appear to have been a York to Church Fenton project tracker this month.

Transpennine Route Upgrade - Network Rail

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a multi-billion pound, long-term railway infrastructure programme that will improve connectivity.

www.networkrail.co.uk

I've noticed that too - the new 'thetrupgrade' site only seems to have the January 2022 tracker listed, and even that's a dead link.

Has anyone in the area got the April tracker in the post?

 

[snowball]

From the minutes of the NR board meeting, 20 Jan (not sure how long they've been up):

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Board-Minutes-January-2022.pdf

22/15 TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) – quarterly update

Neil Holm, Russ MacMillan and John Reid joined the meeting.

Paper 10/22 was a periodic update on the TRU programme. Since the last update to the
Board the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP), which included TRU,
had been published. This was a key milestone for TRU as it closed out the discussion of
changing the scope from option F1 to G.

The core route upgrade (between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield) was
known as option F1, and would electrify the route improving performance, capacity and
journey times. Option G consisted of the core route upgrade and some incremental ‘on
route’ scope to facilitate the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme.

The Board emphasised the need to have a clear plan setting out how Network Rail would
deliver its obligations under the IRP, specifically the change from option F1 to option G.
The current plan did not contain sufficient clarity and detail. The baseline starting point
needed to be set out so that any changes to scope could be readily tracked.

Two projects within the TRU programme were in delivery. Works close to York remained
on schedule. However, works near Manchester had been delayed by the identification of
mining risks; a recovery plan was being implemented.

The Transport & Works Act Order for Ravensthorpe-Huddersfield had been successfully
concluded. [No doubt it means the public inquiry which ended in December. The SoS's decision has yet to be announced.]

The National Audit Office (NAO) had started an inquiry into whether the TRU programme
provided value for money. Initially the programme team was focussing on educating the
NAO team to ensure they understood the TRU programme.

The Board noted what was being done to ensure suppliers had the capacity to deliver the
work they were being contracted for, or whether any back up was needed.

Some concern was expressed over the European Train Control System work on TRU. A
more detailed update would be provided in the next briefing.

The Board noted that Rob McIntosh would attend the Transport for the North Board
meetings in place of Sir Peter Hendy.

The Board commended the team on a very well written paper.

Neil Holm, Russ MacMillan and John Reid left the meeting.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

From the minutes of the NR board meeting, 20 Jan (not sure how long they've been up):

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Board-Minutes-January-2022.pdf

29th March from the NR schedule below


Surprised they've been caught out with mining issues yet again.

 

[matacaster]

When I went past hillhouse last week, it looked like there was some action! Sadly I couldn't see what it was as I didn't spot it until too late, can anyone confirm if anything is taking place and if so what?

 

[modernrail]

I've noticed that too - the new 'thetrupgrade' site only seems to have the January 2022 tracker listed, and even that's a dead link.

Has anyone in the area got the April tracker in the post?

Brilliant. That website name has come out beautifully Yorkshire.

‘When I were a lad t’ trains didn’t even ave wheels and t’ seats were made of gravel and lard’

 

[D6130]

‘When I were a lad t’ trains didn’t even ave wheels and t’ seats were made of gravel and lard’

 

[Spartacus]

Surprised they've been caught out with mining issues yet again.

It’s hard not to be if the workings aren’t exactly where they’re supposed to be. I was chatting to a former mining surveyed a while ago and he said obstacles like railways and waterways were often more of a little challenge for the surveyor rather than an obstacle and they could be as precise, or imprecise as needed, depending on the circumstances.

 

[Halifaxlad]

Does anybody know what's going on at Batley at the moment ?

From the train there has been a fair bit of vegetation clearance over the disused trackbed behind the platform towards Leeds, today I see some waterproof lining being laid with material laid on top.

 

[59CosG95]

Does anybody know what's going on at Batley at the moment ?

From the train there has been a fair bit of vegetation clearance over the disused trackbed behind the platform towards Leeds, today I see some waterproof lining being laid with material laid on top.

Is that to the north of the station building? That might be installation of an access track or haul road, at a guess. Don't think there's any plans to add/restore an Up Loop through Batley!
This might be connected with plans to replace Lady Anne LC (where Batley SB is) with a footbridge. It could also be to create a compound for the "W4" tranche of works; access is scarce on the "W4" route after all.

Dewsbury has a compound set up in the car park. Based on a trip along the route last year, I noticed a pedestrian access point just south of Wood Lane O/B (east of the A652, up the hill), but that's the only one I could see between Batley & Dewsbury. Then, besides Lady Anne LC, I couldn't see any access points from Batley to Morley Tunnel (of any kind).
North of Morley Station, there is a RRAP & small compound (with yellow welfare containers and white storage ones) on the Leeds-bound side, followed by another on the Hudds-bound side (with a substantial-ish compound on the embankment there).
East of Morley, there's pedestrian access by the green footbridge (O/B 37AA), followed by a pair of steps up the embankment just south of the site of White Rose. After that, there's no obvious access points until Copley Hill Jn.

(Further SW of Huddersfield, a compound has been set up on the Manc-bound side at the Marsden portal of Standedge Tunnel; this is the only site of activity until the planned compound off Mark St/Paddock Lodge for tranche W3)

 

[Ploughman]

There used too be a single vehicle access point at the West end of Morley tunnel.
Permission granted by a reluctant landowner.
In practice only the ES. or Picop were allowed to use it during a possession.

Main access point was always Morley station.

 

[Spartacus]

Dewsbury has a compound set up in the car park.

That's for Covid testing. The way traffic's increasing again I expect the car parking spaces will be needed back sooner rather than later. My guess for Batley is something to do with Lady Anne Crossing, though access off Lady Anne Road isn't good, lots of housing, parked cars and just a gate for foot access, most of where the works have been taking place is at the top of a high wall.

 

[Revaulx]

@59CosG95 thanks for that comprehensive list!

I’d noticed the Standedge one and wondered what it was about. The ones further north/east make more sense.

 

[59CosG95]

@59CosG95 thanks for that comprehensive list!

I’d noticed the Standedge one and wondered what it was about. The ones further north/east make more sense.

No worries.
Between Staly & Standedge, there's a compound on the Down Hudds side to the north of Heyrod feeder, just before the line goes over the A635, complete with RRAP. Then comes Scout Tunnel, *those* houses at Mossley, and Mossley Stn. The Up Hudds cess north of Mossley station looks like it could take a compound (particularly near Portman St), but is so far untouched. There's another Down Hudds compound nr Grasscroft (just after the line crosses Oaklands Rd) before the line reaches Greenfield.
Finally, there's a small RRAP by Diggle Jn SB - I'm sure this'll be one of the big compounds when W2b kicks off.

East of Leeds, meanwhile, there's a RRAP off Marsh Lane (by the sectioning cabinet), shortly before the Richmond Hill cutting, which could feasibly hold a compound for E2. Neville Hill has a large space on the Up side at the depot's western throat (i.e. south of the railway) which could also work. Nothing obvious beyond NL to Cross Gates, but the gentler topography could lend itself to a number of possible temporary locations.

On to E3, and the proposed site for Thorpe Park (currently empty) could be a decent compound, as it has a level crossing.
East of the M1 overbridge, the line passes Barrowby Lane (aka Nanny Goat Lane) crossing (slated for closure), followed by Barrowby Foot crossing (also planned to be closed). The foot crossing off Dale Croft, west of Garforth, is AFAIK not planned to be closed.

Garforth has a compound in the car park and a RRAP east of the station (AFAIK that's for the AfA scheme there), and there's a vehicle-reachable access point by Woodlands Drive east of East Garforth; there is however no RRAP there. Finally, just shy of Micklefield, there's a RRAP off Phoenix Avenue. East of that is Peckfield LC (due for closure). "TheTRUpgrade" says that they're considering building a TSC on land south of the line near Micklefield too, and that a temporary compound to facilitate this will be required.

Finally - E4. Nothing after Micklefield until Laith Staid Lane, just past Huddleston Grange (due west of Sherburn-in-Elmet). Then another large gap until the 3 LCs due for closure as part of E4's works; Adamsons, Poulters & Rose Lane. I expect the existing compound at Church Fenton would likely be retained for E4 use after E1 is done.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Does anybody know what's going on at Batley at the moment ?

From the train there has been a fair bit of vegetation clearance over the disused trackbed behind the platform towards Leeds, today I see some waterproof lining being laid with material laid on top.

I'd kept meaning to ask that on here, but it kept slipping my mind!

Is that to the north of the station building? That might be installation of an access track or haul road, at a guess. Don't think there's any plans to add/restore an Up Loop through Batley!

I assume @Halifaxlad means the space behind platform 2, where a strip of what was rather wild vegetation has been cleared away. Looks like either an access point or a works compound (or a combination of the two). The idea of an Up loop behind the platform keeps being suggested, but as you say there's nothing in the official documentation to suggest such a thing. Looking with the mk1 eyeball, I'd be surprised if there was enough space for the switch between the end of the platform and the start of the viaduct. Or at least, space compliant with modern tolerances and standards.