Hope Valley

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From the Buxton advertiser

http://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/hope-valley-rail-scheme-is-cut-1-7056496

Less hopeful? ..

Plans to improve rail services through the Hope Valley have been reduced by transport bosses.

It had been intended that four fast passenger trains per hour would run between Manchester and Sheffield as part of Network Rail^s Northern Hub programme, which is to be finished by 2018.

However, it has now been revealed rail industry bosses have decided three fast trains per hour will be sufficient.

and

Proposals had originally been put forward for a new section of railway to run through woodland on the National Trust^s Longshaw Estate, near Grindleford railway station.

It was announced in July this idea would no longer go ahead after concerns were raised by environmental groups, with alternative locations being explored for the extra track.

But it has now been decided no new track will be built near Grindleford as a result of timetable changes, although an alternative site near Bamford and Jaggers Lane in the Peak District is being considered.

Network Rail said: ^The previous requirement of four fast trains per hour meant we had to build the new track at Grindleford. Now the scope has changed, we don^t have to pursue this option and can avoid the environmental impacts highlighted as concerns in the previous consultation.^

Proposals to expand Dore and Totley Station on the edge of Sheffield and create a new section of railway to allow faster passenger trains to overtake freight services is still being planned.

I suspect that cost play an element, just as environmental issues do.  A convenient excuse, perhaps?

I am minded that Network Rail plans often get scaled back. 

* The Reading works were supposed to require a re-instatement of the 4th platform at Westbury (which would have been an excellent ongoing resource) but that didn't happen. 

* The electrification works and Box tunnel closure had the Bradford North Curve re-instated, but instead of that diverted HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) will turn back at Trowbridge - well not even at Trowbridge, but rather in the middle of "nowhere".   I understand this change is causing some limitations as to the services that can run during the blockade of Box ("we have to allow for freight paths too", and by not even doing it so that trains can reverse at the Trowbridge platform, an opportunity has been lost and the the West Wilts to Chippenham / Swindon traffic will need to be bussed.

[brompton rail]

As I understood it, the proposal was to build long loops just to the west of Grindleford station, thus allowing fast passenger services to pass stoppers (currently two hourly Mon-Fri, hourly Sat), so maybe there were plans to build platforms too. Cue huge outrage from Peak Park supporters, as well as National Trust, and Network Rail dropped the idea. On the south side of the line near Hope there are sidings for Hope (Earle's) Cement Works, and this might be a location for a passing loop - westbound at least. Not sure about any eastbound loop, though it probably would be feasible near Bamford station.

The issue is freight traffic holds up faster passenger services between Dore in Sheffield and Hazel Grove near Stockport.

I would have thought that the problem with fast passenger services could be solved at a lower cost by making all express services at least 4 cars. East Midland Trains Norwich - Liverpool are mostly 2 x class 158, but First Trans Pennine Express Cleethorpe - Manchester Airport are a mixture of 3 coach class 185 and some 4 car (or sometimes 2 car!) class 170. However many of the class 170 are going back to Poterbrook in March to transfer to Chiltern.

Stoppers - the desire is for an hourly service on weekdays - might need to be skip stops in order to reduce the paths they need between Dore and New Mills, as well as offering a journey time nearer to that of the express services (in themselves not very fast at between 50 and 55 minutes for a journey of less than 50 miles.

[grahame]

From a Network Rail press release:

Final track installed to remove Hope Valley bottleneck

The final pieces of rail track have been installed to help relieve a long-standing bottleneck on the Hope Valley railway line, providing faster and more reliable rail journeys for passengers.

Totalling 850m in length, the track forms part of a new passing loop between Bamford and Hathersage stations to allow passenger trains to pass slower freight trains on the route.

The work is part of the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade, which will improve journeys between Manchester and Sheffield.

Construction of the passing loop has taken place over the past year, including during two full weekend line closures where engineers worked around the clock to complete major elements of work.

A total of 1323 sleepers were installed for the new track along with 3600 tonnes of ballast for the bottom and top stone.

A number of structures have also been extended by the team to facilitate the work, including a bridge and three culverts, which allow water to run beneath the railway.

[Noggin]

As a former local that's great to see.

Electrification has been promised in the recent post-HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) splurge but I suspect that might take a while to happen given the complexities of the Peak Park and Sheffield needing to be rewired and probably rebuilt.