No Wires At Bolton Station – 17th April 2018
These pictures show the state of the electrification at Bolton station.
Little seems to have happened since my last visit on November 17th last year.
Although it does seem that the new Manchester-facing bay platform is complete except for the electrification.
I also saw no electrification between Bolton and Salford Crescent stations.
If I reckoned that the progress of the electrification on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line was slow, this beats it by a country mile!
The Anonymous Widower 
Something is [not] going on. TfGM today emailed “NW Electrification Works scheduled over this weekend have been cancelled and services will run on the following lines: Preston/Blackpool, Southport, Wigan via Atherton, Blackburn and Clitheroe.”
Comment by Mark Clayton | April 19, 2018 |
I don’t think the Gospel Oak to Barking Line is closed this weekend, so they haven’t gone there.
Comment by AnonW | April 20, 2018 |
Enfin – wires are up: –
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/first-electric-test-train-passes-through-bolton-as-upgrade-nears-completion#
Comment by Mark Clayton | December 14, 2018 |
Thanks!
Comment by AnonW | December 14, 2018 |
I think this illustrates that Network Rail can do the electrification, but that the big problem is the unknown nature of Victorian tracks. Perhaps it is better to let sleeping crocodiles lie and use batteries, hydrogen or Aunt Esmarelda’s extra strong knicker elastic!
Comment by AnonW | December 14, 2018 |