Rail Engineer • February 2017
BRIDGES AND TUNNELS
52
Stanton Tunnel Balloons in
J
ust occasionally, a telephone call brings an unexpected challenge or opportunity which really catches the imagination. One such call was received last April at the offices of Bridgeway Consulting. Hitachi Rail Europe was on the line, asking whether the company could fit three inflatable balloons into the air shafts in Stanton tunnel on the RIDC Melton test track. Intrigued, the obvious answer was yes, especially as RIDC Melton is located close to the company’s base in Nottingham. But why on earth did Hitachi want to put balloons in a tunnel? Was it some sort of celebration?
RIDC Melton is the new name for the Old Dalby test track near Melton Mowbray - Network Rail has two Rail Innovation and Development Centres, the other being RIDC Tuxford (formerly High Marnham) in North Nottinghamshire. The line was originally built as a twin-track railway connecting Melton Mowbray to Nottingham - the Manton route - which MP 120 - Edwalton allowed express trains from London to the North to bypass Leicester and avoid a turnback at Nottingham. MP 118 - Plumtree (NG12 5NA) The new route opened in 1879 and finally closed in 1968. However, British Rail retained the line from Melton Mowbray to Edwalton as a test MP 117 track for the Advanced Passenger Train. Since then, Class 390 Pendolino MP 116 - Stanton trains, London Underground S Stock and Hitachi’s new Class 800/801 Widmerpool (NG12 5PR) Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains have all been tested there. MP 115 One track runs for 13 miles between Melton Mowbray and Edwalton, is fitted with the new Series 1 25kV overhead catenary, MP 114 Rushcliffe and is cleared for 125mph running. The other, from Old Dalby to Upper Broughton the entrance to Stanton tunnel, is just four miles in length, has MP 113 London Underground-style four-rail DC electrification, and MP 112 is currently testing trains and signalling for LU’s 4LM (four Old Dalby (LE14 3NE) lines modernisation) programme on behalf of Thales and MP 111 Bombardier. Melton Stanton tunnel is 1,330 yards in length and one of four MP 110 tunnels on the line. Currently, only the Down line is in Asfordby Test Centre (LE14 3JL) use as part of the longer, high speed test track on which MP 109 Hitachi is testing its IEP trains that are destined for MP 108 deployment on the West Coast and Great Western main MP 107 - Asfordby Hill lines. As part of the IEP train acceptance regime, there was MP 106 Stanton Tunnel
GSM 4
MP 119
The Melton facility
Grimston Tunnel
Saxelby Tunnel
Asfordby Tunnel
GSM 3
Melton Junction
GSM 2