The Electrification Between Lea Bridge And Meridian Water Stations Is Almost Complete
I took these pictures from a train going North from Lea Bridge station to the new Meridian Water station.
It appears that most of the electrification is almost complete, except for perhaps a hundred metres at the Southern end.
Conclusion
This electrification seems to have gone reasonably well so far.
On the other hand, the electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line was troublesome with various components being wrongly made and the discovery of an unknown sewer.
But the electrification of the new single track was effectively working on a new track, where what was underneath the track was very well known.
I’m drawn to the conclusion, that if we want to electrify a railway, the quality of the knowledge of the tracks to be electrified has a strong influence on the outcome of the project.
If there are thought to be too many unknowns and it is felt necessary to relay the track, then so be it!
We may have the paradox that to electrify a 125 mph fast line like the Midland Main Line, which has had top class care and constant speed upgrades, may be easier and more affordable, than to electrify a slower commuter line like Manchester to Preston, which has probably not had as much attention, due to the slower speeds.
I know it’s totally different, but decorating a new house is easier than doing the same to an old one!
Electrification of a railway track seems to have a similar relationship.
Along The Gospel Oak To Barking Line – 23rd October 2017
This is a random set of pictures from along the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.
Note the the electrification is not complete.
Sections still to be wired include.
- East of Walthamstow Queen’s Road station.
- The link To The Midland Main Line At Carlton Road Junction.
- The Harringay Curve that links to the East Coast Main Line.
At least most of the gantries seem to have been erected.
According to TfL’s closure list, there is four partial weekend closures planned.
- 28-29 October
- 4-5 November
- 11-12 November
- 18-19 November
Let’s hope that finishes the electrification.
I suspect the two links, which are for freight and empty stock movements can be fitted in without any closures.
Along The Reopened Gospel Oak To Barking Line
The Gospel Oak to Barking Line reopened after its major upgrade on Monday.
The stations generally need need work in several areas
- Gantries – Some overhead gantries have not been erected.
- Lifts – Some stations need lifts.
- Platform Extensions – Some stations need platform extensions to be completed
- Ticket Gates – Ticket gates might need to be installed at some stations.
- Wires – Wires need to be installed.
These are some pictures I have taken along the line.
Barking
Barking station is more or less complete.
Might need – Lifts, Platform Extensions
Note the unique step-free double cross-platform interchange to Gospel Oak and c2c services.
Woodgrange Park
Woodgrange Park station is more or less complete.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Needs – Lifts
Note the excellent refuges enclosing the new ticket gates.
Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Needs – Lifts
Leytonstone High Road
Leytonstone High Road station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Needs – Lifts
The station’s brickwork has been sympathetically restored.
Leyton Midland Road
Leyton Midland Road station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Needs – Lifts
I’ve used the station many times and the builders had done a very good job in improving the station with imaginative use of brickwork.
Walthamstow Queens Road
Walthamstow Queens Road station is more or less complete.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Migh need – Lifts
Needs – Ticket Gates
I think adding lifts is going to be difficult, but aren’t strictly necessary due to the long ramps.
Blackhorse Road
Blackhorse Road station is more or less complete .
In progress – Lifts, Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
South Tottenham
South Tottenham station is more or less complete.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Wires
Harringay Green Lanes
At Harringay Green Lanes station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Needs – Lifts, Ticket Gates
Crouch Hill
Crouch Hill station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Gantries, Wires
Needs – Lifts, Ticket Gates
There might also be a serious problem with not enough clearance under the station bridge.
Upper Holloway
Upper Holloay station needs a fair bit of work.
In progress – Platform Extensions
Still to do – Wires
Needs – Lifts, Ticket Gates
Gospel Oak
Gospel Oak station is more or less complete.
Might need – Platform Extension
I was glad to see the coffee hut hat been reinstated.
Passengers Comments
Speaking to other passengers, all seemed pleased that the line was back in service and a couple remarked how neat and tidy it all was.
No-one seemed to be bothered work was still ongoing.
I even got praise for the Class 172 trains, which will be replaced by new Class 710 trains in 2018. One guy said there’s no need, although when I told him, they will be bigger, he liked that.
Are Murphy Group Playing A Long Game?
This news release on the Murphy Group web site is entitled Murphy Wins £60M+ London Overground Electrification Project.
Given, that it was known to be a difficult project, I don’t think I am alone in thinking that Murphy’s contract price was good value for London Overground.
Since then, progress has not been at a fast pace and some challenging problems seem to have emerged, but on whole professional commentators in magazines like Modern Railways an Rail Engineer have been broadly praising of the way the work is being done and what has so far been finished.
The troubles on the Holloway Road Bridge, which is not in Murphy’s contract, that I wrote about in Did The Project Management Go Wrong On The Holloway Road Bridge?, can’t have helped either.
I do wonder though, if the Murphy Group could be a beneficiary of the successful electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBlin).
This Google Map shows the area between Gospel Oak and Kentish Town stations.
Murphy Group’s Site In Kentish Town
Note.
- Gospel Oak station in the top left, where the GOBlin meets the North London Line.
- The Midland Main Line curves across the bottom of the map, with Kentish Town station, just off the bottom right corner.
- There is another rail line (Tottenham North Curve ?) connecting the GOBlin to the Midland Main Line, that is current used by freight trains.
Between all these lines is a massive builders yard, which is the home of the Murphy Group.
In some ways giving the Murphy Group, the contract for the GOBlin upgrade and electrification, is like giving your local builder, the job of upgrading your house.
The Murphy Group have even accessed some parts of the work, by putting gates in the security fence between the railway and their yard.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr, shows the railway lines in the are.
Lines Between Gospel Oak And Kentish Town
It shows how at times in the past, the rail connections from this area, were some of the most comprehensive in London.
There are already plans for some of the railways in the area.
- The Tottenham North Curve from Carlton Road Junction to Junction Road Junction is being electrified, so that electric-hauled freight trains can run between Barking and the Midland Main Line.
- Passenger services could be introduced on the Tottenham North Curve to create a second route across North London, linking Barking and Acton via West Hampstead Thameslink and the Dudding Hill Line.
- Could we even see a re-opened Highgate Road station?
I have a feeling, that all this, together with London’s enormous need for new housing will see the Murphy Group site developed, in a manner that is best for London. And the Murphy Group!
Consider.
- The development will have very good transport links.
- A reopened Highgate Road station, would be in the middle of the development.
- The development site is occupied by largely one company.
- The site is well-connected to railways for the transport of building materials and spoil.
- The site could be developed gradually, as the Murphy Group released the space.
Probably, the biggest problem would be finding the Murphy Group a new site.
It will be very interesting to see what happens on this very valuable site!
East Of Wathamstow Queen’s Road Station – 16th November 2016
Don’t knock it, but the sun ruined some of these pictures.
Note.
- I’m only one metre seventy, so taking pictures over a high bridge parapet iis not easy.
- Shrubland, Albert and Queen’s Roads are respectively Bridges 68. 69 and 70.
- From Bridge 70, you can get good views of the slab track.
- East of Bridge 70, there is extensive piling, that probably stabilises the cutting.
- East of Queen’s Road station, there was little evidence of overhead gantries.
- There appeared to be work going on at the Eastern end of the slab track, where the viaduct starts.
It looks to me, that there is still a lot of work to do and the planned reopening as a diesel-powered railway in February, that I wrote about in The Gospel Oak To Barking Line Is Planned To Reopen On February 6th 2017, must be in doubt.
Unless of course, all that the closure is intended to do, is get the track, bridges and viaducts, in tip-top condition for the actual electrification.
A little bird told me, that the work around Bridge 70 at Queen’s Road was particularly challenging, but there was very little evidence of work still being carried out. As the pictures show, there is slab track and lots of piling. The slab track is from Rhomberg and will hopefully last for sixty years (Modern Railways – August 2016)
It should be that the design of slab track used, is one that facilitates easy repairs if anything goes wrong.
Progress Through Walthamstow – 28th September 2016
These pictures show the Gospel Oak to Barking Line through Walthamstow.
Note.
- It looks like both tracks have been mostly relaid.
- The slab track under Pretoria Avenue, where it was put in due to a sewer being beneath the bridge.
- There is also slab track at the other end of this section of line, but I suspect, it’s covered with ballast.
From what I could see at Blackhorse Road station, there doesn’t appear to be any foundations for lift towers or ramps to create step-free access to the Overground platforms. On Network Rail’s Access for All list of improvements. the improvements at Blackhorse Road station are listed as Future Planned for 2017/2018.
As the new Class 710 trains will start running in 2018, surely it would be good planning to at least do all the work needed on the Overground platforms now!
Or is there some rule, which says that when you make one line at a station step-free for all, you must do that for all lines?
It is interesting to look at this Google Map of the station.
The Victoria Line station is the square building to the North East of the obvious GOBlin station, with the space between the stations being just grass and some bushes.
In one of the pictures, there is a lot of work going on in this area.
Could it be, that there is a route to create a lift shaft from somewhere in this area, that goes both down to the Victoria Line and on the surface connects to the ticket hall and the bridge over the GOBlin?
It could also be work associated with a new chiller described in this article on the TfL web site., which is entitled Innovative new fan chiller to help customers beat the heat.
If you look inside the station, you’ll see that the escalators down to the Victoria Line platforms, start just to the West of the bridge over the Overground.
Without more information, it’s difficult to work out what is happening.
But it would surely be a good idea to do all the work at the same time and get the station step-free before the GOBlin starts running electric trains.
