Heard about Happenings in Huddersfield (2)

Platform Poser Solved by Stuart

fbb should have spotted it, but didn't. Thanks to correspondent Stuart it is now blindingly obvious. What is now bay Platform 2 (for the Sheffield trains) used to run the whole length of the station and was Platform 1. Platform 1 was extended out by one track-width. You can even see the different texture on the filled in bit in the top photo. Platform 2 was where the community coach now sits ...

... and Platform 3 was a bay at the opposite end of platform 1.

Apart from getting Platform 7 right, fbb's guesses were completely erroneous! So no change there, then.

Thanks Stuart for sorting the old man out!

So What IS Happening?

Although it might be better to ask what MIGHT be happening as viral attacks may changer plans if rail passenger numbers do not recover from HMG's unhelpful "The Virus Also Travels By Train" publicity!

 

Local purveyors of "news", otherwise known as re-writers of press releases, have been enthusing about plans to upgrade the station. Yorkshire Live (an on-line site) is typical of what has been laid before the public.

fbb never ceases to be amazed how little politicians understand of the announcements they make and how little the press understands as they pen tap obediently into their "devices".

This is the first picture from the above article.

Spot the huge upgrade! Note particularly, the "new roof" which looks just a bit like the "old roof"!

The artist's impression does, however, show overhead wires from the impending electrification of the Trans Pennine route - which we all know will be happening soon. Won't it?

There are also pictures of the "new platforms" ...

... which are most definitely NOT under the "new" "old" roof. The sketches also show a new footbridge running, presumably, from Platform 1, via Platforms 4 and 8 to something extra.

One of the "impressions" begins to reveal a bit more ...

... because there, far left and a bit fuzzy, is the famous goods shed with wagon lift referred to in yesterday's blog.

Slowly the brain begins to make sense in a way in which the journalistic grey cells were unable to do. 

If we look at the station from the bridge at the Manchester end, we can begin to piece together the proposals.

There (far left) we the back end of a train in the present Platform 8 and the greenery in the former Platform 7. So, going back to the upgrade "impression", it seems that a new through platform will follow the line of the old Platform 7, just outside the main train shed.

The extra bit of trainshed (left) is demolished and replaced with a multi-platform and completely new chunk of station. Does the "impression" imply a new entrance via the old goods shed? Not if you look closely ...

... there is a gap!

Looked at from the Leeds end ...

... we see that bay Platforms 5 and 6 have gone, effectively replaced by two through roads, with a third through line roughly where Platform 8 was on the far right but pushed out further and nearer the wagon lift.

That concept certainly matches the shape of the footbridge unless ... there is another extra platform to the right of the "new" platform 8 on the site of the siding (far right in the above Google Earth extract.

Or fbb has got it all wrong again.

IF it happens post-virus, it will mean that two bays (one largely unused) will be replaced by two through lines. This would support the plans for four-tracking part of the Trans Pennine route in the greater Huddersfield area.

The planned upgrades between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury) include:

Doubling the number of tracks from two to four to allow more trains to run

Major upgrades to stations at Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield and providing a relocated station at Ravensthorpe

Presumably this will ensure that Ravensthorpe will then have platforms on both routes.

Electrifying the lines to bring faster, more reliable services for passengers which are better for the environment

Hmmm?

Building a bridge in Ravensthorpe ...

The journo means a flyover, but the semi-technical term is beyond his grasp!

... to separate the lines which run to/from Wakefield with those to/from Leeds to help reduce congestion and bring more reliable journeys.

Again, beware retrenchment, reduction or removal of all or part of these schemes if things don't move to something like normality.

Diverted Diversion P.S.

The diversion of all inbound buses from September 2020 from the west of Sheffield to take them away from where people wanted to go (GREEN) was re-diverted (RED) on Monday last to move the key stops to Rockingham Street from the bottom of Carver Street. This was even further away from the shops!

All fbb's predictions came true on the first day. Of course things will settle down, but these are notes from emails the old bloke receiver late on Monday - observations made at various times on Day 1.

The alighting only stops at top of Carver Street (just off West Street) have gone - however services were dropping off in that area due to traffic congestion caused by four way traffic lights situated junction of  Carver Street and  Division Street. 

The bottom of Carver Street is closed but with no change in the phasing of the lights.

The traffic was queueing back from junction of Division Street back to West Street. Problems with motorists & taxis’ coming down Carver (which is one lane only at junction with Division Street) and finding road closed signs then hitting the brakes and just siting there. 

Problems with this area of Division Street cluttered with road signs on pavement pedestrians therefore go into road plus tight junction. 

And, of course, absolutely no information at the new stops (BLUE) on Rockingham Street.

Then there is the key question for the Council. You introduced the original diversion in September 2021 and six months later changed it all. Why didn't you introduce this week's diverted diversion (which, we are told, is now permanent.) back then. That would confuse people only once!

Clearly the Council's plan for emptying ALL the shops in the town centre is going very well indeed.

Omni shambles practically, socially and politically!!!

STOP PRESS - departure lists and route numbers have now appeared on the new stops. But at least one of the so-called timetables is farcically wrong. See tomorrow's blog!

Puzzle Picture

What is it? Answer tomorrow.

 Next County Durham blog : Friday 16th April