Midland Main Line Electrification

[jamie92208]

4 minutes ago, Edwin_m said:

Quite a lot of freight uses it, but even if it comes from the MML rather than via Burton, it will be using other non-electrified lines on its journey.  So it would remain diesel unless there was some major initiative on freight decarbonisation.  

It's also a ragular diversionary route for Cross Country, plus IIRC, 1 direct Sheffield St Panras working.

 

Jamie

[DY444]

54 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Once the Midland route to Sheffield is wired then there are several fill in bits that will really start to create s network. Eg, Derbt to Birmingham, Doncaster to Sheffield and then Moorthorpe to Swinton.  Cross country would then be able to run from Edinburgh to Bromsgrove under the wires.it will also be interesting to see if 'the old road' from Tapton to Rotherham is included along with Beighton Junction to Sheffield.

 

Jamie

 

Re Bromsgrove.  You'd also have to do some fill ins between Kings Norton and Barnt Green because some parts of the fast lines are not wired

[Hobby]

All the way from King's Norton to Longbridge which always causes problems on the Crosscity when one of their trains fails. It would have made sense to electrify the fasts when they did Bromsgrove, but they didn't. Then there's Camp Hill which also needs the wires. 

 

What starts off as a small request soon gets larger! 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Hobby

[Edwin_m]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

It's also a ragular diversionary route for Cross Country, plus IIRC, 1 direct Sheffield St Panras working.

 

Jamie

The Cross Country trains will have to remain as diesel or bi-mode unless a lot more route is electrified, and the Sheffield to St Pancras disappears in the EMR timetable recast (may have gone already) and in any case will become a bi-mode.  So electrifying Erewash on its own won't allow any diesel workings to be converted to electric and at best will allow a bi-mode to use its diesels a little less.  The best case is probably the Nottingham to Leeds service, for which most of the non-electrified section north of Sheffield will be done if HS2 eastern leg goes ahead as planned.  

[Zomboid]

At present electrification is all about passenger operations.

 

Once the passenger trunk routes are done the infills for freight will start to look more viable.

[Mike Storey]

Given the tendering date is Sept 2022 (at the earliest) I would suggest that this is advance planning for whatever the "Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and The North" turns out to be (which would seem to include MML now, according to other sources). 

[ess1uk]

How is the work going towards Market Harborough?

[Hairy Bear Digital]

Two dozen stanchions gone up. Ground works for the feeder at Braybrooke and err... that's it for now.

[ess1uk]

On 14/08/2021 at 09:15, Hairy Bear Digital said:

Two dozen stanchions gone up. Ground works for the feeder at Braybrooke and err... that's it for now.

So moving along then?

[Hairy Bear Digital]

Compound at Braybrooke now contains a few components of the stanchions.

A tiny bit more progress! .

[great central]

Wonder if this will affect any further electrification?

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-midlands-railway-prior-information-notice-corrigendum

[Dava]

2 hours ago, great central said:

Wonder if this will affect any further electrification?

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-midlands-railway-prior-information-notice-corrigendum

Does this suggest  that DfT is likely to make a Direct Award to EMR or to any other operator.

 

Dava

[great central]

33 minutes ago, Dava said:

Does this suggest  that DfT is likely to make a Direct Award to EMR or to any other operator.

 

Dava

 

I think it's showing the intention to throw it open to others, presumably Abellio will put in a bid although they're not particularly popular if you read some of the comments on the unofficial EMR Twitter feed.

[Edwin_m]

3 hours ago, great central said:

 

I think it's showing the intention to throw it open to others, presumably Abellio will put in a bid although they're not particularly popular if you read some of the comments on the unofficial EMR Twitter feed.

I think this is just a statutory thing, they have to make the market aware of the intention to extend the contract beyond the original advertised term.  Other potential bidders have the right to object, but as far as know nobody has ever done so on a rail franchise.  

[ess1uk]

On 17/10/2021 at 09:35, Hairy Bear Digital said:

Compound at Braybrooke now contains a few components of the stanchions.

A tiny bit more progress! .

Can’t rush these things!

[ess1uk]

just trying to work out with the announcement this morning if this means that the full MML will finally get the OLE strung up? 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

14 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

just trying to work out with the announcement this morning if this means that the full MML will finally get the OLE strung up? 

 

I was hoping to find out too... I am so confused by the many 'it's on/it's off' for OLE north of the economic powerhouse that is Market Harborough...

 

I had my first trip on the MML for 2 years last week.  Was impressed by how much more robust the new OLE appears than the flimsy nonsense south of Bedford.

 

Was less impressed by the shabby, clapped out EMR meridian.  And no HST alternatives anymore, for shame.

 

<Edit>

 

Just seen on the Grauniad website:

 

'Promised upgrades include full electrification of the Midland mainline – a scheme scrapped halfway through by the government in 2017 – and of the existing TransPennine line, as well as more investment in the east coast.'

 

'promised'.... hmmm

Edited November 18, 2021 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters

[corneliuslundie]

Well, trains from HS2 won't get far beyond East Midlands Parkway without wires.

Jonathan

[Titan]

Indeed, now the Eastern Leg of HS2 has been scrapped they have no choice but to electrify the MML.  Blessing in disguise?

[woodenhead]

I think they were facing the challenge of funding HS2 and the classic lines, ploughing on with HS2 as was and not doing anything on the classic lines was potentially a greater vote loser than changing HS2 to allow borrowing of funds for another stab at large scale electrification (MML to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield), Warrington Central route and the Stalybridge to Leeds line (plus Leeds to York which is already underway I believe).

 

I also believe the review may be a blessing in disguise, Derby and Nottingham will get a double bubble benefit, wires for the slow route to St Pancras and also HS2 services - much better than trekking to a new Midlands Parkway station at Toton in a car.

[phil-b259]

8 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

Was less impressed by the shabby, clapped out EMR meridian.  And no HST alternatives anymore, for shame.

 

 

Thats mainly down to the fact that new trains have been ordered for delivery next year IIRC.

 

I can't find too much wrong with EMR keeping the Meridians going 'as is' in the interim - unlike a house EMR aren't going to be able to increase the selling price*.....

 

 

* yes I know they are leased....

[RANGERS]

Their expected lifespan hasn’t encouraged EMR to carry out the refurbishment of the 390s which they’d committed to under the franchise award, and the condition of some of the units fully justifies the “cattle truck” designation awarded them by commuters at Corby and Wellingborough who have no choice but to use them, and who still pay the premium for Inter-City services in their season ticket costs.

 

All in all EMR have a fleet which leaves the MML with stock in probably the worst condition since the early 70s.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

1 hour ago, phil-b259 said:

I can't find too much wrong with EMR keeping the Meridians going 'as is' in the interim

 

Perhaps not, but they could at least clean them.  

 

The 222s really are bl00dy awful in every respect.  I have little hope the replacements will be any better.  More of those poxy Hitachi commuter units I suppose.

[phil-b259]

6 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

The 222s really are bl00dy awful in every respect.  I have little hope the replacements will be any better.  More of those poxy Hitachi commuter units I suppose.

If you mean a variant of the class 80X units used on the ECML / GWML, then yes that is what has been ordered.

 

Whatever their flaws, the 80X / IET have become the ‘standard’  UK InterCity train with nobody else (be they manufacturer or operator) looking to develop an alternative.

 

[Zomboid]

40 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:

If you mean a variant of the class 80X units used on the ECML / GWML, then yes that is what has been ordered.

 

Whatever their flaws, the 80X / IET have become the ‘standard’  UK InterCity train with nobody else (be they manufacturer or operator) looking to develop an alternative.

 

Whilst they are the "standard" and are coming to the MML, there are alternatives out there which have been procured recently. The 397s from CAF for example, or the FLIRT units as on the GE area can be supplied with a 200km/h top speed.

 

Hitachi of course have an assembly plant in Newton Aycliffe, so there's political considerations to keeping it in business when choosing a type of train to build.