TRANSPORT | Northern Hub

[Viscount702]

Does anyone know when Ordsall Lane to Victoria is being electrified because none of the comments or articles on the scheme seem to say when this bit is being done. NR say as part of the Victoria works that electrification works at Victoria starts winter this year but I don't think that is now correct.

[Joseph_Locke]

Originally Posted by Viscount702

Does anyone know when Ordsall Lane to Victoria is being electrified because none of the comments or articles on the scheme seem to say when this bit is being done. NR say as part of the Victoria works that electrification works at Victoria starts winter this year but I don't think that is now correct.

I would imagine that any works at Victoria station would only facilitate OLE, not provide it.

As far as I know, wires to Vic is phase 1 of NWEP, e.g. now. That said, if Hub is messing with Deal Street I can understand why they aren't diving in.

[Viscount702]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Locke

I would imagine that any works at Victoria station would only facilitate OLE, not provide it.

As far as I know, wires to Vic is phase 1 of NWEP, e.g. now. That said, if Hub is messing with Deal Street I can understand why they aren't diving in.

JL I wasn't suggesting that it was part of the Victoria works only that the NR website on Victoria states the electrification work would be starting winter 2012. Mind you the whole of the Victoria website on Victoria is up the creek as it still refers among other things to new platforms.

It was my understanding that it was in phase one and would be starting about now. If as you suggest it may be delayed because of Deal street and things connected to the chord and possibly what to do about Platforms at central then I can understand it particularly as it does not look as though the delay will hold up much because at present there appears to be is no stock(319s) to operate it from 2014.

[Johnny de Rivative]

I’m sure there’s a thread specifically for the Electrification project, but blowed if I can find it again, so I’ll post these pics here.

They are of the first road bridge West out of Preston to be raised on the Blackpool line (junction Ashton Street/Wellfield Road). It’s just beside a famous landmark, St Walburge’s Church.

[Joseph_Locke]

Nice pics JDR, but that's North West Electification Phase 3 ...

[Johnny de Rivative]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Locke

Nice pics JDR, but that's North West Electification Phase 3 ...

Cheers Joseph - now I found the correct place.

[castlefield lad]

north-west sparks reports that catenary wires are up near castlefied junction

http://nw-sparks.blogspot.co.uk/

[WingTips]

Originally Posted by castlefield lad

north-west sparks reports that catenary wires are up near castlefied junction

http://nw-sparks.blogspot.co.uk/

Welcome castlefield lad, hope you enjoy the banter.

[CHAPS2034]

Originally Posted by castlefield lad

north-west sparks reports that catenary wires are up near castlefied junction

http://nw-sparks.blogspot.co.uk/

Covered in this thread

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1265187

Sometimes overlapping subjects on here - you'll find your way round eventually like I did.

Cheers
CW

[Joseph_Locke]

Welcome all those from the Metrolink Fantasy thread. Comment has been made about keeping Heavy Rail fantasy over here, so that is what I shall do.

Assuming that:

• Manchester - Liverpool is electrified
• Huyton - Wigan is electrified
• Preston - Blackpool is electrified
• Manchester - Preston (Euxton) is electrified
• Manchester - Stalybridge - Diggle - Leeds is electrified
• Manchester Airport gets a fourth platform
• Roby and Huyton are four-tracked
• Rochdale gets its turnback line
• Dore and Totley is re-doubled
• Ordsall Chord is built
• Oxford Road is extended
• Piccadilly gets platforms 15 and 16
• Salford Central gets five platforms

Then, after Sheffield-Rotherham is trialled;

• The Marple Line gets tram trains
• Northwich gets tram trains
• The Atherton Line gets tram trains

I think it might just be the right time to:

• Electrify Manchester - Rochdale
• Electrify Lostock junction - Wigan North Western
• Add the additional platform(s) at Salford Crescent
• Remodel Bolton station
• Grade seperate Ordsall Lane Junction
• Build the link from the Mid Cheshire Line to the Airport and electrify Stockport - Chester via Altrincham
• Electrify Warrington - Chester via Helsby
• Reopen the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway through Millers Dale and electrify throughout Derby to Hazel Grove.

[dggar]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Locke

Welcome all those from the Metrolink Fantasy thread. Comment has been made about keeping Heavy Rail fantasy over here, so that is what I shall do.

Assuming that:

• Manchester - Liverpool is electrified
• Huyton - Wigan is electrified
• Preston - Blackpool is electrified
• Manchester - Preston (Euxton) is electrified
• Manchester - Stalybridge - Diggle - Leeds is electrified
• Manchester Airport gets a fourth platform
• Roby and Huyton are four-tracked
• Rochdale gets its turnback line
• Dore and Totley is re-doubled
• Ordsall Chord is built
• Oxford Road is extended
• Piccadilly gets platforms 15 and 16
• Salford Central gets five platforms

Then, after Sheffield-Rotherham is trialled;

• The Marple Line gets tram trains
• Northwich gets tram trains
• The Atherton Line gets tram trains

I think it might just be the right time to:

• Electrify Manchester - Rochdale
• Electrify Lostock junction - Wigan North Western
• Add the additional platform(s) at Salford Crescent
• Remodel Bolton station
• Grade seperate Ordsall Lane Junction
• Build the link from the Mid Cheshire Line to the Airport and electrify Stockport - Chester via Altrincham
• Electrify Warrington - Chester via Helsby
• Reopen the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway through Millers Dale and electrify throughout Derby to Hazel Grove.

Electric Bicycles on the Monsal Trail, I just love that idea.

[Joseph_Locke]

Originally Posted by dggar

Electric Bicycles on the Monsal Trail, I just love that idea.

No, I rather thought it would be one long level crossing, with cyclists motivated by 90mph electric trains bearing down on them. SusTrans is very aptly named, in my (dim) view.

[Altfish]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Locke

[*]Northwich gets tram trains
[*]Build the link from the Mid Cheshire Line to the Airport and electrify Stockport - Chester via Altrincham
[/LIST]

Isn't there a conflict between those two ideas?

[Greybeard33]

Originally Posted by Joseph_Locke

Welcome all those from the Metrolink Fantasy thread. Comment has been made about keeping Heavy Rail fantasy over here, so that is what I shall do.

Assuming that:

• Manchester - Liverpool is electrified
• Huyton - Wigan is electrified
• Preston - Blackpool is electrified
• Manchester - Preston (Euxton) is electrified
• Manchester - Stalybridge - Diggle - Leeds is electrified
• Manchester Airport gets a fourth platform
• Roby and Huyton are four-tracked
• Rochdale gets its turnback line
• Dore and Totley is re-doubled
• Ordsall Chord is built
• Oxford Road is extended
• Piccadilly gets platforms 15 and 16
• Salford Central gets five platforms

Then, after Sheffield-Rotherham is trialled;

• The Marple Line gets tram trains
• Northwich gets tram trains
• The Atherton Line gets tram trains

I think it might just be the right time to:

• Electrify Manchester - Rochdale
• Electrify Lostock junction - Wigan North Western
• Add the additional platform(s) at Salford Crescent
• Remodel Bolton station
• Grade seperate Ordsall Lane Junction
• Build the link from the Mid Cheshire Line to the Airport and electrify Stockport - Chester via Altrincham
• Electrify Warrington - Chester via Helsby
• Reopen the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway through Millers Dale and electrify throughout Derby to Hazel Grove.

An excellent start - but surely not ambitious enough for a fantasy thread?
I think the serious omissions include:
- Electrification of the CLC line from Trafford Park to Allerton via Warrington Central, of Hazel Grove to Buxton, of the Hope Valley line and of Hyde to New Mills (assuming Ashburys to Marple via Bredbury included in tram-trainification)
- Infill electrification of Buxton to Great Rocks and Hindley, of Hazel Grove to Northenden via Cheadle Heath, and of Guide Bridge to Heaton Norris via Denton (to enable the aggregate traffic to be electrically hauled)
- Reopening and electrification of East Didsbury to Cheadle Heath (rebuilding the Mersey bridge at Heaton Mersey of course), plus redoubling of Cheadle Heath to Hazel Grove (to enable tram-trains to access Cheadle Heath, Hazel Grove and Chinley, with weekend excursions into the Peak District)
- Reopening Timperley to Glazebrook via Partington (electrified, naturally, and a few repairs needed to the rusty bridge over the Ship Canal) as part of a trans-Pennine freight route from Liverpool.

I'll leave Woodhead reopening for Ashtonian to advocate!

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Being a fantasy thread, the reopening of the following:-

The Fallowfield Loop Line
The Bury to Holcombe Brook Line
The Clitheoroe to Hellifield Line
The Accrington to Bury Line
The Rochdale to Bacup Line

Apologies if any have already been mentioned.

[js1000]

Originally Posted by Greybeard33

I'll leave Woodhead reopening for Ashtonian to advocate!

Talking of Woodhead and fantasies, the Woodhead group make me laugh with their request.

The HS2 proposals are at last official. The regulars at the Woodhead meetings have been considering the proposals in draft for years, and our number happens to include a genuine expert civil engineer. As we see it, it's impossible to think of Woodhead in isolation from this. Nobody, not even the management of the HS2 project, is claiming that the route as proposed is how it will finally turn out. The Woodhead group welcomes the opportunities that HS2 provides, and in a fully constructive spirit we feel we should press immediately for a change to the HS2 approach to Manchester. This envisages something over 7 miles of tunneling under residential areas, when there is a first class rail route (Woodhead) from the east still substantially in place. The tunnels and the solum will need further expansion, but that looks a rather 'minor' issue compared with boring 7 miles under south Manchester. It also offers the opportunity for an east-west rail freight link between Immingham and Liverpool. The government are at least thinking strategically now, so we feel we should press for enhancements to the strategy at this early stage.

http://savethewoodheadtunnel.blogspot.co.uk/

Are these people for real? Someone really needs to show them a map. The Woodhead Tunnel is no where near Manchester - let alone Greater Manchester.

[Farsight]

They're for real, js1000.

There's a tunnel already there. The Midland Main line is to be electrified all the way from London to Sheffield. Reopening the Woodhead tunnel and electrifying it would connect the North West with the East Midlands with fairly fast trains. Running trains from Manchester to London through the Woodhead tunnel is a perfectly sensible solution for increasing capacity. It's joined up thinking. Why it hasn't been on the cards for years I don't know.

[Altfish]

The Woodhead route is hardly handy for the Liverpool/Preston/Glasgow extensions though.

[ill tonkso]

Re-opening the Monsal Train would be great, but a shame (in an odd way). I have pretty much walked the length of the Buxton-Bakewell section. The little cottages at the railway triangle outside of Buxton (google maps link) served as my holiday home for two summers. Those viaducts criss-crossing the A6 are some of the most epic bits of iron viaduct in the country IMHO. There are loads along the line.

Oddly, it was not Beeching'd, instead being closed by Labour/Barbara Castle. It's a stupid situation really, such a small section of the line to be closed. It's safeguarded, but did and could again provide Manchester a direct link to the Midland Mainline...

[Ralli05]

But none of this has anything to do with the Northern Hub. Shouldn't it be in its own thread?