Better rail journeys arriving in 2018 The Great North Rail Project between Preston and Blackpool 19 January 2018

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1 Better rail journeys arriving in 2018 The Great North Rail Project between Preston and Blackpool 19 January 2018 Countdown to the Blackpool South line reopening Today is day 70 of our transformation between Preston and Blackpool which means we re now over half way through the extended closure and just over a week away from trains running again between Preston and Blackpool South. From Monday 29 January an hourly shuttle train service will operate between Preston and Blackpool South, calling at all stations. A bus replacement service will continue to serve passengers travelling between Preston, Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde, Layton and Blackpool North until Sunday 25 March. We are urging passengers to check before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk A bigger and better Kirkham & Wesham station On Thursday this week, a 250 tonne crane was used to install a footbridge at Kirkham & Wesham, linking a new platform to the station.

2 Kirkham & Wesham s new platform will allow us to better manage trains travelling to Blackpool North and South stations, reducing delays and making the railway more reliable. Read more Photo: On Monday Kirkham & Wesham s footbridge arrived on site. Team Orange overcame challenging weather conditions as strong winds meant that the team had to wait for a safe window to complete the bridge lift.

3 Photo: The pillars for the new footbridge are installed. Kirkham & Wesham s footbridge is one of several new bridges being installed on the route as part of our upgrade. We re also building two new lifts which will improve access at the station, meaning more people will be able to use the railway. Photo: A busy Team Orange at Kirkham & Wesham station. The new footbridge will be accessed from the station ticket office, leading to a new lift and over the railway to platform 3.

4 Photo: A new opening has been created at the ticket office for access to the new footbridge and lifts. The lift shafts will be delivered on site in the coming weeks which will be crane-lifted into place and then cladded before the moving parts are fitted. Photo: On Thursday evening shortly before 9pm Kirkham & Wesham s footbridge was successfully lifted into place. Work to complete Kirkham & Wesham s new platforms continues with new tactile platform edge stones installed along all three platforms. The platforms

5 are being backfilled, getting them ready for new surfacing. Photo: Platform construction continuing at Kirkham & Wesham. Below the photograph shows a view across Kirkham & Wesham s new platform with brand new electrification and signalling equipment in the distance. Photo: Engineers install platform edge stones on the new platform 3. Bases, gantries and wires This week we ve been ramping up piling in the Blackpool North area as Team

6 Orange install overhead line equipment foundations on the station approach. Photo: Engineers use a piling rig to install a steel foundation. After a productive week, the majority of piles have now been installed here, however there are some remaining which will be completed over the next few weeks. Photo: A view across the new track layout into Blackpool North station.

7 Although the majority of piling has been completed along the Preston to Blackpool North route, we do still have some areas to complete. We know that this work activity can be highly disruptive and are continuing to keep our railway neighbours up to date about the work taking place near to them. Last year we produced a video to help explain this work to our lineside neighbours: Electrifying the Railway: Piling and Overhead Line Equipment Photo: Engineers fixing new wiring on the Preston to Blackpool railway. Elsewhere on the route, Team Orange are installing overhead wiring, with over 14% of wire runs now completed. Blackpool s all new signalling system Next week, Siemens who are delivering the signalling upgrades on the Blackpool route, will be testing the trackside equipment between Preston and Blackpool South. The new signalling equipment links up to Network Rail s operating centre in Manchester, from where the railway is managed using state of the art tools and technology.

8 Photo: Blackpool s new workstation at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre. The desk which specifically will be used to manage the railway between Preston and Blackpool is set up and nearly ready to go. Photo: Siemens testing connections ready for the reopening of the Blackpool South route. The signalling workstation is linked through to a secure computer network which ultimately turns a click of the mouse into a set of points moving on the railway.

9 Photo: The units within the MROC that will facilitate signalling control on the Blackpool South line. The new signalling system will help to transform journeys on the railway between Preston and Blackpool, reducing delays and improving reliability. Keeping our neighbours informed In addition to our postal updates, regular drop-in sessions will continue until we ve completed the project. Here are the details of upcoming events: Wednesday 24 January Mill Street, Kirkham, PR4 2AN Tuesday 30 January Poulton Civic Centre, Breck Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 7PU Monday 5 February St Walburges Church Hall, Weston Street, Preston PR2 2QE Tuesday 13 February Blackpool North station, Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AB These are open to everyone! For a full list of drop-in events between Preston and Blackpool, please visit