Better rail journeys arriving in 2018 - The Great North Rail Project between Preston and Blackpool - Community Rail Lancashire
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Better rail journeys
arriving in 2018
The Great North Rail Project
between Preston and Blackpool
23 February 2018
Preston to Blackpool – your weekly update
With just over four weeks to go until the railway between Preston and Blackpool
is fully reopened we bring you highlights from another action packed seven days.
Photo: Blackpool North’s all-new layout.
Blackpool North station remains a hive of activity as Team Orange
work to install the new ‘coper stone’ platform edges,
overhead line structures and new signalling equipment.
Photos: Progress shots of Blackpool North’s platforms 1 & 2 show new platform edge stones installed.
Over at Blackpool’s train care depot, overhead equipment engineers have started to
install the wires that will allow greener, quieter and more reliable electric trains to run.
Photo: Blackpool train care depot.
Team Orange reach for the boom in Layton
Overhead line equipment engineers can be seen working on a ‘twin track cantilever’
at Layton station as electrification work progresses through the area.
Photo: Mobile elevated work platforms are used to allow
engineers to work on new electrification equipment.
With many of the structures installed through Layton,
the electric wires will follow in the coming weeks.
Photo: Layton station in Blackpool.
A significant amount of new cabling has been installed beneath the platforms
at Layton station to provide power to new lighting and waiting shelters.
Photo: Passengers at Layton station will benefit from new waiting shelters.
Drains, dagger boards &
demolition in Poulton-le-Fylde
Work continues to upgrade railway drainage in the Poulton-le-Fylde
area with Team Orange working day and night to complete the work.
At Poulton-le-Fylde station the platforms are being realigned to
accommodate the new track alignment. This involves breaking
out the existing platform edges and rebuilding them accordingly.
Photo: Poulton-le-Fylde station.
Below you can see a team working on a track-mounted scaffold tower to adjust
the station’s canopy ‘dagger board’ fascias to make space for electrification.
Photo: Poulton-le-Fylde station.
West of the station, our engineers have been removing the
fifth and final signal box on the Preston to Blackpool railway.
Demolition of Poulton No. 3 commenced on Monday.
Before removing the structure, many of Poulton signal box’s
components were carefully removed and are being reused on the
rail network in Crewe, Manchester, Stockport and Warrington.
Photo: Poulton No. 3 signal box.
The old signalling system is being replaced with a digital system that uses modern
tools and technology to better manage the railway and will make journeys more reliable.
“Lift going up”
Work to install the new lift shafts at Kirkham & Wesham station is progressing
well. Team Orange have also been working to commission new lighting and CCTV.
Photo: A view towards Kirkham & Wesham’s new footbridge and lifts. The overhead line team are also making good progress in Kirkham as wires begin to appear through the station.
Photo: Aerial earth wiring installed through Kirkham & Wesham station. Below a wiring train can be seen – currently stabled in Crewe – which will be used to install further wire runs in the Kirkham area on Monday.
Photo: One of the wiring trains being used to electrify the Preston-Blackpool North route.
Elsewhere, work is taking place to install drainage
to support the new track layout at Kirkham Junction.
Residents and passengers invited
to find out more about railway revolution
As we move into the final phase of our railway upgrade between
Preston and Blackpool, we’ve invited our railway neighbours and passengers
to attend further drop-in sessions which are due to take place in the coming weeks.
Read more.
The drop in sessions, which will take place throughout February and March, provide
an opportunity to get the latest information and ask the project team any questions.
Here are the details of upcoming events:
Wednesday 28 February 16.00-19.00
Mill Street, Kirkham, PR4 2AN
Tuesday 20 March 16.00-19.00
Poulton Civic Centre, Breck Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 7PU
Monday 26 March 16.00-19.00
St Walburges Church Hall, Weston Street, Preston PR2 2QE
Tuesday 6 March 14.00-18.00
Blackpool North station, Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AB
These are open to everyone.
For a full list of drop-in events between Preston
and Blackpool, please visit www.networkrail.co.uk/blackpool
Manchester to Preston update:
Sale secures Carillion rail contracts
Yesterday, a significant number of Carillion’s Network Rail contracts,
including the Manchester to Preston upgrade, were acquired by
Amey Rail Limited. This is following Carillion’s liquidation last month.
The successful sale provides reassurance to many in the
rail industry and continuity for projects around the country.For many of the Carillion employees working on and supporting
Network Rail projects, this is good news, as the sale is likely to
safeguard over 700 jobs. It also provides security for many
other companies within the rail industry supply chain.
Read more.
Due to ongoing work to upgrade the Manchester to Preston route, there will be no trains
running through Bolton at weekends until later in the year. Midweek services are not affected.We are urging passengers to check before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk
Stay in touch
Follow us on Twitter @TheGNRP for the
latest Great North Rail Project news.You can also read
