Wokingham station - improvements, resignalling and siding - merged posts

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

With the siding now electrified, does that count as the first step towards infill electrification to Aldershot South Junction?

[stuving]

As expected, Team Orange got really stuck in last night, tearing up the track. First to go was the point rodding, or at least part of it (photo 1). Next we see the junction being taken out and dug up, one piece at a time so as to allow trains and the rail crane to be used. In the background, track panels are being unloaded from the tilting transporter wagons.

To get a better view I had to find another vantage point to replace the demolished footbridge: on top of the car park, through a fine steel mesh. From there you can see Colas's Kirow crane, and a whole IKEA kit of track panels (I hope someone's got the instruction leaflet!). Tilting transporters can manage panels 3.7 m wide, but those in the foreground are a lot wider than that; how did they get here? Finally (photo 4), a little later, it's time to put in the new ballast and fit the first panel.

There's a lot of bits of rail to be joined there. If it's all done by thermit welding, those living on the houses by the line will enjoy a big firework display (though its timing may be a bit antisocial).

[stuving]

By late afternoon, a section of new track has been put in, with two new motorised switches. But perhaps that should be called plain line, since the left-hand rail is continuous through places there should be a rail crossing. Less than twenty minutes later (photo 2), a slab of that new track has been hoicked out and now plain line is being laid round to the left, towards Bracknell, via a new track crossing on the other track.

Looking at how much track is still stacked up waiting to be used, it does seem that much of the track so far laid is temporary. So it seems the current method is to bring in an engineering train on one track, and rip out the rest, and replace the ballast with fresh. The final track panels are laid where possible, i.e. where remaining the old track is not in the way. In the gaps, temporary track panels are put down. to allow the remaining old track to be removed with a train alongside. Once all the new ballast is in place, even full-width track panels can be swapped in or out by crane from either end.

Close examination of the two big track panels in the foreground shows that the wider one, on top, fits just after the farther incomplete switch, and the one underneath comes after that. So there is a lot of temporary plain line where those panels will eventually be. The view from the footbridge at the station is of course highly foreshortened, disguising how long those panels are.

[Electric train]

By late afternoon, a section of new track has been put in, with two new motorised switches. But perhaps that should be called plain line, since the left-hand rail is continuous through places there should be a rail crossing. Less than twenty minutes later (photo 2), a slab of that new track has been hoicked out and now plain line is being laid round to the left, towards Bracknell, via a new track crossing on the other track.

Looking at how much track is still stacked up waiting to be used, it does seem that much of the track so far laid is temporary. So it seems the current method is to bring in an engineering train on one track, and rip out the rest, and replace the ballast with fresh. The final track panels are laid where possible, i.e. where remaining the old track is not in the way. In the gaps, temporary track panels are put down. to allow the remaining old track to be removed with a train alongside. Once all the new ballast is in place, even full-width track panels can be swapped in or out by crane from either end.

Close examination of the two big track panels in the foreground shows that the wider one, on top, fits just after the farther incomplete switch, and the one underneath comes after that. So there is a lot of temporary plain line where those panels will eventually be. The view from the footbridge at the station is of course highly foreshortened, disguising how long those panels are.

Normal practice on twin track is to use an adjacent one for engineering train(s) for scrap / waste and new ballast etc 

When those large panels go in place it be done with Kirow rail cranes

[stuving]

Over Sunday/Monday night that remaining track (the Up Main) has been torn up and replaced by new ballast (and the last rodding has gone too). By yesterday morning, that Kirow crane was back and already a lot of the temporary track has been taken out (p1). By the time I got back it was well after dark, but in the fuzzy pictures I got did suggest all the new track was in place. So I missed all the fun! Though this gang of RRVS having a rest may have found it more like hard work (p2).

By midday today most of the debris had been cleared up (p3), and by late afternoon it was all remarkably clean (p4). The junction is in obvious need of a visit from the tamper, and not just because the view exaggerates the wiggliness. The wiggles in the vertical direction are exactly what tampers are meant for, but is there enough spring force in the rails to straighten them in the horizontal plane as well, when lifted and shaken?

[Electric train]

The junction is in obvious need of a visit from the tamper, and not just because the view exaggerates the wiggliness. The wiggles in the vertical direction are exactly what tampers are meant for, but is there enough spring force in the rails to straighten them in the horizontal plane as well, when lifted and shaken?

There may be some work left to be done with RRV^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle (for example, JCB-type diggers adapted for use also on rails))'s to dress and line up the rails.   The new track will not have been stressed and finally welded yet this will allow the Tamper to iron out wiggles; once stressed and welded there will be at least one  Tamper run booked in a few weeks after the line is reopened

[stuving]

It's hard to see how true the track is now, there are so many people working on it, but it certainly looks better. A tamper did turn up late last night - or something bigger; I could only see a part of it sitting on the level crossing. My guess is it was an on-track finishing machine; that can straighten rails laterally (lining) too.

Exactly what all these small machines are doing I can't work out, but I'd expect cutting ends to leave the right gap, drilling holes for various reasons, and eventually stressing for when the final welds go in. After that comes grinding and other finishing, but no doubt there's more to it than I can think of. Track clips were being undone within the station this afternoon, which presumably relates to re-stressing. However, I'd expect that unclipping to be done after stress is applied.

On the other hand, the old junction was protected from rail stress by adjustment switches on all six tracks. I can't make out if the same is true now - partly because of all the bodies in the way. I did wonder if the insulated joints close to the level crossing would be replaced or removed now, as the down-side one at least is worn (i.e. loud ker-thump noises as a train runs in). With axle counters being used, IRJs are not needed, unless perhaps a few track circuits are retained for static detection.

[stuving]

Still a lot of work going on today, though most of the big bits are done. I was surprised to see signals being erected only now; it must be about time to start testing the new kit. A bloke who was labelled Atkins told me that the level crossing will not have object detection. I wonder whether the reliability of CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) alone has been reassessed as better than it was before.

The track has, I think, been welded and stressed through the junction, along the straight direction - all I can see. For one thing, I can't now see any adjustment switches on the station side. There was one on the left, alongside the crossover switch on the right. And the insulated joints are still in place, but bypassed by bonding.

[stuving]

By yesterday (Friday) the orange crowds had mostly dispersed, apart from at the level crossing and some signalling work. The testing of the new signalling is not a very visible process.

During the week, as well as the track replacement at the junction, the level crossing was also removed and new equipment put in. This involved taking out the old concrete bases and pouring new ones in plywood boxes in very nearly the same place. Some more, slightly smaller, precast cubic bases were dropped in to hold the posts for new wigwags (p2).

A lot of new fencing has gone in all round the barrier machines, along the road and beside the track too. There it will close the side of the trespass guards (arris rails) - those were not removed until yesterday, which seems a bit odd. They have been put to one side, so presumably will be put back not renewed. And on that yellow-railed cabinet patio there is now a name board for the crossing. For some reason.

Today's main job was painting the crossing; more complicated than it sounds. That didn't finish until after the daylight had gone, so I'll show it when I've got a decent picture.

[ellendune]

And on that yellow-railed cabinet patio there is now a name board for the crossing. For some reason. 

If someone is reporting an incident at the crossing then you want them to use the right name.  It may be obvious in this case, but consistency is important.   

[paul7575]

Here’s the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) press release. Can anyone explain the relevance of the first photo to a resignalling project?

From Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February, Network Rail completed the final phase of the resignalling work in the Wokingham area as part of the five-year £375m programme of work to bring the 1970s signalling equipment up to modern standards. 

During the most recent nine-day closure, engineers worked around the clock to install 43 new signals (traffic lights for the railway), as well as upgrade two level crossings at Wokingham station and Easthampstead Road (Star Lane) and renew a double railway junction at Wokingham.

Now complete, customers will benefit from a modern digitalised signalling system that will help improve train performance, increase future capacity, result in fewer delays, and enhance the safety of level crossings.

As part of the five-year programme, Network Rail moved control of the signalling equipment between Feltham and Wokingham and transferred it to Basingstoke, into the Rail Operating Centre (ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region)), as well as upgraded 16 level crossings and installed 500 pieces of signalling equipment, which covers 80 miles of railway across Feltham, Hounslow, Shepperton, Twickenham, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Wokingham.

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/network-rail-completes-final-phase-of-gbp-375m-investment-to-install-state-of-the-art-signalling-system-which-will-improve-the-reliability-of-the-line-between-feltham-and-wokingham

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

Signalmaps, for one, has been updated to show nice colour lights, routes set and platform occupation already:

https://signalmaps.co.uk/#feltham:2074

[bobm]

As has Open Trains

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/staines#T_WOKNGHM

[stuving]

Signalmaps, for one, has been updated to show nice colour lights, routes set and platform occupation already:

https://signalmaps.co.uk/#feltham:2074

We already had new-fangled electric light signals! There must be some detailed changes to the signals layout, though I've not spotted any to check for in updated maps. Signalmaps does not show signal numbers, but it has changed the crossing from MCB^▸ (Miniature Circuit Breaker) to MCB-CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision), following its up (or down, or sideways) -grade.

OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website, or possibly 'over the top', depending on context) does have the new BEFnnnn numbers - correctly, for the couple I know.

[IndustryInsider]

We already had new-fangled electric light signals! There must be some detailed changes to the signals layout, though I've not spotted any to check for in updated maps. Signalmaps does not show signal numbers, but it has changed the crossing from MCB^▸ (Miniature Circuit Breaker) to MCB-CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision), following its up (or down, or sideways) -grade.

Yes, but the feed from the previous Train Describer was not able to show their status.