D1009
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A view not shared by HM the Queen.
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Dawlish sea wall collapse
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Xenophon PCDGS
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When I have a similar "Royal Train...or the like" placed at my disposal with all the frippery, bowing and scraping that goes with this, I will then give you a comparative viewpoint.
Thanks for posting those links - very interesting.
Over the affected areas from the Station to Kennaway Tunnel and Coastguards bridge to the middle of the station
LateThanNever
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That is the area that is most likely to be overtopped by the sea as I understand it.
So other areas are presumably left to survive on their own which seems to indicate that outside these places ballast loss is not any real problem - it is just that the sea wall may be damaged again!
And to all those who live in faith of breakwater(s) this is a very uncertain science because of the very difficult currents in the Exe estuary. Tides seem sometimes to be similar but beaches and sandbanks move...
Focus was on the exposed areas which there have been historical issues with ballast washouts
YorkshireBear
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http://www.siteeyelive.com/monitor/bbcdawlish/camputerb86.jpg
Webcam showing the first section of track being installed over the breach.
Webcam showing the first section of track being installed over the breach.
YorkshireBear
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Track now being installed at the main breach site looking at the webcams.
How odd that we both chose that moment to post!
James Starkie
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It's all looking fairly calm down there now, (and it has to be said, a bit monotonous looking at, well, not much) but congratulations have to go to the guys (and girls) who have worked through this and have now done much of the rebuild. I have read elsewhere that there's about a thousand workers on the job. Two questions: would these people have been diverted from other projects, and, where are they living?
crewmeal
Member
I wonder if it would be possible to move the units that has been stuck along the new track before the official opening time so they can be serviced and used accordingly.
Which stuck units do you mean - the 150s and 153s that are in daily use operating their normal duties west of Newton Abbot, the HSTs that are actually not stuck at all because their normal maintenance depot is Laira anyway, or the Cross Country Voyagers that have been operating a limited service west of Newton Abbot?
Earlier in the thread there has been discussion on the 150s and 153s and the conclusion was that FGW maintenance staff from other depots have been travelling to Laira by road to carry out the necessary work on them.
dannypye9999
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Anyone know the date when the Dawlish line will be fully open and operational again? Or an estimated guess?
swt_passenger
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April 4th has been the publicised date for a while. Then there were a few posts here and there suggesting they might make 28th March. That was starting to look possible, IMHO, based mainly on what we were seeing on the main breach webcams.
However, I suspect the Dawlish main breach might no longer be on the critical path, and the re-opening now depends on completion of the 'controlled landslip' further towards Teignmouth, that has somewhat moved the goalposts...
YorkshireBear
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They claim 75% of material has been removed from cliff, a remarkable achievement, they are planning on clearing and repairing the tracks after Friday when they think they will be finished. 7 days to clear up some mud and repair the track should be fine.
swt_passenger
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That's what I was trying to say but didn't do it very well. In other words April 4th still looks on, but the rumoured 28th March, once possible, is no longer the case, because of the landslip...
YorkshireBear
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Team effort.YorkshireBear
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That poster seems to post a lot so not sure whether to trust it. He may just be saying that is the usual first train of the day so its that one. It may be slightly different in the event.
Laira fitters are going up to Bristol PM and Old Oak Common (being put up in hotels for a few days at a time) to maintain the HSTs, and Exeter fitters are going down to Laira a couple of times a week to maintain the units down there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just because the track is in place doesnt mean it is ready for service, what about all the axle counters, signalling etc!
HSTEd
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Could get a train staff and run it OTS.
A local newspaper quoted a Network Rail spokesperson who said there would be some sort of re-opening event but no further details were forthcoming.
With that in mind has anyone got any suggestions for a re-opening ceremony?!
Tracks down but rail passengers face ten-day wait for re-opening
By Western Morning News | Posted: March 25, 2014
Comments (0)
The railway line through the Westcountry has finally been restored as the region begins a ten-day countdown to the grand re-opening ahead of the Easter break.
Engineers have filled and concreted over the giant crater, which was so dramatically scooped out by powerful waves seven weeks ago, devastating Dawlish station and halting direct services .
The two sets of tracks which were left hanging in mid-air following the storm on February 4 have now been re-laid -physically reconnecting Exeter and Plymouth - with teams now bolting and welding them into place.
Fluorescent-coated workers continue to swarm all around what has become the biggest single construction site in the region in preparation for the re-commencement of passenger services next Friday, an event likely to attract high profile political figures.
Mavis Choong, spokesman for the rail infrastructure quango, said the project was on target for the resumption of services on April 4, though details of the launch event, and who would be conducting the opening ceremony, were still under wraps.
“The most important thing is that we get what we need to do completed on time,” she added.We are on programme towards restoring services on the 4th - in the meantime we are installing sleepers and putting the finishing touches to the station.”
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk...tory-20850398-detail/story.html#ixzz2x62QdGtB
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Not directly related to the Dawlish thread but interesting nonetheless:-
The boss of Britain's new high-speed rail line has admitted the South West will not benefit directly from the £50 billion project as it emerged the region stands not even to get the hand-me-down trains.
Against growing anxiety on the peninsula over losing out over the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) line connecting London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, its chairman Sir David Higgins told MPs: "It won't directly benefit the far South West at all because this scheme can't do everything."
The admission to the Commons Transport Select Committee came as Westcountry MP Adrian Sanders, who serves on the cross-party committee, told him it would be "nonsense" at present to suggest Devon and Cornwall could get displaced trains freed up by the new 250mph versions flying north.
All bar a handful of the East and West Coast mainline trains run on electric wires – useless on the Great Western line into Devon and Cornwall where only diesels can travel on non-electrified tracks.
Mr Sanders, MP for Torbay, is among of growing band of MPs from the South West demanding an upgrade to the region's rail network in return for their vote in the Commons supporting HS2.
The parlous state of the service has been writ large by recent storms that destroyed the Great Western line at Dawlish, and flooded repeatedly east of Exeter.
During the probe, Mr Sanders said a Government-commissioned report by accountants KPMG showing Devon and Cornwall's economy could be hit by £140 million by HS2 underlined the region's case.
He said: "You can't expect every area to benefit. But it certainly shouldn't be the case that any part of the country actually loses."
Sir David replied:"I found that staggering. I couldn't understands why building a railway north of London – so far way from Devon and Cornwall – was actually going to deteriorate on the economy of Devon. So I don't actually understand how they worked that out."
Mr Sanders went on to suggest even indirect benefits would be marginal.
The Liberal Democrat said: "Even if you tried to sell it to the people of the far South West that they would benefit from rolling stock that might be freed up from the East and West Coast mainlines, that's complete nonsense anyway because we don't have an electrified railway to use the electrified trains that would be handed down to us.
"How are you going to sell this to areas of the country – MPs like myself – to vote for this Bill when actually you'll be voting to disadvantage our constituents and our local economies."
The Great Western line is already to be electrified to Bristol, but most trains to west Somerset, Devon and Cornwall run on the "second" line which has only been upgraded to Newbury in Berkshire.
Sir David said the "entire debate is about fairness," arguing the justification for investment from the north stemmed from 50% of rail expenditure being pumped into London, and pointed to the second-hand trains "the north has to put up with".
But Mr Sanders said the South West was "actually below the north", adding: "The South West has just taken the hand-me-downs from Northern Rail.
"According to your report, the expenditure per head is far less in the South West than anywhere else. And that 'South West' includes the northern bit that will be having the investment in electrification to Bristol. The far South West will fall further behind."
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk...tory-20850329-detail/story.html#ixzz2x5y3FCFn
With that in mind has anyone got any suggestions for a re-opening ceremony?!
Tracks down but rail passengers face ten-day wait for re-opening
By Western Morning News | Posted: March 25, 2014
Comments (0)
The railway line through the Westcountry has finally been restored as the region begins a ten-day countdown to the grand re-opening ahead of the Easter break.
Engineers have filled and concreted over the giant crater, which was so dramatically scooped out by powerful waves seven weeks ago, devastating Dawlish station and halting direct services .
The two sets of tracks which were left hanging in mid-air following the storm on February 4 have now been re-laid -physically reconnecting Exeter and Plymouth - with teams now bolting and welding them into place.
Fluorescent-coated workers continue to swarm all around what has become the biggest single construction site in the region in preparation for the re-commencement of passenger services next Friday, an event likely to attract high profile political figures.
Mavis Choong, spokesman for the rail infrastructure quango, said the project was on target for the resumption of services on April 4, though details of the launch event, and who would be conducting the opening ceremony, were still under wraps.
“The most important thing is that we get what we need to do completed on time,” she added.We are on programme towards restoring services on the 4th - in the meantime we are installing sleepers and putting the finishing touches to the station.”
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk...tory-20850398-detail/story.html#ixzz2x62QdGtB
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Not directly related to the Dawlish thread but interesting nonetheless:-
The boss of Britain's new high-speed rail line has admitted the South West will not benefit directly from the £50 billion project as it emerged the region stands not even to get the hand-me-down trains.
Against growing anxiety on the peninsula over losing out over the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) line connecting London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, its chairman Sir David Higgins told MPs: "It won't directly benefit the far South West at all because this scheme can't do everything."
The admission to the Commons Transport Select Committee came as Westcountry MP Adrian Sanders, who serves on the cross-party committee, told him it would be "nonsense" at present to suggest Devon and Cornwall could get displaced trains freed up by the new 250mph versions flying north.
All bar a handful of the East and West Coast mainline trains run on electric wires – useless on the Great Western line into Devon and Cornwall where only diesels can travel on non-electrified tracks.
Mr Sanders, MP for Torbay, is among of growing band of MPs from the South West demanding an upgrade to the region's rail network in return for their vote in the Commons supporting HS2.
The parlous state of the service has been writ large by recent storms that destroyed the Great Western line at Dawlish, and flooded repeatedly east of Exeter.
During the probe, Mr Sanders said a Government-commissioned report by accountants KPMG showing Devon and Cornwall's economy could be hit by £140 million by HS2 underlined the region's case.
He said: "You can't expect every area to benefit. But it certainly shouldn't be the case that any part of the country actually loses."
Sir David replied:"I found that staggering. I couldn't understands why building a railway north of London – so far way from Devon and Cornwall – was actually going to deteriorate on the economy of Devon. So I don't actually understand how they worked that out."
Mr Sanders went on to suggest even indirect benefits would be marginal.
The Liberal Democrat said: "Even if you tried to sell it to the people of the far South West that they would benefit from rolling stock that might be freed up from the East and West Coast mainlines, that's complete nonsense anyway because we don't have an electrified railway to use the electrified trains that would be handed down to us.
"How are you going to sell this to areas of the country – MPs like myself – to vote for this Bill when actually you'll be voting to disadvantage our constituents and our local economies."
The Great Western line is already to be electrified to Bristol, but most trains to west Somerset, Devon and Cornwall run on the "second" line which has only been upgraded to Newbury in Berkshire.
Sir David said the "entire debate is about fairness," arguing the justification for investment from the north stemmed from 50% of rail expenditure being pumped into London, and pointed to the second-hand trains "the north has to put up with".
But Mr Sanders said the South West was "actually below the north", adding: "The South West has just taken the hand-me-downs from Northern Rail.
"According to your report, the expenditure per head is far less in the South West than anywhere else. And that 'South West' includes the northern bit that will be having the investment in electrification to Bristol. The far South West will fall further behind."
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk...tory-20850329-detail/story.html#ixzz2x5y3FCFn
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YorkshireBear
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Rumors appearing on Facebook pages regarding the sea wall that the first few weeks will be limited capacity due to signalling damage? Could they not have fixed most of the signalling while its been broke? Surely there is little left signalling wise?
yeah it would be that easy, I am surprised nobody thought of that. :roll:
The signalling data has been going from Exeter to Newton Abbot via Penzance because the cables were wrecked in the storm, they couldnt repair them because there was nowhere to put them (it was a big hole, remember) and the length of cable run means it wasnt possible or practical to do it sooner. Now the hole is filled in and the track is reinstated they can start running the cables out, fitting the Axle Counters etc. They will then have to thoroughly test everything to ensure it works properly and then they will be able to use it to signal the trains.
YorkshireBear
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I thought that scaffolding structure was to allow the signalling to be repaired at the same time though? That is my point. If it hasn't been possible to start by now then that is fair enough i agree. But i thought they already had that is why i am confused?
No need to roll the eyes I am a civil engineer i know sweet f all about signalling and electronics hence why i didn't state it i asked. That's what a question mark means.
The scaffolding structure was to allow access across the site, I think it was somebody on here that assumed it was for the cabling.
I am a train drive and apart from the 4 aspects displayed I know bugger all else except for little bits my tiny brain can decipher.
As for the rolling eyes, it wouldnt be a reply from me without a degree of sarcasm would it!
swt_passenger
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Er, the 'cable bridge' stuff was (probably) taken from the timeline on the NR website, where it's been for over a month:
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