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Wires to Windermere announced

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The Planner

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Looks like some through services would be pretty much nailed on.

DfT story

DfT said:
Electric route for Lake District

Plans unveiled to to allow electric trains to run on 10 miles of route between Oxenholme Lake District station and Windermere station.
Electric cables

Electric trains could soon be serving destinations in the heart of the Lake District as Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin unveiled his plans to electrify the Windermere branch line in Cumbria.

The government is keen for the 10 miles of track, which runs between Oxenholme Lake District station on the West Coast Main Line and Windermere station in the National Park, to be converted to allow electric trains to run on the route.

Once the proposed £16 million scheme is agreed faster, greener more reliable electric trains could link Kendal, Burneside and Staveley directly to Manchester by 2016.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin:

  • This is a key line to one of the most important tourist areas in the UK and I believe the rail industry has a role in making sure more people can travel comfortably to enjoy the beautiful lakes
  • I recognise that strong rail links across the country are important drivers in our economic recovery at a national and regional level that is why we are pushing ahead with the biggest programmes of rail electrification ever.
(read more)
 
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Eagle

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About time this was confirmed. It should have been in the NW scheme from day one.

Now all we need is Carnforth to Barrow.

(Or maybe the whole Cumbrian coast; diversionary route anyone? :P)
 
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GRALISTAIR

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And now Oxenholme-Windermere has been added to the NW list for 2016...
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88053

The speed with which this was mooted/confirmed suggests this was on the agenda all along.
Maybe it was a simple equation about the cost of DMU workings from Preston that would otherwise have been needed.

ABSOLUTELY. I am a CYNIC. Politicians like two or three bites of the cherry. It was thus announced seperately. Little add-on schemes will also be announced IMHO over the next couple of years. I dont care -as long as it gets done. Let the politicians have their glory.

Lostock Junction to Bolton please once Manchester-Blackpool is complete.
 

GRALISTAIR

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About time this was confirmed. It should have been in the NW scheme from day one.

Now all we need is Carnforth to Barrow.

(Or maybe the whole Cumbrian coast; diversionary route anyone? :P)

Forgot about that - yes important too. I still would like Lostock Junction -Wigan done as part of the Manchester - Blackpool or at least added on after completion.
 

Eagle

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To be fair, that would probably happen alongside a Manchester–Wigan–Southport electrification scheme (which I'd say is looking pretty likely now given the amount of other electric lines in the area).
 

YorkshireBear

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Great news. Does this maybe solve a few problems with regard splitting and joining on route? But Barrow must now be wondering what their fate holds!
 

terryc

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I wonder if the £16 million also includes plans for a loop at Burneside or Staveley, which has been mooted in the past?
 

edwin_m

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I suppose this is to benefit the TPX 350's

Can't see any other use for it.

I don't see how the 350s could use it, as there aren't enough of them to cover any more than the Scotland service. Maybe a splitter off some of the Blackpools at Preston?
 

joeykins82

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It would be crazy for the Carnforth to Barrow route to remain unelectrified, but there are now so many logical extensions and infill schemes that it must be difficult to determine what order they should take place in!
 

Old Hill Bank

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I don't see how the 350s could use it, as there aren't enough of them to cover any more than the Scotland service. Maybe a splitter off some of the Blackpools at Preston?

By 2016 we should have more clarity on rolling stock strategy for TPE/Northern, many suspect that the 350s are only a stop gap solution
 

anthony263

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By 2016 we should have more clarity on rolling stock strategy for TPE/Northern, many suspect that the 350s are only a stop gap solution

They are it is already planned that the class 350/4's will go to London Midland. I suspect we could see a new build for Transpenine Express perhaps and add on to the South West Trains order although the TPE emu's will have different interiors.

Over on Wnxx it seems to be the opinion that the thameslink units which can do 110mph will be moving to the GWML instead of them having class 319's

Considering the DFT's love of IEP perhaps some units could be ordered for TPE or maybe some baby pendolinos if Virgin order some
 

hwl

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Also frees up a DMU for routes somewhere else that aren't going to be electrified soon if at all.
 

Dunc108

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I wonder if the £16 million also includes plans for a loop at Burneside or Staveley, which has been mooted in the past?

Exactly, its alot of investment for the branch to remain as it is, maybe a 2nd platform at Windermere wouldnt go amiss in addition to a passing loop.
 

61653 HTAFC

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What's the linespeed along the branch, and is there much scope for it to be raised? Would a 'trolley-wire' type solution be a way of keeping the costs down I wonder?
 

WatcherZero

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16 million seems a lot for what it is... so maybe it does!

£16m for 10 miles = 16km = £1m per km, which looks about average. Might well be cheaper than other lines but looks like theyve taken the average for the distance as a guide figure.
 
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dk1

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Sounds the going rate. As said will make unit deployment far more efficient.
 

Tomnick

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Exactly, its alot of investment for the branch to remain as it is, maybe a 2nd platform at Windermere wouldnt go amiss in addition to a passing loop.
I think you'd struggle enough to justify a crossing loop on the branch - but what purpose would a second platform ay Windermere serve??
 

Dunc108

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I think you'd struggle enough to justify a crossing loop on the branch - but what purpose would a second platform ay Windermere serve??

Extra capacity for additional services/higher frequency? In its present form theres no scope to expand service levels beyond the basic hourly service.
 

Tomnick

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A second platform wouldn't give you much more though - all you'd save in terms of occupation of the single line is perhaps three or four minutes, at the cost of much longer layovers and thus less efficient use of resources.
 
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