Category: Rail

Lord Adonis, today, put more substance behind the pre-budget statement that seemed to cover electrification of only Manchester – Preston. It now includes Blackpool, which makes more sense.  His statement reads:

”The first line is between Huyton – on the line running from Liverpool to Manchester – and Wigan, on the already electrified West Coast Main Line. This will allow electric trains to operate between Liverpool and Wigan via St Helens. The second line is between Manchester and Euxton Junction – just south of Preston on the West Coast Main Line. This will allow electric trains to operate between Manchester and Preston, via Bolton. The third line is between Blackpool North and Preston. This will allow electric trains to operate between Blackpool North and both Liverpool and Manchester.

Our plans envisage that, once electrified, these three lines will be served by thoroughly refurbished electric commuter trains transferred from the Thameslink line. This will increase rail capacity and reliability between key cities and towns in the North West. It will allow 30 year old ‘Pacer’ diesel trains to be retired, and modern diesel trains to be transferred to other routes requiring extra capacity. It will also help to reduce the long-term cost of operating the railway, and reduce carbon emissions.’

Gordon Brown has said he thought the north didn’t get it’s share of infrastructure projects and that this will help against the recession.  I’d agree with that.  Although the line will still have some non-electrified gaps such as the trains to Buxton and to Manchester Airport.  There are also a number of trains that go on the route via Lytham although in general they go to Blackburn. It is a complicated business and a start is needed somewhere.

There is also a timescale to be attached. The closest is that Lord Adonis said a percentage of trains would be electrified by 2017. This doesn’t put a timescale on the Manchester – Preston or Preston – Blackpool work. If cost – benefit is involved it might not happen as the link to Wigan will allow both Manchester and Liverpool to connect to the northbound main line which will reduce the advantages of the work on the route through Bolton to Preston.

If this all happens in a good timescale it is good news. There is part of me saying it has a strong probability of falling to the cuts that are surely going to come who-ever gets into power after the election. Presumably the more you spend more you need to cut, in my world anyway.

Householders in Lostock Hall have been sent a questionnaire asking what use they would like to be made of the designated open space on the old railway engine shed and sidings. It is quite a large area on both sides of Watkin Lane between the two railway lines and bridges.

Suggestions in the questionnaire include parkland, wildlife area, allotments, BMX park, sports area and how often will you use the site.  All those things will be good although allotments can become an eyesore, a source of noise from the unsilenced powered tools, and their current popularity might be a passing phase.

This once proud area should have a statue of a locomotive with it’s crew and a maintenance man standing next to it. Perhaps an old shunter can be obtained and given anti-corrosion treatment.

The area has been derelict for possibly 20 years. The two bridges in Lostock Hall are quite a feature in their own right and, without studying it, crossing the road between the two park areas might be an issue.

Sounds a good idea, time to get on with it.

Preston station was named as the 6th worst station in the UK with platform access via the steps as one of the worst features. The government announced that the worst stations would get a total of £50m spent on them to improve car parking, platform access, refreshments and toilets etc. The top ten includes: Manchester Victoria, Preston, Wigan, Warrington, Stockport, Crewe, Liverpool Central in the north west.

I didn’t think Preston station was that bad although maybe my expectations aren’t very high.  I always expect to stand in a cold wind with some water dripping off the roof on any station.  I expect to only be able to get coffee in a cardboard cup and not be sure if its tea or coffee and a choice of Club biscuits or Penguins. A dark subway. To pay a fortune to park your car so you would only do it if on expenses.  The toilets to be somewhere distant, cleanish in a 19th century way but cold and suspicious with the feeling someone is in a cubicle doing something you don’t want to know about. 

Railway staff tend to look cleaner nowadays especially the Virgin Rail ones. I recall not too long ago a gent with what looked like an oilskin walking down the platform, he turned out to be a porter, wouldn’t be keen for him to brush against my bags.

Preston has some of these features, especially the outer platforms.  It has TV displays which give it a more modern feel, although I made the mistake of reading the arrivals and stood on the wrong platform, my wife wasn’t impressed with me.

Preston station is an impressive building in total and it should be preserved, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be modernised. Some enclosing to protect more from the elements, a few escalators, an update of the amenities and covered walkway into the Fishergate Centre. Perhaps diversion of buses into the forecourt.

Some people think this announcement which seems to effect mainly the north-west is a pre-election vote buyer. It might be, but never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Hot on the tail of the Rail Electrification Plan comes an announcement yesterday that the first High Speed Rail link costing £34bn will be on the West Coast Main Line.  No need to get too excited it won’t reach Glasgow till 2030ish so Preston will be in that later phase. Although Birmingham and Manchester will get it sooner.

The line through Preston is part of the grand plan to have a fast link from London to Glasgow to reduce air travel. Although if I was connecting at Heathrow I’d rather fly, especially if the airline has some liability to get you there.

I’m not sure if the route will follow the existing line or be a new one as it’s a big job to iron out the curves. 

The announcement claims London to Glasgow in just over 2hrs which is an average of around 200mph.  I read an article saying the UK should go straight to a 300mph train and skip the 180mph.

Where in Preston is a train going to pass at 200mph?  Preston Council said they want road traffic limited to 20mph on every road in Preston last week. Trains will shoot through at 200mph – crossing the Ribble at 8am and out of Fulwood at 8.01.  Not that the two are related but it seems road and rail transport are going in opposite directions. By 2030 cars will be limited to 10mph on clear days and not allowed out in the rain, so a ride on High Speed Rail will be for kicks.

The cost of £34bn for 500 miles of track sounds a lot. Is it worth it?  Nearly £2bn a year sounds easier on the ear, but that’s 20million tickets at £100 every year just for the track. The scheduling and reliability of these trains sounds ambitious on such complex routes over such long distances but the French are doing it.

An interesting announcement, look forward to learning some more.

The government has released its Electrication Plan with 2 routes given the go-ahead: Manchester to Liverpool and London to Swansea. This effects the north-west as it is planned to re-route Manchester to Scotland trains onto the new route although I’d think Bolton will be the main loser. Also diesel carriages currently being used on the lines to be electrified are to be transferred onto non-electric lines like Manchester – Preston – Blackpool.

I read Northern Trains are already saying that the planned update of their carriages will be hit. My own observation is that Northern operate worse carriages than Trans-Pennine to the extent that you would pay more to go on the better ones, well I would.

The plan also repeats that the line from Manchester to Preston is being considered for electrification. I’d think a large town like Bolton would justify it. It isn’t clear where that leaves Preston to Blackpool as the map doesn’t show that being considered so the Blackpool to Buxton trains will still be diesel whatever.

The plan is available on-line: click here

In the last month there have been a couple of reports, one from Network Rail(NR) and the other from the Association of Train Operating Companies(ATOC).  Both of these propose improvements to the rail system following increased usage in the last few years and include proposals in the Preston / Fylde area.

Network Rail outlined proposals for increased electrification – jumping on the green bandwagon and making the case that some trains are diesel on electric track because a short stretch of the route isn’t electrified. Also modern trains don’t lend themselves to changing the loco and diversion routes are created with more electrification.  Although I read a new order with Hitachi is being placed for hybrid trains that will run over both types of track.

ATOC said that some areas in the country have increased populations but the lines have been closed. So they propose re-opening them.

Included are Manchester to Preston which forces diesels to run on the West Coast Main Line to Scotland. Also the stretch of line between Poulton Le Fylde and Fleetwood was stated to have sufficient population to re-open it.

I have suspicion about both of these local proposals. It did seem in the article I read that the electrification of Manchester  – Preston – Blackpool was in a sort of ‘other’ category and not in the main strategic requirement.  Also the Fleetwood statement sounded reasonable although the town is unable to justify a decent road link and has just got a new light railway link to Blackpool approved, so on that basis I feel it’s a bit of a sop to the area.  If the light railway is built is the plan for a Fleetwood freight link?  On the other hand both of these proposals have a lot of plus points including regeneration west of Preston and direct electric trains from other major cities.

Fleetwood is desperately struggling for investment and is just about holding on. So I vote yes to it all, despite a question about how it is funded when we’ve no money in the next few years. Does this mean 2020?

Who are the MP’s in the Fylde; Joan Humble, Ben Wallace, Gordon Marsden, Michael Jack. Supported by Preston; Mark Hendrick.

Richard Branson spoke at Euston Station and said in return for a longer franchise he would invest to improve the West Coast Line top speed and bring Preston, Crewe and Carlisle stations into the 21st century.

Taken at face value it sounds a good deal for all. The trains and their ambience have improved greatly since Virgin took over. The downside being that the fare to London from Preston is at a previously unimaginable level if you want to travel anytime.  Travelling on a named train is a fairly reasonable £70 return but an anytime ticket is around £250 return. Not sure if the anytime ticket guarantees a seat either.

How much updating would be done at the station. It is a hybrid 19th century structure with a few 21st century glass bits, a wind tunnel with an antiquated announcement system. Will the update be a classic St Pancras or a standard 2009 glass design that will look old in 2019. Surely only the former will do.

Do we sympathise with Virgin.  It appears the franchise arrangements are too rigid and inhibit change. Virgin want to lengthen their trains but had difficulty justifying it for the few years left, although it’s now in the 2012 plan along with an extended platform at Preston. Then there are debates about the track and finger pointing. I’d support Virgin owning the track as long as competition is able to use the track equitably. Despite Richard Bransons great public image he is a hard dealer and it needs careful handling.

I looked at the Virgin website and it says they are creating 469 new car parking places at Preston station.  I noticed the new construction down the side of the station and wasn’t over-pleased as it obstructs what was quite a good view to the Park Hotel.  Also it encourages traffic into the centre. On the other hand if it takes traffic off the motorway and onto the trains it has some good points.

If someone has some new money they need listening to.

An interest in made in …. and trains got me to prick up my ears when Geoff Hoon announced this week he is going to make the UK a centre of excellence for European rail manufacturing.  This sounds encouraging but on closer inspection might be exaggerated. The manufacture seems to be assembly of imported parts so a low percentage of the build. There is already a plant in the UK and this will be another so an increase in capacity and competition which might improve price / delivery and export potential or make one less viable.

It isn’t clear to me if there is a strategy that might expand assembly into a bigger operation or how many trains are needed over the next 20 years that might enable this.  Many industries create supplier bases but if the parts are already being made overseas this might not be very big. Overall it’s better than nothing but whether it’s a European centre of excellence?

So what is manufacturing excellence? Take a look at this train that was made in Preston – click here