Archive for the ‘What I'm up to’ Category
Getting the Metrolink trams running again
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
As we near the planned restart of tram operations on the Altrincham line the pressure is building in the delivery team. The guys replacing the overhead line equipment on the old British Rail infrastructure are pulling out all the stops trying to get everything finished on time, whilst in the city centre what feels like hundreds of orange clad bodies are feverishly trying to get the tracks and road surfaces in position ready for the trams to run.
To add to the stress, it is Manchester Pride this weekend and there are expected to be thousands of extra people in the city making moving materials and guys around even more torturous than usual.
There is a real will to get the work complete and it will not be for a lack of trying if it is not quite ready. I am sure trams will be running again on Tues 1st September.
Update 2nd Sept
Well I wasn’t quite right, but St Peters Station was back up and running as planned. Unfortunaley there have been a few problems down at the Altrincham end.
Tags: Add new tag, Manchester Metro, Metrolink, track renewals
Posted in All, What I'm up to | No Comments »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
I have been in Manchester again this week. Three days working with Stagecoach helping to manage work on the city centre tram upgrade. The track removal seems to be going OK, but getting the new rails back in the deck seems to be a little steady.
Work continues on High Street
It is good to meet up with old colleagues from VolkerRail. I am sure we will have fun working together!
The rails are nearly complete around Victoria
It would also be great if the beautiful Manchester weather would stop getting us all wet. Being from the East of the country I was never really aware of just how much it rains in Manchester!
Posted in All, Business, What I'm up to | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
I have been down in London this week doing some with VolkerWeiss. Just a few days, but it was good to work with Erik, Kevin and Markus again. It felt a bit like our days on VCV, especially when Mr van den Hurk arrived on Tuesday. The usual North Sea Fish restaurant and the dodgy Chinese for tea though!
Posted in All, Business, What I'm up to | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
My first visit to the tram work in Manchester was last weekend. A pleasant Saturday in Manchester City centre watching a couple of rails being installed.
A tram rail!
I am expecting to be spending a little more time there over the next few weeks.
Posted in All, Business, What I'm up to | No Comments »
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009
I am back from Munster now I really enjoyed the visit, got a little bit sun burnt and saw some new ideas at the show.
Overview of the show.
I visited the show with Carsten Eichberg and Kevin Shilcock, Kevin and I flew into Düsseldorf airport from where Carsten picked us up for a dash down the Autobahn to Munster. After checking in to our accommodation (a Church hostel, quite nice actually) we managed to find a local pub to have a few beers and a Potato Salad and Sausage.
Kevin and Carsten at the show.
One of the most interesting things at the show was the new S&C excavation machine from SERSA and MATISA. They have joined forces to develop a machine to be used to excavate the ballast for an S&C renewal in quicker time. I would be very keen to see the machine work. However I have a few concerns about the machine, not least the safety of working next to the cutting wheel, I think they may need to put some form of guard around it.
The SERSA MATISA S&C excavation machine
Anyway, thats enough on my trip to Munster.
Posted in All, Business, Personal, What I'm up to | 1 Comment »