Bolton electrics
Northern finally starts running electric passenger trains to Bolton - more than two years later than planned.
ELECTRIC passenger trains finally started running to Bolton on February 11, more than two years later than planned.
Northern Class 319s are now operating, with one on Manchester Victoria-Buckshaw Parkway services, one on Manchester Piccadilly-Preston services, and the other on Blackpool-Manchester Airport trains.
Northern Regional Director Chris Jackson said: “At this stage, not all trains used from Bolton will be electric, but as we move through 2019 more and more trains will be electric. And, during 2019, we will start to use our brand new trains on routes through Bolton.”
Network Rail Principal Programme Sponsor Duncan Law said: “All major work to electrify the Manchester-Bolton-Preston railway as part of the Great North Rail Project is now finished. It means that greener, faster and more spacious electric trains can operate on the Bolton corridor in 2019.
Northern will introduce its Class 331 electric multiple units (being delivered by CAF) onto the route from May, allowing diesel units to be cascaded elsewhere within its routes.
The electrification scheme, part of the Great North Rail Project, involved widening and rebuilding Farnworth Tunnel, remodelling track and platforms at Chorley and Bolton, and renewing 13,883 metres of track. NR replaced 93 signals and laid 236,000 metres of cables.
The first electric to run on the route was a test train using a Virgin Trains Class 390 Pendolino in December last year. NR said one final test is needed with an EMU running at 100mph, and this was due to take place in late February (after this issue of RAIL went to press).
The electrified railway was due have been operating from December 2016, but problems with the ground conditions caused delays to the scheme. This delay affected the May 2018 timetable chaos - EMUs were not able to operate where planned, meaning that other trains had to run in shorter than planned formations.
TransPennine Express will also use the route for its electric trains running between Manchester Airport and Edinburgh/Glasgow. These are currently diverted via Wigan.