Midland Main Line Electrification

[RANGERS]

I made a return trip down the MML from Wellingborough last Sunday. By the time I returned a number of track panels had been placed in position on the former Up Slow alignment South of the site of Isham & Burton Latimer station (i.e. where the Weetabix factory is). These seemed to be fully ballasted and ready to take a train - except that there are no other tracks in position to the North until the point where the former Up and Down slows converge into one track, or South before Finedon Rd..

To the South of Isham & BL, it looks like a signal gantry has a support in the middle of  the former Up Slow formation, but I'm not sure. Further Southwards to Wellingborough there are track panels lying about and some ballast has been laid.

North of Kettering, an immaculate double track alignment sweeps away from the Leicester line towards Manton; who could have thought, when this line was closed to passengers in the '60s, that this sight would one day return?

Northamptonshire becoming the all-electric county (remember, until 1974 it included a stretch of the ECML) is sadly hampered by lack of progress between King's Sutton and Aynho Park...

20 years ago, it was fantasy, 10 years ago it seemed unthinkable, 5 years ago it was a pipedream, but today Corby is within sight of a half hourly electric service to London ahead of Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. Strange days indeed.

[geoff]

Some incidental work ongoing at the Glendon Road bridge.

This looks to be a base for a 'pad mount' distribution sub-station possibly to replace the pole mounted transformer on the opposite side of the road which has not long replaced a much older and smaller capacity single pole mounted transformer which from memory was only a 25kva unit.

Ground works adjacent to Kettering North Junction.

Work on cabinets immediately adjacent to the Glendon road bridge on the down side of the main line.

 

Geoff

[geoff]

Emergency back up?

 

Geoff

 

60103 Flying Scotsman rounds the corner from Glendon South with the 1Z60 0843 West Coast Railway Company service from London Victoria to York, about 7 minutes late at 1142 on Friday 15 September 2017.IMG_4882 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_4886 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

 

60009, Union of South Africa, leads the 1Z60 0631 London Victoria to York, West Coast Railway company Service round the corner from Glendon South 2 minutes late at 1000 on Saturday 23 September 2017. WCR class 57, 57314 appeared to contributing significantly at the rear.IMG_4909 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_4910 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

[RfDforever]

I know that this is discussions NOT questions but I am puzzled...

Reinstatement of the second track on the slow lines between Sharnbrook and Kettering seems to be taking place; but what traffic will use it? The only station on this section is Wellingborough, and for passenger trains to be able to call there on the former Up Slow alignment would require not only platform reinstatement but also extension of the (very recently constructed and massive) footbridge. Freight traffic does not appear to me to be heavy enough to impede an increase in the passenger service - but perhaps my perception is wrong? 

[jamie92208]

I think that it's mainly to allow more freight traffic as the single line is a bit of a bottleneck.

 

Jamie

[RANGERS]

I know that this is discussions NOT questions but I am puzzled...

Reinstatement of the second track on the slow lines between Sharnbrook and Kettering seems to be taking place; but what traffic will use it? The only station on this section is Wellingborough, and for passenger trains to be able to call there on the former Up Slow alignment would require not only platform reinstatement but also extension of the (very recently constructed and massive) footbridge. Freight traffic does not appear to me to be heavy enough to impede an increase in the passenger service - but perhaps my perception is wrong? 

 

Others will be better placed to comment on the position with freight currently but as a daily traveller, it seems there is a bottleneck for freight traffic between Wellingborough and Bedford, freight trains are often standing in the platform at Bedford awaiting a clear road North and as they are held again at Wellingborough waiting the Corby train to clear the single slow line, the presumption is capacity has reached a limit for much of the day. I'd guess there is already a demand for additional paths as well.

 

On the passenger side, the half hourly service to Corby would need additional capacity along this stretch to maintain the headway, which presumably is the main driver for this, its part of the electrification project, hence the delay until this was confirmed, not a stand-alone capacity upgrade. Platform 3 at Wellingborough can only accommodate five (maybe six) cars, this would need to be extended to meet the 12 car electric spec', and I'm presuming it will be as the other two platforms are to be extended. Whether the arrangement might be the same as is planned for Corby, with up and down trains using one platform with crossovers at either end, I can't say but I'd guess it might well be. If they go the whole nine yards and reinstate platform 4 (originally platform 6 I think it was), from the design of it, extension of the footbridge should be a relatively straightforward exercise, albeit expensive with another lift being needed. In the great scheme of the whole project, this is still a relatively minor extra.

 

By the look of the consultation proposals, it seems as though the intention is to keep Corby traffic away from the fast lines as far as possible, leaving these for the accelerated non-electric service to points North.

[chrisf]

By the look of the consultation proposals, it seems as though the intention is to keep Corby traffic away from the fast lines as far as possible, leaving these for the accelerated non-electric service to points North.

 

That would be uncommonly sensible.

 

Chris

[RANGERS]

That would be uncommonly sensible.

 

Chris

 

It fits with the Grayling world of two independent systems where ne'r the twain shall meet, apart from once an hour at Kettering!

[Fat Controller]

I know that this is discussions NOT questions but I am puzzled...

Reinstatement of the second track on the slow lines between Sharnbrook and Kettering seems to be taking place; but what traffic will use it? The only station on this section is Wellingborough, and for passenger trains to be able to call there on the former Up Slow alignment would require not only platform reinstatement but also extension of the (very recently constructed and massive) footbridge. Freight traffic does not appear to me to be heavy enough to impede an increase in the passenger service - but perhaps my perception is wrong? 

I suspect that it's not so much the number of freight trains, but rather the speed at which they will be running at this point.

[Rugd1022]

The current single slow line arrangement really is a bottleneck, I've lost count of the number of times I've had to wait for a path at either end of it with the class 6 and 7 freights we work on the MML. The four tracking can't come too soon! In recent years there have been many night time possessions during the week rather than at weekends, where only the single line has been available between Kettering North Jcn and Sharnbrook Jcn, it can be an operational nightmare sometimes. 

[jamie92208]

The current single slow line arrangement really is a bottleneck, I've lost count of the number of times I've had to wait for a path at either end of it with the class 6 and 7 freights we work on the MML. The four tracking can't come too soon! In recent years there have been many night time possessions during the week rather than at weekends, where only the single line has been available between Kettering North Jcn and Sharnbrook Jcn, it can be an operational nightmare sometimes. 

 

There's been something in one of the magazines this month saying that there is a lot of pent up demand for freight paths on the MML, particularly stone traffic from places like Mountsorrel and Barden Hill and I think Buxton via the Hope valley, but there aren't enough paths for any more at the moment.

 

Jamie

[Fat Controller]

There's been something in one of the magazines this month saying that there is a lot of pent up demand for freight paths on the MML, particularly stone traffic from places like Mountsorrel and Barden Hill and I think Buxton via the Hope valley, but there aren't enough paths for any more at the moment.

 

Jamie

'Modern Railways', I believe.

[RfDforever]

Thank you for the responses about freight traffic levels on the MML.

Back in the early '70s I joined the section then called 'Freight Marketing Manager, Earths & Stones' at an RHQ (later titled, more zippily, B.M. Construction) and, at that time, block stone trains were very much on the increase, but in recent years there seems to have been a decline. Obviously, there's not much need for BOS lime now but I would have thought that the demand for construction materials was still there.

The explanation of the need for the reinstatement of the former goods and slow lines is interesting to me, with the stories of trains waiting path. It was ever thus, as they say.

All trainload freight traffic in the many years I worked in freight marketing had good operating ratios - down to 20% - and we persuaded customers to invest in  75 mph wagons with the promise of quick transits. Unfortunately, the average speed of a 75 mph class 4 freight train was in reality around 30-35mph, with customer disappointment often vented (though not at those responsible) as a result.  This was because the operators based their priorities on train class, and, routinely, a late running class 2 train, formed of 75 max stock (think AM10's, many dmu) would be given precedence at a junction over an on-time class 4 - and, within a couple of miles, the class 2 would stop at a station, delaying the freight. Bearing in mind that, in contrast to the high profitability of the freight, the passenger train was probably loss-making, it all seemed very strange - but, of course, in that world, impossible to change. We lost freight business directly as a result. There were other factors causing loss, of course, but to elaborate them will reveal other serious shortcomings...

Presumably, in the modern Network Rail world though, freight train paths are not as remunerative as passenger ones, so it's sound business practice to sideline them.

[Mark Saunders]

Thank you for the responses about freight traffic levels on the MML.

Back in the early '70s I joined the section then called 'Freight Marketing Manager, Earths & Stones' at an RHQ (later titled, more zippily, B.M. Construction) and, at that time, block stone trains were very much on the increase, but in recent years there seems to have been a decline. Obviously, there's not much need for BOS lime now but I would have thought that the demand for construction materials was still there.

The explanation of the need for the reinstatement of the former goods and slow lines is interesting to me, with the stories of trains waiting path. It was ever thus, as they say.

All trainload freight traffic in the many years I worked in freight marketing had good operating ratios - down to 20% - and we persuaded customers to invest in  75 mph wagons with the promise of quick transits. Unfortunately, the average speed of a 75 mph class 4 freight train was in reality around 30-35mph, with customer disappointment often vented (though not at those responsible) as a result.  This was because the operators based their priorities on train class, and, routinely, a late running class 2 train, formed of 75 max stock (think AM10's, many dmu) would be given precedence at a junction over an on-time class 4 - and, within a couple of miles, the class 2 would stop at a station, delaying the freight. Bearing in mind that, in contrast to the high profitability of the freight, the passenger train was probably loss-making, it all seemed very strange - but, of course, in that world, impossible to change. We lost freight business directly as a result. There were other factors causing loss, of course, but to elaborate them will reveal other serious shortcomings...

Presumably, in the modern Network Rail world though, freight train paths are not as remunerative as passenger ones, so it's sound business practice to sideline them.

Freight trains do not write to their MP when it is delayed by a passenger train, currently Britain has a Passenger railway that allows some freight!

 

Mark Saunders

[RfDforever]

Freight trains do not write to their MP when it is delayed by a passenger train, currently Britain has a Passenger railway that allows some freight!

 

Mark Saunders

I only have first-hand knowledge up to 2000, but certainly in those days, our (freight) customers did something more direct than writing - they 'phoned. And not to their MP, but to the business. They certainly made us aware of operational shortcomings. For example, they might have (hourly-paid) unloading staff idle because a train that should have arrived hadn't, or their production line was about to stop because their inwards components train had been delayed. Long before "Delay Repay" was dreamed up,  many freight contracts involved penalty clauses - for example, in the case of the delayed components, road transport had to be found and hired in at our expense. Bear in mind that almost all freight customers in those days each provided income measured in £m's. The sector/business organisation then had the line of communication to make those at fault aware of their shortcomings.

Spoiler Alert. Writing to your MP as an unhappy passenger  resulted in his or her assistant sending off a formulaic letter to BR. This ended up with the regional PR&PO, who sent a formulaic reply. This reply was then "A to B'd" to the constituent. At no point was anyone who might, if the complaint was justified, be at fault involved in the loop. But even a first class long distant season ticket holder wasn't in the same league as far as threat to income went.

[geoff]

RTT has shown some trains terminating at Harrowden Junction late in the evening on some days recently so I took advantage of the fine weather to pop down to see what was going on.

 

Geoff

 

Track bed preparation for re-doubling at Harrowden Junction with Bush Bridge in the back ground. 24 August 2017. Compare this with the next two photos from today.

New track and new signal on the slow lines at Harrowden Junction.

And looking north towards Finedon Station Road bridge.

[RANGERS]

RTT has shown some trains terminating at Harrowden Junction late in the evening on some days recently so I took advantage of the fine weather to pop down to see what was going on.

 

Geoff

 

IMG_4829.jpg

Track bed preparation for re-doubling at Harrowden Junction with Bush Bridge in the back ground. 24 August 2017. Compare this with the next two photos from today.

IMG_4993.jpg

IMG_4998.jpg

New track and new signal on the slow lines at Harrowden Junction.

And looking north towards Finedon Station Road bridge.

IMG_4995.jpg

IMG_4996.jpg

 

You wouldn't want to be on one of those which terminated at Harrowden!

[Edwin_m]

 

IMG_4995.jpg

That illustrates how they managed to put a signal gantry leg in the way of the Up Slow on re-signalling in 1987ish - quite an achievement considering the Slows were in use up until the re-signalling, and almost certainly costing more even at the time than the few extra metres of steel that would have been needed to locate that leg in the cess.  It also shows how they managed to do exactly the same again with the freestanding signal when they put (what will become) the Down Slow back eight or so years back. 

Edited October 28, 2017 by Edwin_m

[RfDforever]

That illustrates how they managed to put a signal gantry leg in the way of the Up Slow on re-signalling in 1987ish - quite an achievement considering the Slows were in use up until the re-signalling, and almost certainly costing more even at the time than the few extra metres of steel that would have been needed to locate that leg in the cess.  It also shows how they managed to do exactly the same again with the freestanding signal when they put (what will become) the Down Slow back eight or so years back. 

I think there's a similar case near the Weetabix factory (post past) but might this one be excusable on signal sighting grounds???

[RANGERS]

Tree cutting has started at the South end of Kettering goods yard, adjacent to the p-way siding. I'm guessing this is where the EMU yard is going to be located. Work also looks to be underway clearing the new up line trackbed at the former Kettering Jct site, South of Pytchley Rd bridge.

 

Hard to see much of whats going on now as its dark morning and night when I'm passing.

[RANGERS]

Signs of the first new overhead have appeared on the Corby line with masts sprouting either side of the works compound between Storefield and Geddington. Theres about a dozen now installed on the down side and half that number on the up.

 

Will try and get some photos tomorrow if the weather's favourable.

[geoff]

A quick trip round a couple of the work sites.

Just north of Storefield the first masts have sprouted.

Site of the former Finedon Station.

A new site compound where the Finedon Sidings used to be.

 

Geoff

[RANGERS]

Piling works have progressed as far as Corby Station where the bases are up to the end of the former down side platform.

 

A temporary structure alongside Cottingham Rd bridge to the north of the station looks like it’s the replacement footbridge, suggesting that work on the penultimate bridge to be raised is starting soon.

[geoff]

Piling works have progressed as far as Corby Station where the bases are up to the end of the former down side platform.

 

A temporary structure alongside Cottingham Rd bridge to the north of the station looks like it’s the replacement footbridge, suggesting that work on the penultimate bridge to be raised is starting soon.

 

Here are some photos from Tuesday 5 December 2017.

Also the new up starter at Corby station and finally some work on the Listed canopies at Kettering station.

 

Geoff

 

IMG_0020 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5280 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5280 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5280 by Geoffrey Robinson, on FlickrGeoff

 

IMG_5296 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5298 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5306 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5302 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

[Titan]

Here are some photos from Tuesday 5 December 2017.

Also the new up starter at Corby station and finally some work on the Listed canopies at Kettering station.

 

Geoff

 

IMG_0020 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5280 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

IMG_5280 by Geoffrey Robinson, on Flickr

 

Modifying the canopy is going to be tricky. It looks like it needs to be taken back significantly in order to avoid ripping off the pan, never mind electrical clearance!  The only sensible way I can think of doing it with sufficient consideration is getting new shorter supports cast in the same style, that bolt on to the existing fixings so the look is maintained. The originals would then have to be appropriately stored/preserved. Wonder how much that is going to cost?

 

It may also have the advantage of allowing W12 loading gauge.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Titan