TRANS-PENNINE UPGRADES 2022. Engineers at work on Manchester Railways. Ashton, Greenfield & Diggle.

Greater Manchester, and Saddleworth Saturday 30th July 2022.

Another day out with “Shredder”, but this time in the car, we wanted to explore sections of the line between Ashton under Lyne and Stalybridge which are due to be electrified.

We then intended to check out a few locations in the Saddleworth and Diggle areas and photograph the diverted Hope Sidings to Leeds Midland Road, convoy. I met “shredder” around 10.00 am and we headed down to the local railway station, Mills Hill, as a few diverted Transpennine IET Nova 1`s were passing through Mills Hill railway station, so we were there again, An engineering train also passed through behind GBRf class 66732.

We then drove over to Ashton to photograph the station before the wires go up, and then caught up with two engineering trains between Ashton and Stalybridge, these were GBRf 66736 and 66768 which were involved with replacing the running lines, both views were accessible from overbridges along the line.

We next drove to Greenfield station where we met up with another mate, Stuart. After a few photographs of the Transpennine class 185 workings, we moved on to the crossing before Saddleworth viaduct, later covering various locations in the Diggle area, including the site of Diggle railway station which once sat to the entrance of Standage Tunnel`s western portal. Two diverted Transpennine CAT`s Nova 3`s went past, 68029 and 68030, the Convoy with Freightliner green liveried 66603, 70014 and 66619, GBRf 66795 and class 60 on Drax, 60047.

We later followed the old Micklehurst diversion track bed down to Butterhouse Tunnel and walked through it to the end, which is sadly blocked off, but goes in for about a quarter mile. It’s a shame they couldn’t open this up as a walkway/cycle track, it looks in good condition. An enjoyable day.