Manchester West Simulation
==========================

This simulation covers an area west of Manchester having 13 Stations and the large Euro Freight Terminal, which is on the former Trafford Park Industrial Estate adjacent to the Cheshire Lines Committee railway and Manchester United Football Ground.

Most of the railways in this simulation have survived for more the 100 years. Changes over the years are the introduction of the Metrolink tram network using former Manchester main line railways and the new Ordsall Chord. This Chord was built at the cost of 13 million to connect between 3 main line railway stations, Manchester Piccadily, Manchester Victoria and Oxford Road. This link was part of the Great North Railway Project to reduce congestion at Manchester Piccadilly by 25% and reduce travels times, with the addition of electrification and major resignalling projects that will eventually be controlling trains from Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC) near Ashbury. Many Power Signalling Boxes (PSBs) in the North West area will eventually close by 2030 and transfer to Manchester ROC.

The Cheshire Line Committee railway (CLC) was formed in 1864. In 1880 the CLC opened a route from Manchester Central (now Manchester Central Conference Centre) to Liverpool Central (now demolished) at 31.5 miles. Manchester Central Station was closed in 1969 and the lines are now routed via Deansgate, Oxford Road and Piccadilly Stations. Liverpool Central Station was closed in 1972 and the lines are now routed to Liverpool Lime Street Station.

Trafford Park Euro Terminal Area
================================

This large freight terminal is on the east side of Trafford Park and was opened on October 1993. The freight terminal handles 100,000 containers per year.

Freight trains enter the site at one of the locations REC1 or REC2 (Reception 1 or 2), TPE (Trafford Park Estates), MIFT (Manchester International Freight Terminal and F'DPT (Freightliner Depot).


Platform Capacities
===================

Deansgate               7/8
Salford Crescent          6

United F.C. Halt          7
Trafford Park             7
Humphrey Park             3
Urmston                   7
Chassen Road              7
Flixton                   7
Eccles                    9
Patricroft                9
Swinton                 2/3
Moorside                  5

Signalling
==========

Since the introduction of the Ordsall Curve there has been major resignalling, including bi-directional signalling.

In this simulation the blue arrows are the normal directional flow of traffic. The provision for bi-directional working is for emergency or line closures for engineering purpose. There are no level crossing simulations in this layout.

Note: All Routes are electrified by 25kV OHLE apart from Trafford Park to Liverpool Lime Street (via Warrington Central) and from Salford Crescent to Wigan and Kirkby. Non-electrified routes are run by Diesel Multiple Units or Bi-mode Units.

Timing Points (TP)
=================

United F.C Halt DL and UL
Water Street Junction
Ordsall Lane Junction

Station Codes
=============

D = Deansgate
U = United F.C. Halt
E = Eccles

Signal Post Codes
=================

AY - Astley
ES - Eccles
GE - Glazebrook
MC - Manchester Rail Operating Centre
MN - Manchester North 
MP - Manchester Piccadilly
WN - Warrington Bank Quay 

Start up Photo
==============

This shows a view from platform 1 at Salford Crescent, looking towards Windsor Bridge South Junction. The two signals showing are MP508 (left) and MP506 showing a Green aspect with theatre route indicator showing US (Up Salford) not Up Slow. Signal MP506 route indicator can also show UB (Up Bolton).

Acknowledgement
===============

Many thanks to the PC-Rail team for testing of this simulation.
