Live Signalling Diagram

Some readers of this blog will have already realised that I have for some time been playing with the open data which Network Rail make available.  It's about time I shared some of my results, so I though I'd offer my live signalling diagram for your entertainment.  Here's a screenshot - Not much going on at three in the morning during an engineering possession, I'm afraid.

To see for yourself, go to http://www.charlwoodhouse.co.uk/rail/livesig/1

Please note:

• This is very much experimental software, and I am still working on it, so it may change, fail, or disappear at any time.
• It's a bit finicky about browsers, IE 9 and Firefox 31 seem to be OK.
• The server is a very low performance one.  If I see signs of overloading, I will have to turn off the service, without warning.

With those points in mind, why not have a look?  Let me know how you get on.

Overtaking

Watching the live signalling today I was pleased to notice that proper overtaking moves have been programmed into the schedules.  Each hour the stopper from Wigan to Liverpool via Newton (The line through St Helens Central is closed.) uses the crossover into Huyton platform 2 and then waits while the fast Newcastle to Liverpool train behind it passes through platform 1.

So far it seems to have worked quite well.  The schedules have a seven and one half minute stand at Huyton for the stopper, to allow for a bit of late running.

The same was happening last weekend, but I hadn't got the signalling diagram fully working then.

Oddly, despite using the overtaking move, the timetablers are still showing down trains on platform 1 and up trains on platform 2 at Huyton.

Rest Of The World

This blog has been concentrating for the last few weeks on the work at Huyton, so a round-up of headlines from the rest of the area is long overdue. My thanks go to the many correspondents who have provided updates.

Earlestown

Apart from one mast base on the derelict platform parallel to platform 3, and one "scrape" just off the east end of platform 2, there is nothing visible in the station area. The listed building planning permission was granted on the 16th July.

The new signals here, controlled from Warrington, are of a different design to the new ones at Huyton, and have a side indication ("pig's ear") for drivers stopped at the signal.

I notice that west of Earlestown the mast bases on the south side of the line seem to be far enough back to fit a fourth line parallel with the loop.

There is no visible sign of work on Sankey Viaduct where the planning permission was granted a few weeks ago.

Astley

The substation here is partially covered in scaffolding, suggesting work is still not complete.

Thatto Heath

Work has started in the "canyon".

Manchester Victoria

Almost all the masts and portals seem to be in place between Ordsall Lane Junction and Victoria, and the majority have arms fitted.

Phase Two Wires

Wires have appeared at various locations on the Huyton - Wigan line, and also at Wavertree.

Chorley

The blockade for work on Chorley Tunnel is under way. I was on the Manchester end of this line on Wednesday and timekeeping was very poor, but whether that was due to the extra load on the Bolton to Wigan section I cannot say.

Rolling Stock

A second 319 is rumoured to be arriving in August.

New Timetable

The new timetable, starting 14th December 2014, is appearing in the timetable database; obviously it's all provisional at the moment. Around Huyton, it looks identical to the current one, except that late evening trains are restored (As they are in the current timetable from 8th September). Rather surprisingly, up trains at Huyton are still shown as using platform 2 - Hasn't anyone told them?

Huyton and Roby

The TWA application for the fourth track at Huyton was approved on 23rd July.

David Hull sent this picture of a kinky drain on platforms 2 and 3 at Roby, obviously ready for a mast base!

Huyton One Week Later

We've had a week of operation of the new layout at Huyton and Roby (Although no trains yesterday.) and it seems to have gone pretty well, in general.  I've been watching the signal box diagram and trains have been flowing smoothly.

The new configuration has shorter signal spacings than previously, which should help.  

I spotted an unusual overtaking move on Saturday evening, a slow train from the Chat Moss route ran on the Down Chat Moss Fast stopping at Huyton and Roby and was overtaken by a following fast train also from Chat Moss, which zig-zagged onto the Down Chat Moss Slow.

This morning's start was the first time things went wrong, the first two down stopping trains at Huyton were 55 minutes late and the first up was cancelled.  Things gradually recovered over the next few hours, with about six cancellations altogether.  I've not seen any reason for the problem, I wonder if the Sunday possession was handed back late.

At Huyton this morning, finishing works were progressing steadily.

Update:  Only a few hours after I'd written the above I met a friend who was on the 21.47 Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North last Wednesday.  This was terminated at Huyton due to a "signalling failure".  The train proceeded ECS to Wigan via Newton while the passengers were left to a non-existent bus replacement.  So things weren't quite as good as I thought in the first week.  Of course, this might have been a problem at St Helens, nothing to do with our new signalling.

Up and Running

At 05:22:49 this morning, train 5F10 - An ECS working from Lime Street to Warrington Bank Quay - appeared in the train describer feed at Edge Hill, running six minutes late.  It lost a little more time as it proceeded along the new line through platform 3 at Roby and Huyton, and onwards towards Earlestown.  It was followed by a Manchester Airport service and then 2J20 05:20 Lime Street to Manchester Victoria was the first train to call at the new platforms.

(I did consider getting up to photograph this historic occasion, but to be honest I couldn't be bothered.  I expect someone was there?)

Since then, the service would appear to be running fairly smoothly.  A few trains have been late, but no more than a typical Monday morning.

So far, it would appear that all trains from the Earlstown direction are using the Down Chat Moss Fast through platform 1 at Huyton, with platform 2 reserved for trains from the Wigan line.  The current timetable doesn't call for any overtaking of Chat Moss trains so perhaps this will be the standard.

The new signals are generally two lens LED units capable of showing four, or in some cases five, aspects.

A lemon, a lime and a cherry, looking west from Huyton.  LL9591 is a fixed red for trains reversing in platform 3.

A long view of the new island platform, certainly a transformation over the last week or so.

A Wigan train calls at Huyton's new platform 3.

At Roby, a Warrington service stops at the new platform 3.

Quite a bit of work still to do on Platform 1.
At Roby the departure displays seemed to be incorrectly showing all down services on platform 2.

Unlike Huyton, where platform 4 is pretty much complete, Roby only has this short length.  Still, they've got a couple of years to finish it!