Friday 26 August 2016

Huyton Fourth Track

Progress of sorts on the project to complete the fourth track through Huyton and Roby:  Signs have gone up at Huyton Hey Car Park announcing that it will be closed from September, for work on the fourth track.  The car park will be used a works site.


For those unfamiliar with the area I'll summarise the work, from west to east:
  • At Roby junction a new turnout will be installed in the Up line, linking it to the new Up Chat Moss Slow.  The existing Up line becomes Up Chat Moss Fast.
  • The fourth line is already in place from Roby Junction to the east end of Huyton station.
  • Immediately east of Huyton station, the new line will run over the pedestrian tunnel, already extended to accommodate it.  
  • Next comes Huyton Telephone exchange.  The LNWR-era stone wall will be demolished and a strip of the car park taken over, to fit the fourth track in.
  • Continuing east, the wall at the back of Huyton Bus Station will also need to go, and a narrow strip of land will be taken.
  • Here, at Huyton Junction, track changes will be necessary (See diagram.) to connect the fourth track into the junction.  This will include removing some track laid in 2014.
Of course, in addition to the above overhead electrification will need to be installed all along the fourth track.  Most of the necessary masts are already in place, but not all.