Tailored to suit
66726 has been sent into the Bamford Loop to allow an EMR Liverpool to Norwich to pass. The diverted 6E10 1135 Liverpool Biomass Tml Gbf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) is seen here leaving the loop after it's 10 minute layover.
Completed about a year ago this is the purpose of the investment to layover freight trains to allow passenger trains to pass increasing line capacity. Not sure if the investment was one of these offshots from HS2 whereby increased stone traffic from the peaks has required more holding space, however the loop appears to be used mainly by either engineering trains to or from the Trans Pennine upgrade or freights diverted off the Trans Pennine route while the upgrade is taking place. Of more regular use appears to be the Dore West Curve where longer peak bound freights can be accommodated avoiding their tail end blocking the Midland Mainline.
The other challenge with this loop is the trains are usually loaded and it's an uphill slog from a standing start.
Tailored to suit
66726 has been sent into the Bamford Loop to allow an EMR Liverpool to Norwich to pass. The diverted 6E10 1135 Liverpool Biomass Tml Gbf to Drax Aes (Gbrf) is seen here leaving the loop after it's 10 minute layover.
Completed about a year ago this is the purpose of the investment to layover freight trains to allow passenger trains to pass increasing line capacity. Not sure if the investment was one of these offshots from HS2 whereby increased stone traffic from the peaks has required more holding space, however the loop appears to be used mainly by either engineering trains to or from the Trans Pennine upgrade or freights diverted off the Trans Pennine route while the upgrade is taking place. Of more regular use appears to be the Dore West Curve where longer peak bound freights can be accommodated avoiding their tail end blocking the Midland Mainline.
The other challenge with this loop is the trains are usually loaded and it's an uphill slog from a standing start.