A few days ago I took time out to visit the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) work at Batley and Dewsbury stations. Both have seen a serious amount of work carried out during recent blockades. Here’s a look at what’s been going on recently, with a few old shots added to compare.
Looking towards Leeds from platform 1. The extent of the rebuilding is obvious in this shot. The new footbridge is open, although the lifts aren’t working yet. The subway has been filled in and all the platform shelters have been replaced whilst the platforms themselves have been lengthened and resurfaced.
Here’s a comparison shot from 2021 looking across to platform 2.
Looking down onto the platforms from the new footbridgeThe origianal station building remains intact although most of it is disused. Only the right hand side is occupied. Here, the former cafe is used by the station friends group.The building is a memorial to Jo Cox MP, who was murdered by a far-right activist on the 16th June 2016. Jo was a member of the station friends.Looking along platform 2 towards Dewsbury. The first OLE masts have started to appear. New station signage bears the inscription and logo for the ‘Weaver Network’ A TPE Class 185 approaches the station from Leeds, past some of the new OLE masts that have been installed. Looking towards Dewsbury. All the track through the station has been renewed as part of the recent blockade.
Meanwhile, over at Dewsbury…
The old station canopies are being extended with new steelwork which incorporate copies of the spandrels used in the originals. New steelwork on the end of the Leeds bound platform.The Leeds bound platform is being extended to take longer trains.
I’m planning to get out again in the next couple of days in order to have a look at TRU work at Huddersfield and Deighton.
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The past few days have been quiet here in the Calder valley, although Saturday did see us spending time over in Mytholmroyd, visiting old friends to help them out with a little project for the future. Beyond that we’ve been very much home-based. The weather’s beginning to turn drier, swapping with high winds that have turned our bird feeders into something of a challenge for our feathered friends. It’s akin to trying to land a plane on an aircraft carrier in high seas! Now we’re into a new week where I’ve decided to make the most of the brightening skies to return to Manchester and check out how the approaches to Piccadilly look from a photographic perspective now that the station’s reopened after the engineering blockade.
Right now I’m on a Northern service from Sowerby Bridge to head across the Pennines. It’s a quiet train, so there’s plenty of available table bays in which to set up the mobile office to type this.
I’ll be blogging (intermittently) throughout the day, so feel free to pop back and have a look at what I get up to (and where)…
Here we go…
13:30.
Phew! Time for a break and chance to upload a few images. Piccadilly station’s back to its normal buzzy self with both concourse and trainshed full of activity. What isn’t easy to see is the fruit of the past 9 days labours as the track that’s been renewed is some way away from the station itself. Hoping to get a better look I walked the backstreets to Manchester’s least used railway station – Ardwick. Just two trains a day call here, with a 2024/25 footfall of a mere 262 souls. The state of the entrance probably helps explain that.
The walk through some of the city’s less salubrious areas is fascinating from a photographic and social perspective, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be wandering around there after dark! When you catch a train from Piccadilly you don’t appreciate how much life there is in the arches below you. Despite the outward signs of decrepitude and decay there’s a myriad of small businesses. Many involve catering. Others supply hairdressing products or repair e-bikes used by Deliveroo drivers. Some are really rather posh behind the anonymous shutters. Here’s a few pictures.
Welcome to Ardwick station! The view from Ardwick. Fresh ballast (stone) and cleaner rails give away which tracks have been renewed during the blockade – as do the clean speed restriction signs!Shopping by numbers. Each of these arches are a small business – or available to be one.Looking back to Piccadilly along Temperance St. The bridge in the foreground carried tracks into the former Mayfield station, latterly used for mail trains until it closed completely in 1986. A train calls at platform 14 at Piccadilly whilst a mural of Ian Curtis from the band ‘Joy Division’ on the side of the Star and Garter looks on.
18:20.
Due to the spring-like conditions I decided to hang around in the city centre in order to enjoy the weather, explore and get some architectural shots (which I’ll upload later). This also gave me time to pop into my favourite store in Chinatown to pick up some more goodies. This time it was different types of rice…
Now I’m heading back across the Pennines, which hasn’t been easy due to very busy (and short-formed) trains. I made it as far as Rochdale where I thought numbers would tail off. Bad move, as there were crowds of young men (well provisioned with bottles and cans) heading East on their way to some sporting event. Ah,well. At least I’ve managed to find a seat…
21:15.
Home!
It turned out that the sporting event was in Halifax, at the Shea stadium. I’ve no idea what as I’m not tribal and don’t follow these things. Half a dozen police officers kept an eye on the crowds flooding off the station, whilst more hung around pubs in town where supporters congregate. I was amused to see dozens of teenage lads – all dressed the same – in trainers, black jogging pants, black hoodies and baseball caps. So much for individuality it seems!
Finally, after 15 miles and 33,000 steps I made it home. Now it’s time to curl up with Dawn, enjoy a film and relax. There’s now a lot of new pictures to edit tomorrow. Here’s a couple of samples…
The glazed brickwork of the Midland hotel really caught the sun this afternoon…A slightly different perspective on Metrolink trams.
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10 new 9 car Class 345 ‘Aventra’ trains for London’s Elizabeth line are currently under construction at Derby by Alstom. Ordered in June 2024 for delivery in 2026 the order saved the Derby site from closure due to a gap in orders before the start of building trains for the delayed and truncated HS2 project.
On Tuesday a selected group of journalists were given a tour of the production line. Here’s a gallery of pictures showing progress on the fleet and the first train.
Building trains at Derby is like assembling a kit of parts. Here’s the welding shop where aluminum sections brought in from off site are joined together to form frames, roofs, bodysides and other sections. Once individual sections are completed they’re moved around the site between different shops on fleets of bespoke trollies. Here’s a pair of bodysides waiting their turn to enter U shop, where final assembly takes place. Body ends in U shop waiting their turn to be fitted. ‘A bit like fitting a cap to a tube of Pringles’ was how it was described during our tour!The cab of a 345 having the drivers control desk and associated electronics installed before being fitted to a bodyshell. Painted bodysides complete with windows, internal insulation and some cabling waiting to be put on a jig where they’ll be joined to roof and floor sections.A bodyshell nears completion. Now it gets most internal components and panels installed. A look inside the bodyshell showing progress on fitting it out internally. Here’s the next stage as a driving car for 345071 nears completion internally and externally but before the traction equipment is fitted. The next stage in the line. Completed internally, the bodyshell is supported from below to allow the traction equipment to be slung underneath.
Next, the bodies will be moved to have their bogies fitted, then they’ll be formed into complete units. Despite the fact they’re a follow-on order of a type of train already running on the network they’ll undergo rigorous type testing before being accepted as part of the existing Elizabeth line fleet.
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Yesterday the first refurbished four-car Voyager (220033) was unveiled to the media and invited guests at Alstom’s Derby works, where the work is taking place. Expected back in traffic before the end of the month after undergoing an exam at the Central Rivers depot, 220033 is beginning of a programme which, over the next two years, Alstom will refurbish a total of 136 Voyager (Class 220) and 176 Super Voyager (Class 221) cars at Derby, including an additional 12 trains added to the CrossCountry fleet following their release from Avanti West Coast.
Alstom’s £60 million contract is part of long-distance train operator CrossCountry’s £75 million project to refurbish all of its Voyager fleet and has been funded by rolling stock company Beacon.
The work doesn’t involve altering the internal layout of the trains (except for the ex-AWC sets) but does include new seats, tables, wall panelling, carpets and LED lighting, together with internal and forward-facing CCTV and a passenger-counting system. Double the number of power and USB sockets are being provided, allowing for one for each seat.
Here’s a selection of images from the event.
From left to right; Steve Harvey, Alstom’s Services Director UK and Ireland. Shiona Rolfe, Managing Director at CrossCountry and Adam Cunliffe, Chief Executive Officer at Beacon Rail.A pair of 1st Class airline seats. The extra seat width allows for the power and USB sockets to be fitted between the seats, underneath the armrests. A 1st Class table bay. One of the refurbished disabled toilets. A Standard Class table bay, where the power and USB sockets are table-mounted due to the seats being narrower. . Looking through one of the Standard Class vehicles, showing that the internal layout remains unchanged. What are very noticeable are the new different coloured grab-handles which are designed to be gauge cleared for catering trollies. The new seats have a longer table compared to the old version, although I’ve not tried using one with a laptop yet. In the longer term there are plans to remove the redundant heating grilles and radiators which take up space at the bottom of the bodyside to create more legroom. The radiators were heated by circulating engine coolant but if the system leaked this could cause engines to shut down due to a loss of pressure, which was less than desirable! Now all heating’s provided by the roof mounted HVAC systems.The luggage storage area remains unchanged but it’s been repanelled. The ‘funky’ lighting was temporary and fitted to help illuminate the vehicle as it had no shore-supply attached. Sockets in Standard Class airline seats, showing that the top one is mounted ‘upside down’ to avoid conflicts. Both the older and newer USB-C sockets are provided. Another feature is that the new seats offer more legroom as there’s no footrest bar. Here’s a closer look at the new seat mocquette and padding. On first try the seats seem to be firm but with sufficient padding that makes them superior to the ‘ironing board’ types fitted to some other long-distance trains…
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George Formby’s catchphrase was running through my head as I made my soggy way to Halifax station. The Pennines are obscured by mist and rain yet again today – and the forecast is no better in Derby, my final destination.
It’s grim up North – and everywhere else apparently…
Right now I’m on a packed and humid Northern service to Leeds which is full of damp humanity heading to work. We’re running several minutes late but it shoukdn’t affect my connection. I’ll be transferring to Northern’s new ‘Yorkshire flyer’ service which is a fast service to Sheffield with just one stop at Wakefield Westgate. It’ll make a useful alternative to Cross-Country trains on the same route as they’re normally packed.
Hopefully, there’ll be enough room on that train to set up the mobile office. Right now I’m jammed in an airline seat with my camera bag balanced on my lap. We’re currently reversing at Bradford Interchange and there’s not a single seat left free in my coach. This train’s going to be extra ‘cosy’ by the time we reach Leeds!
08:55.
My 10 minute late arrival at Leeds proved to be no great disaster as my connection was leaving from the opposite end of the platform I arrived in on – 12. I’m now aboard the ‘Yorkshire Flyer’, a grand name of an ex-Scotrail 2-car class 158, although I suppose its top speed of 90mph does count as ‘flying’ by Northern standards! It’s reasonably busy too – between 50-60% capacity at a guess. That’s allowed me to grab a table bay (which I’m sharing) to set up the mobile office and type-swipe. The only thing I miss compared to Cross-Country is an at seat trolley service. A coffee would have gone down very well right now as I admire the dreary skies outside. Not that you can admire very far, visibility’s limited to about 700m!
12:07.
Oh, hello!
Whilst the internal layout of the Voyagers hasn’t changed the seats have. There’s more legroom because of it.
19:10
Well, that was an interesting day! Not only did we get to explore the first of Cross-Country’s refurbished Voyagers (a project costing £70m), we also got to see a few poor old Class 455 cars hauled off for scrap, walk through the production line of the new Class 345 trains for the Elizabeth line – and have a ride on a 5-car Class 701 on the test track.
The first of the new Elizabeth line Class 345 sets on the production line.
Of course, part of the fun was talking to old friends and colleagues from the industry and his Majesties railway press corps! I’ll go into greater detail about the refurbishment tomorrow and hope to add a few more pictures when I get home later. Right now I’m heading back to Leeds on a late running ‘Yorkshire Flyer’ from Sheffield after having stopped for a quick pint in Derby with an old friend, Robert Pritchard, Editor of Today’s Railways UK.
One of the cabs of 37290 is preserved outside the Alexandra pub. It’s recieved a repaint and had its lights recomissioned.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Oh, God. Is that really the time? I’m already up, drinking coffee and munching on toasted fruit teacakes in preparation for my stroll to Sowerby Bridge station to catch the first Manchester bound train of the day, the 06:03. I’ll be heading to Birmingham for an HS2 media visit, the first to this particular site which I’ll describe when I get there. Unlike some, this is no hole in the ground. Exactly the opposite, in fact – it’s rather eye-catching…
I’ll be blogging as and when I can, so feel free to pop back to see how the day goes…
06:10.
Whilst it’s a damp and somewhat icy morning my walk to the station was rather enjoyable. The fact it’s downhill all the way added to that fact! Now I’m relaxing in the warmth of a mostly empty 3-car Class 158, although I’ve no doubt it’ll have folled up with wage-slaves by the time we get to Manchester.
06:43.
As expected my train slowly filled up en-route but was way over half full by the time it left Rochdale which is the busiest station on the route after Halifax. The occupants are a mix of trades people heading into the city to work on various building projects and earlybird white collar office or shop workers.
07:33.
This morning’s walk twixt Vic and Picc stations was a chilly one. The city centre felt colder than back in the Pennines. I felt for the poor sods sleeping rough, hidden in cardboard boxes to keep warm, or just swaddled jn dleeping bags. There but for the grace of God…
Piccadilly station was just beginning to spring into life with long-distance services heading South and East whilst local trains ferried in commuters from the suburbs.
Piccadilly awakes…
Now I’m en-route to Crewe aboard an ex-London Midland Class 323 whilst dawn breaks over the city on what promises to be a decent winter’s day.
09:07.
I’m typing this aboard a London North-Western service from Crewe to Birmingham. I’m on a warm, comfortable Class 350/4 with plug sockets, a/c and wifi, which is a bit of a step-up from the Class 323 that got me here from Manchester. Not that it was a bad journey, watching the sunrise over frosty fields and frozen streams as we traversed the Cheshire countryside was gorgeous. At Crewe I bumped into two other rail journalist colleagues, but they’re booked on a later train so I’ve gone on ahead.
Staffordshire is just as frozen as Cheshire with everywhere covered in a thick layer of frost. If I was lineside it would make for some great pictures, but today I’ve other fish to fry.
09:33.
Perusing the BBC website my day was dimmed by the tragic news coming out of Thailand where 28 people have been killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a train. It’s a railway system I know well and I country I love, so it feels anything but abstract, or distant, especially as I’d normally be there this time of year.
11:00.
Having met up with Chris Howe and Rich Wilcock at New St we’re now on site. This is what we’ve come to learn about – and climb to the top of. The HS2 bridge which will span the existing line to Walsall at Duddeston.
14:35.
Visit over, I’m now having a warm and editing a few pictures. Here’s a sample (captions to follow).
Looking down along the bridge from the high girders at the Birmingham end of the structure.The view looking the othe way towards Curzon St with a cross-city line train on the route the bridge will be pushed out over…A zoom lens shot of Curzon St station under construction.
18:00.
I’m now on my way home from Crewe after a fascinating day. I’ll be writing a seperate blog about Curzon St No2 bridge soon. Hs2 Ltd organised an excellent visit with lots of information and access to the engineers building this project.
Having left site I had a couple of hours to get pictures around New St station before catching the 16:34 North. This was another busy train which was rammed all tge way to Wolverhampton. It remained busy all the way to Crewe, where I had a few minutes grace between trains to photograph these beasties.
The Class 37. Still serving the railway after 60 plus years.
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Friday’s weather turned fine for a change. Well, for most of the day, anyway. It gave me the opportunity to catch a train from Halifax to Brighouse in order to check out progress on The Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade (TRU) around Bradley, to the East of Huddersfield. The area contains Bradley Junction, where the Westward connection from Calder valley line from Brighouse joins the Trans-Pennine route, and also for me to explore closer to Heaton Lodge Junction, further East.
There’s no train service from Brighouse to Huddersfield anymore. Instead, you have to catch a rail replacement coach which stops at Deighton before heading into Huddersfield. I struck lucky, as the vehicle I caught was a brand-new Mercedes coach which was seeing its first day in revenue service. John, the driver, explained that operator S-Line travel had bought 3 of the vehicles at a cost of £1.2m. I have to say, it certainly put the Class 150 I’d arrived on to shame when it came to comfort!
There two rail replacement stops at Deighton and John dropped me off at the Easternmost, where it was only a short walk to Colliery Bridge. Sadly, this arched bridge is now closed prior to demolition as it’s being replaced by a new structure to allow this section of line to be electrified. Here’s how it looks from Station Rd bridge further East.
It may be called Colliery bridge, but the colliery it was named for (which was out of picture to the left) closed in early Victorian times. The crossover you see in the foreground leads to the single-track spur to Brighouse. This was also the site of Bradley station which closed on the 2nd March 1950. No trace of the station remains.
Here’s the view looking the other way with Colne Bridge Rd in the background. A lot has changed since my last visit in June, with the first OLE masts having made an appearance, both on the existing line and also where the new Fast lines will be installed.
A TPE service for York worked by 185124 passes 802204 on a Newcastle to Liverpool Lime St service at Bradley. In a few years time they’ll use the new Fast lines which will be laid to the right of the existing tracks.
Moving on I walked up to Colne Bridge Rd but it’s impossible to get pictures there right now. The bridge carries a very busy and very narrow road which only has an (equally narrow) pavement on the Eastern side – which is where a replacement bridge has been built that completely blocks off any view! You can see one of the bridge abutments through the arches in the picture above.
Realigning the road here presents a challenge due to site constraints and the fact there’s an equally narrow bridge over the Huddersfield Wide canal just a few 100 meters South! I’ve marked the new road in red on this satellite image. I can only assume that (at some point) the bridge over canal will be replaced and realigned as it’s going to create a real bottleneck.
As it wasn’t possible to get pictures I walked on to the next bridge which involves a trek uphill before cutting down Bog Green Lane then along a road to the old sewage works where the existing (but also to be replaced) bridge gives this view Westwards.
In the foreground is a new Fast line bridge over the Colne river. Beyond that is a new bridge over the Huddersfield wide canal whilst in the background is the new Colne Bridge Rd bridge. OLE masts have made an appearance here too.
This bridge used to offer a commanding view of the new cutting being dug for the Fast lines to avoid Heaton Lodge Junction. Only now someone’s stuck this bridge in the way!A TPE service for Manchester speeds under the new Bog Lane bridge. The new Fast lines will run in the foreground.
Finally, here’s a look at one of the new bridge sections over the Huddersfield wide canal at Lock No 2.
I’ll pop along for another visit to this section of TRU in the next few days.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
On Tuesday the grey skies which have bedevilled us here in West Yorkshire took a day off, allowing me to get out with the camera and record progress on the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade between Mirfield and Dewsbury.
Having caught a Northern service from Sowerby Bridge we joined the Trans-Pennine route at Bradley Wood Junction, where earthmoving continues in order to create space for the new Fast lines. I’ll visit here again soon. My first stop was at Mirfield, where progress is steady but slow. Work on the new footbridge and lifts continues, as does the rebuilding of the island platform which is gradually creeping West towards Huddersfield. The most noticeable change since my last visit is that a long length of the Down Huddersfield line through the old platform 1 has been laid, although it remains unconnected and has yet to be ballasted. Here’s some pictures.
Much of the scaffolding around the lift tower has disappeared. Meanwhile, work continues on rebuilding the platform 1 side of the island. Grand Central’s 180108 working 1A63, the. 10:29 Bradford Interchange to London Kings Cross slows to stop at Mirfield. You can see work continue on rebuilding platform 1 to the right. This scene will look very different in a few years when all four tracks are reinstated and electrification masts and wires abound! Newly laid track in place on the formation of the Down Huddersfield which serves platform 1. This is looking East towards Ravensthorpe.
Moving on, I caught another Northern service to Dewsbury before walking back to Ravensthorpe.
Dewsbury is having platforms extended to cope with 6-car trains. Here’s progress on the Eastern (Leeds) end of platform 1. The overbridge on George St has been replaced by a new concrete structure. The original (life-expired) structure dated from the opening of the line in 1847, so it had a good innings! Note the detailing on the concrete undersill in an attempt blend in with the original stonework. Early embankment work on the River Calder seen through one of the arches of the double-span Butler bridge. A new river crossing will be constructed at this point with the original 1847 railway alignment and bridges being abandoned. The footpath along this stretch of the Calder is blocked off at this point. This is as far as you can go.
Walking back along the Calder to pass under the Spen valley greenway I walked down the (still open) footpath along the Calder and Hebble navigation to this point where the new railway bridges are beginning to take shape. A Northern service from Bradford to Leeds crosses the 1847 bridge in the background. Another view of the new bridge. The different spans are because the Fast and Slow lines will converge near here. The (double track) Fasts are in the centre whilst the Up and Down Slows join on either side.
Walking on along a very muddy towpath I moved on to Ravensthorpe. Here’s the view of the station from the soon to be replaced Calder Rd bridge.
It’s difficult to appreciate how this scene will look in the future – or how it looked in the past. Here’s an artist’s impression curtesy of TRU. Everything here will disappear under a flyover and dive-under! The station will move behind the camera, to the other side of the bridge. The current view from the station platform as workers pour concrete to build one of the retaining walls for the flyover and the line to/from Healy Mills (seen in the background) which will be diverted to pass underneath. A TPE service from York via Healy Mills speeds past workers levelling a fresh pour of concrete.Retaining walls for the new flyover are beginning to rise. The existing main line towards Dewsbury curves away in the distance whilst cranes are at work constructing the bridges for the new line. This section of track will be abandoned once the new lines open. To the left of the picture is the site of the old goods yard and coal-fired power station which provided a lot of rail traffic in the past. Here’s a 1937 map (published in 1942) showing the mass of freight lines and sidings that existed in the area. Ravensthorpe station is bottom left. The very first of the Class 150s, 150001 arrived to take me back to Dewsbury for my connecting train to Halifax. The station will close from the start of the new timetable on Sunday 14 December 2025, so if you want to visit – be quick!
I’ll be adding another TRU update shortly. I’ll also be visiting Ravensthorpe again before it finally closes.
NOTE: All photographs in this blog are my copyright.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Today’s very much been a mixture here at Bigland Towers. Yesterday evening I was sat outside in the garden, enjoying a beer and soaking up the rays of the sun for the first time this year. This morning? We were back to rain, miserable temperatures and low cloud, so a lie-in seemed like the only sensible course of action. This afternoon was different. The weather was still diva-like, but we decided to ignore its strops and have a day out, heading over to Huddersfield for lunch. Whilst the town doesn’t have the attractions that it once did there’s still an oasis and reflection of how things used to be. We ate at Arcade, in the Byram arcade on Westgate. It’s a lovely little cafe that has a Bohemian feel and clientele in an arcade which has its own vibe due to the arts and craft shops the cafe rubs shoulders with. We both plumped for the same dish, Turkish eggs – with added Chorizo.
It was delicious! Whilst Dawn had a coffee I indulged in a Vocation brewery Hazy Pale beer.
Afterwards, whilst Dee checked out the nearby woolshop I wandered up to observe the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade at the station. There’s another blockade on the line this weekend as major work’s started on the station roof.
This section of the trainshed roof is scheduled for demolition as the whole area is going to be redeveloped due to the addition of two more through platforms. This is why the line’s closed! You can’t get heavy plant in without closing the railway entirely!
Bidding adieu to Huddersfield we headed back from Colne to Calder valley for an expensive side-trip to Garden centres, DIY stores and supermarkets – all in the midst of another downpour. Well, that’s the gardening taking a rain-check then!
Back at home Dawn decided to get stuck into baking whilst I nipped out to get my steps in and have a ‘swifty’ in the Big 6 where this range of beers was on offer.
Now the pair of us are enjoying a quiet night in with the hope of better weather tomorrow…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
After another night of heavy rain today’s threatening to brighten up. So much so I’ve decided to risk venturing out to the Wigan area to document progress on electrifying the line between there and Lostock Jn near Bolton. However, I’m taking no chances. I’ve a golfing umbrella strapped to the side of my camera bag – just in case! Right now I’m more likely to need it as a parasol, but the weather’s so unpredictable nowadays I doubt that will last…
I’m currently on Northern’s 10:03 from Sowerby Bridge which will take me directly through to Hindley. It’s running 7 minutes late. Apparently, there’s overhead line problems in Leeds, where the service started from. The railways are having a torrid time of it at the moment with many delays down to equipment failure or the weather. Our Victorian era network wasn’t designed to cope with the climactic conditions we’re seeing due to Climate Change – especially the amount of rain and associated flooding. Still, the Tories have cancelled a large part of our new rail spine (HS2) that IS designed to cope, so that’s alright then…
I’ll try and blog throughout the day but this isn’t going to be a long trip. I’m on shopping/cooking duty tonight so I want to be home at a sensible time!
I crossed the River Calder on my way to the station. It’s swollen but nowhere near as bad as when Sowerby Bridge flooded. Then, the lower floor of this old mill was underwater, as was all the land to the right.
11:20.
Having traversed the Pennines and made it to Manchester I noticed another change kn the approach to Victoria station. Across yo the right is the site of the famous ‘Red Bank’ sidings. These were once the stabling point for rakes of parcels and newspaper vans which fanned out across the country overnight, carrying papers like the ‘Manchester Guardian’ and others that were printed in the city. That traffic disappeared in the 1980s and the sidings wete closed and lifted long ago. Having lain derelict since the site is now a black earh scar as it’s terra-formed whilst being prepared for a housing development. I can see a picture trip in the offing…
Right now I’m on the direct route to Wigan via Walkden, which was once the Lancashire and Yorkshire railways four-track main line. Sadly, the weather’s closing in again. I may need that brolley for its proper purpose after all…
14:30.
S’cuse the interlude but it’s been hectic at Hindley! Thanks to the powers of the internet and the everyday access we have to maps via our mobile devices I found some backstreets and footpaths that took me out to Crow Nest Junction which is to the East. Here I had an interesting hour playing bingo with the sun/rain and railway timetable. I’ll add proper pictures later. For now, here’s one off the phone.
Difficult to believe now but this was once a meeting of four track lines with all the complex pointwork that entailed. As you can see, there’s been a lot of vegetation clearence as the line from the left (Bolton) is being electrified.
16:45.
Homeward bound. After moving location to replicate some of yesterday’s shots I move on up to Westhoughton, a station I’ve never visited before but always promised myself I would. Like Hindley, it has an active station friends group who’ve worked wonders with the steep cutting sides the station nestles in. There’s a couple of footbridges to the West which make for decent photographic perches but not for long as piles have appeared in the cess for future overhead wires. I fell foul of a rainstorm whilst I was here but luckily there was a refuge. Google had alerted me to the presence of this place. The beer school.
I stayed long enough to dodge the rain and enjoy a quick pint of IPA. I’d have been tempted to linger longer as its a friendly place with good beer but I have other things to do. Plus, the weather’s not getting any better. Instead I joined the throng at the station for a train to Manchester. Looking at some of the skimpily dressed and implausibly tanned young women boarding the train for a night out you’d be forgiven for thinking it was midsumner!
20:45.
I’m now back in the bosom of West Yorkshire, putting my feet up at home whilst editing a last few pictures for your delectation. I didn’t hang around after leaving Westhoughton. I’d got the pictures I needed and besides – it’s Friday! Dee had rung me to say that I was off the hook when it came to cooking as she fancied doing one of her specialties (spicy prawns) so who was I to argue? Besides, we’re out and about again tomorrow. OK, here’s today’s selection.
Looking back towards Hindley station from the overbridge by Crow Nest Junction. This was once a four track main line. The express tracks (via Walkden) which occupied the space to the left were added by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1888. They lasted less than 75 years. As you can see, there’s been a huge amount of tree and vegetation clearance to make safe space for the overhead wires. A long lens shot looking West towards Hindley station which can be seen in the background. The course of the old fast lines is evident. Crow Nest Junction looking East. The line to the right with the Class 158 approaching is the express route via Walkden. The line to the left is the original 1848 route to Bolton. It’s this section (as far as Lostock Jn) that’s being electrified. Here’s bi-mode 769450 passing Westhoughton with a service for Southport. There’s little sign of electrification progress here unless you know what to look for. The piles for all the overhead masts are nearly all in place.
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Paul Bigland 