Wigan Springs Branch re-born !

[APOLLO]

Great News. 8F (SP) is to be reborn !!!

 

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/new-home-for-trains-provides-jobs-boost-for-greater-manchester

 

I've noticed a lot of vegetation removal recently from Brewery Sidings (to the side of the depot and the start of the old (long gone) New Springs Branch, where the photo below was taken.

 

The DMU sidings at Wigan Wallgate will probably go - they are fairly short and there's no room for expansion there. Wrong side of the existing electrification also.

 

Here Springs Branch's last day of steam - late 1967. Doubt I'll "bunk" the Branch anymore though !!!

 

 

 

 

On another topic here is a video of the improvements at Blackpool - Kirkham - (from I DMU I think) - again very impressive.

 

 

Brit15

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

It must annoying for the locals to be lumped under Greater Manchester some 25 miles distant.

 

Mike.

[LMS2968]

Yes!

 

Especially if you're a scouser!

Edited April 25, 2018 by LMS2968

[APOLLO]

It must annoying for the locals to be lumped under Greater Manchester some 25 miles distant.

 

Mike.

 

It happened many years ago, but us Wiganers do not think of ourselves as part of Greater Manchester, for instance our official postal address is Wigan Lancashire, but the "new" Lancashire boundary is a couple of miles to the north. Anyway we put up with it (for now !!). Good thing being in GM is I get my GMPTE "old farts" bus / train / tram pass !! - Down in Warrington it's buses only for them.

 

Nice to see more rail infrastructure being built. I'll go and take a few photos at various stages of construction & post them here. easy to do from public roads & paths without trespassing.

 

It's a logical place for such a depot, all access tracks are already in place and fully signaled. Access from Wallgate easy without crossing the WCML fast lines, and from the depot towards Liverpool / Manchester line traffic can head south and use the already electrified fly under at Bamfurlong, then either down to Lowton Jcn & the Liverpool / Manchester line or reverse over the newly electrified chord to the St Helens line. Easy Peasy.

 

HS2 is supposed to join the WCML just south of Bamfurlong and a HS2 train depot was originally planned there, but now the depot is seemingly cancelled.

 

I'll believe HS2 at Wigan if (I live long enough !!) to see it.

 

Brit15

Edited April 25, 2018 by APOLLO

[w124bob]

I wonder if this new depot is in addition to what Newton Heath and Allerton already offer, as the stock that NH maintains disappears will the depot win any new maintenance contracts. The 319's will be around for a while so thats Allerton niche secure for a while at least, but take away the 142 fleet doesn't leave much for NH to look after.

Edited April 25, 2018 by w124bob

[black and decker boy]

There are those that say NH doesn’t do much ‘looking after’

 

I think this new facility is a consequence of the enlarged fleet once all thecascades are done and the new class 195 & 331 fleets deployed. I doubt NH will be losing out.

[Zomboid]

I think it'll be a stabling location. The jobs created will probably be mostly cleaners and that kind of thing.

[APOLLO]

The blurb says

 

A new £46m train depot is to be built in Wigan as part of the Great North Rail Project.

With the number of passengers set to double in the north over the next 25 years, more depots are needed to enable the more frequent services and additional trains planned by 2020.

At Springs Branch railway sidings in Ince-in-Makerfield, Network Rail is adapting an existing freight yard to stable and maintain 24 electric and eight diesel trains – creating almost 20 jobs in the process.

 

£46 million doesn't buy a lot these days, and 20 jobs though welcome is not a great amount. I suppose it'll be just some electrified sidings, perhaps a one or two road shed for cleaning and very basic maintenance (checking etc). Still it's very good news.

 

Brit15

Edited April 25, 2018 by APOLLO

[Christopher125]

Kirkham to Preston has also now been uploaded.

 

[newbryford]

It must annoying for the locals to be lumped under Greater Manchester some 25 miles distant.

 

Mike.

 

Says a Yorkshireman living about 1500 miles from there...........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

[caradoc]

Thanks for posting Brit 15 and Christopher 125, most interesting. As well as the new depot at Springs Branch there look to be extensive carriage sidings at Blackpool North. The track layouts at Blackpool and Kirkham have been well and truly modernised as well. Good to see that this important route has finally been brought up to scratch !

[Enterprisingwestern]

Says a Yorkshireman living about 1500 miles from there...........

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

I'm still on Yorkshire soil as this is the Yorkshire Embassy of Spain.

 

Mike.

[beast66606]

I'm still on Yorkshire soil as this is the Yorkshire Embassy of Spain.

 

Mike.

 

En Valle del Rudrón bah'tat

[APOLLO]

A Yorkshire couple go to the Costa Brava for a holiday, but on arrival, the wife says "I won't be able to make gravy with your dinner, love - I've forgotten the Bisto" The husband says, "Don't worry, there's an English couple staying in the next apartment, I'll see if they have any" So he knocks on the door of the next apartment, and says to the man" 'Allo, 'hast any Bisto" To which the man replies "Pixx off, you Spanish prat!""

 

Brit15

Edited April 26, 2018 by APOLLO

[87023Velocity]

 

The blurb says

 

A new £46m train depot is to be built in Wigan as part of the Great North Rail Project.

With the number of passengers set to double in the north over the next 25 years, more depots are needed to enable the more frequent services and additional trains planned by 2020.

At Springs Branch railway sidings in Ince-in-Makerfield, Network Rail is adapting an existing freight yard to stable and maintain 24 electric and eight diesel trains – creating almost 20 jobs in the process.

 

£46 million doesn't buy a lot these days, and 20 jobs though welcome is not a great amount. I suppose it'll be just some electrified sidings, perhaps a one or two road shed for cleaning and very basic maintenance (checking etc). Still it's very good news.

 

Brit15

 

Interestingly, Allerton was updated in 2015? at a reported cost of £23 Million, regards the job numbers, are they refering to NR jobs perhaps rather than the operator? I seem to remember Allerton was done up using NR staff were possible i.e 'in-house'.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Fat Controller]

Whilst Network Rail may be doing the construction works themselves, or more likely project-managing them, the long-term jobs most likely will be either with the TOCs or the companies building/leasing the stock.

[northendboy]

Kirkham to Preston has also now been uploaded.

 

 

That's fab!! Thanks for that. Good to see my old office in County Hall from the rail side, and interesting how long the platforms are at the West side of the station.

[Edwin_m]

It happened many years ago, but us Wiganers do not think of ourselves as part of Greater Manchester, for instance our official postal address is Wigan Lancashire, but the "new" Lancashire boundary is a couple of miles to the north. Anyway we put up with it (for now !!). Good thing being in GM is I get my GMPTE "old farts" bus / train / tram pass !! - Down in Warrington it's buses only for them.

 

Nice to see more rail infrastructure being built. I'll go and take a few photos at various stages of construction & post them here. easy to do from public roads & paths without trespassing.

 

It's a logical place for such a depot, all access tracks are already in place and fully signaled. Access from Wallgate easy without crossing the WCML fast lines, and from the depot towards Liverpool / Manchester line traffic can head south and use the already electrified fly under at Bamfurlong, then either down to Lowton Jcn & the Liverpool / Manchester line or reverse over the newly electrified chord to the St Helens line. Easy Peasy.

 

HS2 is supposed to join the WCML just south of Bamfurlong and a HS2 train depot was originally planned there, but now the depot is seemingly cancelled.

 

I'll believe HS2 at Wigan if (I live long enough !!) to see it.

 

Brit15

Unfortunately the slows at Golborne are on the west of the fasts (after passing through said diveunder) so trains between Springs Branch and Liverpool or Manchester by this route have to cross the fasts on a low-speed junction.  I've often wondered whether Golborne-Wigan should be re-modelled as (west to east) Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast, Up Slow with the Up Slow being bi-directional.  But as NR recently renewed the junctions on a largely like-for-like basis it isn't going to happen. 

[APOLLO]

I agree Edwin-m, a bit of a dogs breakfast is Golborne Junction. It's a sharpish curve to the right going south on the WCML, so slewing the fast lines further west to do the above would have sharpened this curve. Perhaps that's why Network rail didn't do it. An awkward place with roads, houses, embankments cuttings etc.

 

I often go to Manchester on the Trans Pennine EMU, 100 mph Wigan - Golborne then braking to 10 mph around the junctions, sometimes held up by an eastbound on the L&M at Parkside Jcn.

 

They weren't thinking of Pendolino's, 100 mph EMU's and 75mph freight trains when these lines were built in the early 1800's !!

 

Brit15

[Owd Bob]

This is great news for 'The Branch' and its future  but as usual Wigan MBC jump straight on the band wagon as if it was something they alone did or had owt to do with, i think any new jobs are always great news but i doubt if any locals will get them. I'll probably see you down there Apollo as the work progresses, i wonder if the the new Trans Pennine loco'/trains be looked after here? 

[Steamport Southport]

This is great news for 'The Branch' and its future  but as usual Wigan MBC jump straight on the band wagon as if it was something they alone did or had owt to do with, i think any new jobs are always great news but i doubt if any locals will get them. I'll probably see you down there Apollo as the work progresses, i wonder if the the new Trans Pennine loco'/trains be looked after here? 

 

Well there is an election coming up. It's the only time you ever see or hear from most of your local councillors.   

 

 

 

Jason

[APOLLO]

And what a set of tossers we have as candidates to vote for !!! (nuff said !!)

 

Agree Owd Bob regarding jumping on the bandwagon - not just Wigan they ALL do it, even up to No 10.

 

I don't think the Trans Pennine units will be serviced here, they have a new facility in Manchester. I reckon it's more a replacement / enlargement of the existing Wallgate facility for local trains. We will see.

 

Springs Branch in the good old days - taken by my dad.

 

 

Brit15

Edited April 28, 2018 by APOLLO

[Owd Bob]

Nice to see the very tall slim Church spire in the far background Apollo, think i remember it being knocked down in the late 60's early '70's? It looks like the pic' was taken by your Dad from the signal box?

[APOLLO]

It was taken from Taylors lane bridge, or the embankment alongside. The signal box was a bit further north, as in this photo (not mine) also taken from the bridge. You can see the shadow of the signal gantry in this photo.

 

 

Brit15

[bennyboy]

I noticed that there had been a lot of tree/shrub clearance around the stub of the branch to Platt Bridge a couple of years ago, which was supposedly because they were thinking of stabling trains there, but then it seemed that they changed their plans. But now it looks like they have changed their minds again!