Electrification - a Work in Progress

The Great North Rail Project team are working day and night to ensure completion of the electrification and upgrade of the railway between Preston and Blackpool North. Substantial evidence of this is in public view at Blackpool North where realignment of the tracks and platform infrastructure is well advanced. Installation of the overhead power masts will begin to make their appearance once the groundwork is ready. However overhead masts are now installed on much of the line as far as the bridge over Devonshire Road. Examples can be see closeup at Layton Station which remains accessible to allow pedestrian crossing over the footbridge . Layton is getting more refined shelters on each platform - putting nearby bus shelters to shame. Layton is also shown on the bus destination signage for rail replacement services which stop at this point (not all do). These use Blackpool Transport's shelter and stop for the 9 Service as the example earlier today demonstrates: Number 447 at the Benson Road stop for Layton Station (to the left of the roadway) halts for a brief moment.

Below : Overhead gantrys change the look of Layton Station whilst the smart new passenger waiting shelters are a huge plus compared to the previous offer. Now if only Network Rail and Partners could do a similar job for Blackpool Transport and provide equally sociable waiting shelters for passengers on both trams and buses.