East-West Rail (EWR): Oxford-Bletchley construction progress

[BrianW]

It's presumably a noise abatement fence, so it has to be big to dissipate the noise.

Hoping that's what they wanted- maybe it's appearance will tone down?

 

[Falcon1200]

It's presumably a noise abatement fence, so it has to be big to dissipate the noise.

Indeed, but I do wonder how we have got to a situation where a railway, not even a new line but an upgrade of an existing one, is thought to be so awful that such measures are deemed necessary; There are of course many thousands of places where trains, longer, heavier, noisier and more frequent than those on EWR will ever be, pass homes with no form of noise or sight barrier at all!

It does remind me a little of the furore when the first part of EWR, Oxford/Bicester, was being upgraded; The owner of a stables near Bicester predicted that people (and horses) would DIE, thanks to being startled by the noise of passing trains and their horns. It has not happened yet, and anyone who has ever travelled by train and seen various farm animals utterly unconcerned by their passage knows that it won't.

 

[zwk500]

Indeed, but I do wonder how we have got to a situation where a railway, not even a new line but an upgrade of an existing one, is thought to be so awful that such measures are deemed necessary; There are of course many thousands of places where trains, longer, heavier, noisier and more frequent than those on EWR will ever be, pass homes with no form of noise or sight barrier at all!

It does remind me a little of the furore when the first part of EWR, Oxford/Bicester, was being upgraded; The owner of a stables near Bicester predicted that people (and horses) would DIE, thanks to being startled by the noise of passing trains and their horns. It has not happened yet, and anyone who has ever travelled by train and seen various farm animals utterly unconcerned by their passage knows that it won't.

When the first railways opened, Doctors suggested people would die from travelling at such excessive speed as 15mph. When cars came about, all sorts of restrictions were imposed on them. It's not new.

The UK is set up to give disproportionate benefit to people who already own property, so it's hardly surprising that people can object to railways being built past a house they already own but if you move into a house with the railway already there you have limited recourse.

 

[59CosG95]

When the first railways opened, Doctors suggested people would die from travelling at such excessive speed as 15mph. When cars came about, all sorts of restrictions were imposed on them. It's not new.

The UK is set up to give disproportionate benefit to people who already own property, so it's hardly surprising that people can object to railways being built past a house they already own but if you move into a house with the railway already there you have limited recourse.

Indeed, and the possibility of redressing those proportions to make infrastructure projects easier is hardly likely to be a vote winner, particularly in areas where the winning rosettes are normally blue!

 

[zwk500]

Indeed, and the possibility of redressing those proportions to make infrastructure projects easier is hardly likely to be a vote winner, particularly in areas where the winning rosettes are normally blue!

Agreed. It's even more frustrating when the line in question never actually formally closed and there was a clear possibility of it's restoration for use.

 

[work-traveller]

Hoping that's what they wanted- maybe it's appearance will tone down?

Perhaps the same will apply to the residents off Queen Catherine Road at Steeple Claydon, who's gardens have encroached onto railway land.

 

[Mark24]

Is the house itself originally part of Verney Junction Station?

Yes, I believe it is. I think the garage used by the house may have also been integral to the station, possibly a booking room?

 

[swt_passenger]

Perhaps the same will apply to the residents off Queen Catherine Road at Steeple Claydon, whose gardens have encroached onto railway land.

The 8th photo in post #793 (Sep 2022) showed the boundary fence had been re-established to remove the encroachment, much of the vegetation was cleared, and the soundproofing installed.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Yes, I believe it is. I think the garage used by the house may have also been integral to the station, possibly a booking room?

The house shown in the photo is not connected to the railway. However the Stationmaster's House still stands, in private hands, further out of shot to the right, just west of the farmtrack/footpath which crossed the line. The Booking Office was in another building closer to the platforms - that building still stands and has been refurbished recently I believe after decades of disrepair.

Google maps shows the extant buildings reasonably clearly.

 

[Tobbes]

Many thanks!

 

[Mark24]

The house shown in the photo is not connected to the railway. However the Stationmaster's House still stands, in private hands, further out of shot to the right, just west of the farmtrack/footpath which crossed the line. The Booking Office was in another building closer to the platforms - that building still stands and has been refurbished recently I believe after decades of disrepair.

Google maps shows the extant buildings reasonably clearly.

Thanks for the clarification. Do you happen to know if the (now closed) pub at Verney Junction had a connection to the Station? For example, built by the railway company?

 

[vic-rijrode]

Thanks for the clarification. Do you happen to know if the (now closed) pub at Verney Junction had a connection to the Station? For example, built by the railway company?

I don't know for sure, but apparently the few houses around the station (which became the hamlet of Verney Junction) were built to house railway employees - so it's not unreasonable to assume that the pub was built to provide them with sustenance and refreshment! But whether the houses and the pub were built by the railway company itself, I have not been able to ascertain.

 

[Snow1964]

DfT has today published decision update on closure of 3 level crossings, not closure authorisation, but simply a decision that don't need Environment Impact Assessments (EIA)

Decision

Proposed closures of Yarnton Lane, Sandy Lane and Tackley level crossings: Transport and Works Act order​

Screening decision for the proposed closure of 3 level crossings as part of the Oxford Phase 2A enhancement works TWA application.

Tackley level crossing: Transport and Works Act order

Application for approval to acquire land and close Tackley level crossing as part of the Oxford Phase 2A enhancement works TWA application.

www.gov.uk

 

[The Planner]

DfT has today published decision update on closure of 3 level crossings, not closure authorisation, but simply a decision that don't need Environment Impact Assessments (EIA)

Tackley level crossing: Transport and Works Act order

Application for approval to acquire land and close Tackley level crossing as part of the Oxford Phase 2A enhancement works TWA application.

www.gov.uk

Fairly sure these stopped some line speed increases or at least the bi-di signalling installation. Could be wrong.

 

[BrianW]

DfT has today published decision update on closure of 3 level crossings, not closure authorisation, but simply a decision that don't need Environment Impact Assessments (EIA)

Tackley level crossing: Transport and Works Act order

Application for approval to acquire land and close Tackley level crossing as part of the Oxford Phase 2A enhancement works TWA application.

www.gov.uk

IIRC these crossings are north of EWR, between Kidlington and Heyford, so not directly relevant, but indirectly as indicative of current Secretary of State thinking.

 

[swt_passenger]

Recent video by Richard Crouch on youtube, (4 days old), showing current status of Winslow station. Footbridge mostly complete, I’m assuming that‘s possibly quite recent as there’s a huge mobile crane next to the station building. Also ballast train passing through.

 

[Mark24]

Good Video, thanks for posting. The station looks great, and a good size too.
Presumably that’s the maximum speed a train can travel on an incomplete line? Or it’s very close to where it needs it to stop?

 

[zwk500]

Presumably that’s the maximum speed a train can travel on an incomplete line? Or it’s very close to where it needs it to stop?

Speed will be heavily limited within the works item as there's no signalling and the risk of workers being near the tracks.

 

[Neen Sollars]

New You Tube video, EWR meet HS2 Calvert. Thanks to The Boy.

 

[rf_ioliver]

It does remind me a little of the furore when the first part of EWR, Oxford/Bicester, was being upgraded; The owner of a stables near Bicester predicted that people (and horses) would DIE, thanks to being startled by the noise of passing trains and their horns. It has not happened yet, and anyone who has ever travelled by train and seen various farm animals utterly unconcerned by their passage knows that it won't.

Horses....funny creatures who are perfectly fine in the midst of chaos but will freak at the sight of something scary, like a leaf, or grass....on the other hand I used to ride a police horse who actively sought out traffic and people, rather than anything organic and green

Got to be amused by the idea that *people* will die from passing trains...

 

[swt_passenger]

New You Tube video, EWR meet HS2 Calvert. Thanks to The Boy.

Video shows good progress with the vast majority of the EWR embankment, which was subject to much discussion a couple of months back. But it seems the EWR bridge over the road immediately west of HS2 seems to be taking far longer than I expected.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

New You Tube video, EWR meet HS2 Calvert. Thanks to The Boy.

Good to see there's somewhat of a provision for the EWR spur to Aylesbury!

 

[snowball]

But it seems the EWR bridge over the road immediately west of HS2 seems to be taking far longer than I expected.

Me too. Before track can be laid on EWR near the crossing, the EWR/HS2 bridge must be finished; the Gawcott-Edgcott road (which appears to be the Buckinghamshire's C3) must be diverted under the new bridge under EWR; the bridge whereby the road formerly went over the predecessor of EWR must be demolished; and the EWR embankments must be finished to the west of the C3 bridge, to the east of the HS2 bridge, and between the two bridges. Seems likely to take till the autumn at least.

 

[swt_passenger]

Good to see there's somewhat of a provision for the EWR spur to Aylesbury!

The formation itself curving away from the main route has been obvious in quite a few previous videos, I’m sure it’s always been part of the build contract.

Whether or not there’s ever a passenger service is the real question, although I’m still optimistic that track will be laid.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

The formation itself curving away from the main route has been obvious in quite a few previous videos, I’m sure it’s always been part of the build contract.

Whether or not there’s ever a passenger service is the real question, although I’m still optimistic that track will be laid.

Ah fair, I've only just noticed because most videos and photos around that area the main focus and centre was the Bridge itself.
Whether or not it will be built is indeed the question. There are quite a few videos of Spotters at Quainton Road/Buckinghamshire Railway Centre recording freight moves going up and down before HS2. So the demand is there but also depends on where they came from and where they go.

 

[12LDA28C]

The formation itself curving away from the main route has been obvious in quite a few previous videos, I’m sure it’s always been part of the build contract.

Whether or not there’s ever a passenger service is the real question, although I’m still optimistic that track will be laid.

The curve will definitely be laid as it's part of the current plan. The issue is whether any passenger trains will ever run over it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==

There are quite a few videos of Spotters at Quainton Road/Buckinghamshire Railway Centre recording freight moves going up and down before HS2. So the demand is there but also depends on where they came from and where they go.

I'm not sure a few spotters watching freight trains at Quainton is a good indicator of demand for a passenger service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

 

[The Planner]

The curve will definitely be laid as it's part of the current plan. The issue is whether any passenger trains will ever run over it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 May 2023 ==



I'm not sure a few spotters watching freight trains at Quainton is a good indicator of demand for a passenger service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

Latest signalling plans suggest it won't, its gone blue for passive provision.

 

[zwk500]

I'm not sure a few spotters watching freight trains at Quainton is a good indicator of demand for a passenger service between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

No but the number of people driving from Aylesbury to MK on weekday mornings and back in the evening is a good indicator that there's demand for 1tph at least.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No but the number of people driving from Aylesbury to MK on weekday mornings and back in the evening is a good indicator that there's demand for 1tph at least.

There absolutely is demand for 1 or even 2tph Aylesbury<->MK and it would benefit both places to have it economically. I get that that bit of HS2 needs to be done first, but after that it really should be rescoped. Would make Chiltern's job of getting units onto and off the service easier too.

 

[zwk500]

There absolutely is demand for 1 or even 2tph Aylesbury<->MK and it would benefit both places to have it economically. I get that that bit of HS2 needs to be done first, but after that it really should be rescoped. Would make Chiltern's job of getting units onto and off the service easier too.

Maybe demand for 2tph in the peaks but I think only 1tph off-peak, maybe the weekends would need some additionals.