Transpennine Route Upgrade and Electrification updates

[snowball]

RAIL magazine #1006 (which incidentally now seems to have an editor again, though they don't make a fuss about it) says on p.11 that wiring from Victoria and Guide Bridge to Stalybridge has cost £450M. It points out that this includes the latest remodelling of Stalybridge as well as work at Miles Platting and track renewals.

The work at Miles Platting no doubt refers to the realignment of the curve there, with a new bridge over Queens Road, and reconstruction of underbridges between there and Victoria.

It says that Church Fenton to Colton Junction should be energised in July, with test trains running in late summer and passenger trains using the wires by May 2025, "some four years after construction work started on this five-mile section."

 

[darylyates17]

RAIL magazine #1006 (which incidentally now seems to have an editor again, though they don't make a fuss about it) says on p.7 that wiring from Victoria and Guide Bridge to Stalybridge has cost £450M. It points out that this includes the latest remodelling of Stalybridge as well as work at Milles Platting and track renewals.

The work at Miles Platting no doubt refers to the realignment of the curve there, with a new bridge over Queens Road, and reconstruction of underbridges between there and Victoria.

It says that Church Fenton to Colton Junction should be energised in July, with test trains running in late summer and passenger trains using the wires by May 2025, "some four years after construction work started on this five-mile section."

When is the Miles Platting-Stalybridge section going to be used by passenger services is it this December?

 

[snowball]

I originally quoted the wrong page number for that magazine item, then corrected it in #7771, but by then darylyates had quoted the post with the error.

 

[1D53]

When is the Miles Platting-Stalybridge section going to be used by passenger services is it this December?

June.

 

[B Box]

Local Whatsapp group informs between 26 May to 3 June the bridge at Barkston Ash over the A162 will be replaced.

Consequently the A162 will be closed.

This replaces the failed attempt during Christmas 23 when high winds prevented safe working.

 

[1D53]

Correct, although the rail route is only closed Tuesday to Fri.

 

[Phillipimo]

For those interested. The plans for Huddersfield to Dewsbury are available here.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...te-upgrade/huddersfield-to-westtown-dewsbury/

Under the section:

Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application​

02 TWAO Application Documents

NR13 Planning Drawing - Route Drawing xx

For good visualisations of the bridges and structures see 'NR15 Design and Access Statement.pdf'

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I am trying to work out if there will be wire run overlaps at the indicated locations- makes sense if there will be.

 

[Nottingham59]

I am trying to work out if there will be wire run overlaps at the indicated locations- makes sense if there will be.

By that do you mean a short length of electrification on the diverging non-electrified routes? (I think they're called run outs?)

 

[GRALISTAIR]

By that do you mean a short length of electrification on the diverging non-electrified routes? (I think they're called run outs?)

I do - of course I prefer whole wire run lengths (0.5km?) but yes short overruns.

 

[Nottingham59]

I do - of course I prefer whole wire run lengths (0.5km?) but yes short overruns.

It would make sense to include overruns, at least on diverging routes that are in regular passenger use. So that a direwirement incident doesn't bring down the knitting on the main line.

Looking at the recent electrification around Stalybridge on openrailwaymap, I can see short lengths of OHLE overruns shown at Ashton Moss North Junction and at Guide Bridge West junction, so it would seem to be current practice.

 

[nr758123]

Church Fenton to Colton Junction should be energised in July, with test trains running in late summer and passenger trains using the wires by May 2025, "some four years after construction work started on this five-mile section."

Impressive.

 

[Monkeyhead]

For the uninitiated, is 5 miles in 4 years reasonable progress? Seem like quite a long time for a relatively short distance?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

For the uninitiated, is 5 miles in 4 years reasonable progress?

No -

 

[Meerkat]

For those interested. The plans for Huddersfield to Dewsbury are available here.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...te-upgrade/huddersfield-to-westtown-dewsbury/

Under the section:

Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application​

02 TWAO Application Documents

NR13 Planning Drawing - Route Drawing xx

For good visualisations of the bridges and structures see 'NR15 Design and Access Statement.pdf'

Thanks for that. It shows that a big reason for the huge area of earthworks in the Ravensthorpe triangle is that a sizeable Static Frequency converter site is going in there.

 

[Monkeyhead]

No -

I thought not, but appreciate not everything is as black and white as "time v progress" - feels like the ECML would've taken about 50 years under this method!!

 

[zwk500]

For the uninitiated, is 5 miles in 4 years reasonable progress? Seem like quite a long time for a relatively short distance?

No -

In order to judge whether it's reasonable progress it's useful to break it down into time taken to actually do the work and time taken waiting for opportunities to do the work (Grid connections and tying into Colton Junction being obvious areas where the project would not be in full control of timescales).

 

[DiscoSteve]

Is there a simple map anywhere that shows current progress across the whole length of the TRU? Whats energised/active? What else is done? Whats coming next? Apologies if this a duplicate request or the location of said map is obvious.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

In order to judge whether it's reasonable progress it's useful to break it down into time taken to actually do the work and time taken waiting for opportunities to do the work (Grid connections and tying into Colton Junction being obvious areas where the project would not be in full control of timescales).

And of course, a treasury cashflow issue.

Is there a simple map anywhere that shows current progress across the whole length of the TRU? What's energised/active? What else is done? What's coming next? Apologies if this a duplicate request or the location of said map is obvious.

Usually Modern Railways or Rail will produce one. I have not seen a map recently but I tempted for my homework this weekend to produce one for you.

 

[Tim_UK]

I am trying to work out if there will be wire run overlaps at the indicated locations- makes sense if there will be.

one of early maps in the consultations had a detailed drawing of overhead wire supports right into the Huddersfield tunnels past Springwood junction. Of course, that was a couple of years ago and plans change.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/twao-huddersfield-westtown/Huddersfield%20to%20Westtown%20(Dewsbury)/02%20TWAO%20Application%20Documents/NR13%20Planning%20Drawing%20-%20Route%20Drawing%2002.pdf

So Maybe

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

In order to judge whether it's reasonable progress it's useful to break it down into time taken to actually do the work and time taken waiting for opportunities to do the work (Grid connections and tying into Colton Junction being obvious areas where the project would not be in full control of timescales).

There are no grid connections. Granted fast lines at Colton Jcn are a challenge but slow lines weren't and both already had extensive overrun protection. Anyhow its not as if there is much use going to be made of them for the foreseeable future and with just one TPE service per hour its going to be quite under utilised for many years.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

For the uninitiated, is 5 miles in 4 years reasonable progress? Seem like quite a long time for a relatively short distance?

No -

BR took 6 years to wire Crewe-Euston in the early 1960s, including complete resignalling and building new stations (Stafford and Euston). Most of that was quad track, with new CWR laid on the fast lines for 100mph.
And then another year to do the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford-Stoke-Cheadle Hulme route, the Northampton loop and the other short loops in the West Midlands, plus new stations at Coventry and New St.
That's about 300 route miles all told, so about 50 miles per year.
The earlier wiring of Manchester-Crewe and Liverpool-Crewe took rather longer, and was arguably over-engineered.
Many trains were diverted during this period (to Paddington, St Pancras and Marylebone, also sleepers to Kensington Olympia), but I don't remember any extended line closures to do the job.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

BR took 6 years to wire Crewe-Euston in the early 1960s, including complete resignalling and building new stations (Stafford and Euston). Most of that was quad track, with new CWR laid on the fast lines for 100mph.
And then another year to do the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford-Stoke-Cheadle Hulme route, the Northampton loop and the other short loops in the West Midlands, plus new stations at Coventry and New St.
That's about 300 route miles all told, so about 50 miles per year.
The earlier wiring of Manchester-Crewe and Liverpool-Crewe took rather longer, and was arguably over-engineered.
Many trains were diverted during this period (to Paddington, St Pancras and Marylebone, also sleepers to Kensington Olympia), but I don't remember any extended line closures to do the job.

Then they built on that and delivered Weaver Jcn to Motherwell c200miles in under four years years including four massive resignalling schemes and not forgetting them the electrification supply chain had been in cold store for over three years but readily remobilised.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

one of early maps in the consultations had a detailed drawing of overhead wire supports right into the Huddersfield tunnels past Springwood junction. Of course, that was a couple of years ago and plans change.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/twao-huddersfield-westtown/Huddersfield%20to%20Westtown%20(Dewsbury)/02%20TWAO%20Application%20Documents/NR13%20Planning%20Drawing%20-%20Route%20Drawing%2002.pdf

So Maybe

Though in that location, the wires will only be "over-runs" temporarily between the wires from Leeds being completed and the wires from Stalybridge being installed. I wouldn't necessarily expect there to be significant over-runs towards Lockwood, as I'm also expecting that route to continue to be operated as if functionally isolated from the TP mainline.

 

[1D53]

For the uninitiated, is 5 miles in 4 years reasonable progress? Seem like quite a long time for a relatively short distance?

I think it's slow but considering it's pretty much all been done in standard overnight possession opportunities plus it's all new track and new signals done at the same time plus the spans required to bridge a four track railway it's not too bad.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I have not seen a map recently but I tempted for my homework this weekend to produce one for you.

My map producing and editing skills are not brilliant but please bear with me - here is the route overview where I used OpenMap dot org , then edited, screenshot and annotated. Other bits to follow to show progress etc.

 

[Revaulx]

My map producing and editing skills are not brilliant but please bear with me - here is the route overview where I used OpenMap dot org , then edited, screenshot and annotated. Other bits to follow to show progress etc.

Lovely!

Shows how short the sections at either end are, which doesn’t fill one with confidence regarding the big bit in the middle.

The easing of the curve at Miles Platting and remodelling of Stalybridge’s west end (again ) have obviously made that section less than straightforward. Plus there was a good deal of bridge reconstruction around Ashton to improve clearances, though most of that was completed prior to the scheme being “paused” by Grayling. Also much of the Guide Bridge branch is on viaduct , which looks like it’s been a challenge to wire.

The time it’s taken to do the Church Fenton bit seems utterly ridiculous though.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Here are the others. I will improve on them as my map editing skills get better. I may buy some specialist software when I retire back to Blighty.

 

[snowball]

I don't think Phillips Park to Ashburys has been in the project in the last 4 or 5 years.

Statements from Network Rail giving an overview of the current overall state of the project, and what will happen when, have been notably lacking.

 

[Phillipimo]

Video of the work going on between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe during the recent blockade.

2,934 views 5 Apr 2024 WEST YORKSHIRE
The Transpennine Route Upgrade continues in West Yorkshire. This video features large-scale works at - from west to east - Huddersfield Station, Huddersfield Viaduct, the new temporary Hillhouse Station, Deighton, Heaton Lodge Junction and Ravensthorpe. #railway #transpennineexpress #trains #trainspotting #tru