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the rail engineer • June 2014
Blankney - part of Phase 3.
given attention. Control at the north end is based on Doncaster and the system will run on the fixed telecommunications network (FTN). Off track is no less testing with lineside fencing, 68 kilometres of route works, 151 kilometres of vegetation clearance and nine kilometres of earthworks including cess support and restraints.
Phasing In view of the size of the scheme, and its geographic and operational coverage, the programme has been split into five phases. Peculiarly, Phase 2 was built first as that gave the best solution for keeping the railway open during the works. The sections involved are: »» Phase 2 - Decoy North Junction to Gainsborough Trent Junction »» Phase 1 - Beckingham Junction to Pyewipe Junction »» Phase 3 - Branston & Washingborough to Sleaford South Junction »» Phase 4 - Sleaford North Junction to Gosberton »» Phase 5 - Spalding to Werrington Junction. Network Rail is managing the project but the works are being dealt with through the GNGE Alliance with the strapline ‘Four as One’. The Alliance with Network Rail consists of Babcock, Siemens Rail Automation and Carillion, although there are other players from major companies such as Balfour Beatty, Kier and QTS. Ian emphasised the excellent relations within the Alliance and was full of praise for how that relationship had enabled the project to move forward so effectively. The main construction base is at Peterborough with sub-bases at Lincoln and Spalding. Progress has been smooth with the planned completion date of this third of a billion pound project originally set for March 2014. However, the recent landslip at Hatfield Colliery (issue 105, July 2013) had quite an impact on the programme as the diversion of traffic due to that event changed the traffic levels on the joint line. This forced some of the GNGE works to be rescheduled, putting the completion date back to November 2014.
Major signalling work Four of the five phases use Siemens’ modular signalling solution - a conventionally-signalled system would have required extensive copper cabling and trackside infrastructure which would simply have been too costly. By its very nature, modular signalling uses less trackside infrastructure than a conventional application of computer-based interlocking technology. As a further example of the scale of the project, Siemens delivered Phase 1, the re-signalling of the GNGE route between Gainsborough Trent Junction signal box to the north and Lincoln West solid state interlocking to the south, in January 2014. The work included the commissioning of 27 signal bases and structures, 48 object controller installations and four modular equipment housings (MEHs), as well as some 22 kilometres of power cable and 25 kilometres of signalling fibre. The project team also commissioned a new modular signalling solution for a number of level crossings, including Sykes Lane, Saxilby and Kesteven - all of which have now been converted to manually controlled barrier with object detection (MCB-OD) operation - as well as Stow Park, which has been converted to MCBCCTV controlled operation. Phase 3, covering a further 32 miles of railway and five manually-controlled barrier (MCB) level crossings, followed and was commissioned in Phase 1 commissioning.
April. This phase included the commissioning of 38 VMS LED signals, 70 object controller installations, five modular equipment housings (MEHs), 93 power boxes, 104 axle counter sections and 36 automatic warning systems fitments. Siemens still have more work to do. Senior project manager Paul Carlile said: “The adoption of modular signalling has been fundamental to the delivery of the whole scheme, representing a major element in four of the programme’s five phases. We now move on to Phase 4, which is scheduled to be commissioned in August 2014”.
Good neighbours Another point to emphasise is that the project team has made great efforts to get on with neighbours and stakeholders and is able to point to a good consultative relationship with local and parish councils - this neighbour interface has been a real success story. There has doubtless been some disruption and impact on those local communities but excellent public relations has ensured that those communities look forward to the benefits accruing from a better rail service. Work to replace Saxilby level crossing between 20 December 2013 and 5 January 2014 closed the only access to and from West Bank, Saxilby. Following consultation with the local community and elected representatives, Network Rail provided a 24-hour minibus service for West Bank residents, enabling them to access local facilities and their cars which were held in a secure car park nearby. Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, publicly stated he was grateful to the people of Saxilby, especially residents of West Bank, for their patience and understanding during the works. Thus this apparent backwater railway is poised to take its place as a really relevant part of the UK railway network in the twenty-first century - returning to the important role undertaken by the line at its build date. Ironically, it will be a robust freight route again - albeit one allowing improved passenger working as well.