Nuneham Viaduct shut - Didcot- Oxford

[Nicholas43]

Have we been told who (presumably at Network Rail) devised the overall Cunning Plan? And can forum members fill me in on how conversations with contractors would have gone?
For example, hello, is that TMS Maritime, can you pile into the river bed (the river is currently in rather a spate) to prop up this sagging bridge span by 20 April? You mean April 2024? No, next week ...

 

[quantinghome]

Have we been told who (presumably at Network Rail) devised the overall Cunning Plan? And can forum members fill me in on how conversations with contractors would have gone?
For example, hello, is that TMS Maritime, can you pile into the river bed (the river is currently in rather a spate) to prop up this sagging bridge span by 20 April? You mean April 2024? No, next week ...

I don't know the specifics of this project, but NR have call-off contracts with designers and contractors for emergency engineering works.

 

[InOban]

https://twitter.com/networkrailwest/status/1665658184772599808?t=rER1sLRzOV_pF9hcYwNVxQ&s=19

Latest update. Bridge lowered on to the new abutment. Starting to reinstate ballast and tracks.

 

[Horizon22]

The ‘sums‘ won’t be that huge. not trivial, but not huge. This isn’t the WCML or Brighton Main Line.

And this is not a substantial part of NRs budget. It’s not even a substantial part of Wales & Western’s Renewals budget.

So no need to worry.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 May 2023 ==

There will certainly be a delay cost as well. Not sure how the cancellations for GWR would work, but the extra freight towards London on the relief lines came right before the Elizabeth line timetable intensification where it has caused a noticeable drop in performance so I'm sure that will eventually be factored in.

However overall though, the progress and updates have been excellent and it's good to see repairs going relatively smoothly.

 

[The Planner]

There will certainly be a delay cost as well. Not sure how the cancellations for GWR would work, but the extra freight towards London on the relief lines came right before the Elizabeth line timetable intensification where it has caused a noticeable drop in performance so I'm sure that will eventually be factored in.

However overall though, the progress and updates have been excellent and it's good to see repairs going relatively smoothly.

It will sit under Schedule 8 if the diverted traffic was causing delay to Crossrail, the cancellations to GWR would sit under Schedule 4 and any emergency/amended timetable.

 

[Nicholas43]

Today, 6 June, track laid. Up signal just south of bridge in place, but not live. Tamper expected tomorrow 7 June.

 

[zwk500]

Today, 6 June, track laid. Up signal just south of bridge in place, but not live. Tamper expected tomorrow 7 June.

Hats off to whoever made that prediction when the incident had newly happened, bang on the money to reopen on time! That's a cracking effort to rebuild the ground from the condition it turned out to be in.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Hats off to whoever made that prediction when the incident had newly happened, bang on the money to reopen on time! That's a cracking effort to rebuild the ground from the condition it turned out to be in.

Hats off to you for saying a tamper machine would be the first across!!

 

[Nicholas43]

Lots of diggers and trolleys have already been across!

 

[oxfordrelayer]

I am pretty sure it will be open on time if not early

 

[12LDA28C]

I am pretty sure it will be open on time if not early

Latest predictions are the 9th of June I believe.

 

[Starmill]

I am pretty sure it will be open on time if not early

Is that a CD?

 

[oxfordrelayer]

Latest predictions are the 9th of June I believe.

pic was taken earlier today - certainly on time -

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2023 ==

Is that a CD?

a very word rail saw blade they got their monies worth

 

[Freightmaster]

I am pretty sure it will be open on time if not early

Username checks out!!


Seriously - well done to the orange army and their contractors for going
'above and beyond' on this job over the past few weeks...




MARK

 

[WesternBiker]

Seriously - well done to the orange army and their contractors for going
'above and beyond' on this job over the past few weeks...

It has been great to follow: it shows what can be achieved when the stops are all pulled out, as well as the skill and ingenuity of those involved.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It has been great to follow: it shows what can be achieved when the stops are all pulled out, as well as the skill and ingenuity of those involved.

And when DfT and Treasury are not micromanaging

 

[Bald Rick]

And when DfT and Treasury are not micromanaging

They are never involved in renewals, albeit that doesn’t stop the questions.

 

[Starmill]

They are never involved in renewals, albeit that doesn’t stop the questions.

Their Scottish colleagues have decided to start getting themselves involved in the access for it though eh!

 

[Bald Rick]

Their Scottish colleagues have decided to start getting themselves involved in the access for it though eh!

oh we have that south of the border too, but it is very smartly rebuffed (Usually).

 

[Dan G]

More Kudos for Stuart Calvert and the comms team. Doing a great job of keeping everyone informed.
Massive kudos to the engineering team - this is incredible to watch!

The communication with the public has been first class, it really has.

 

[oxfordrelayer]

Username checks out!!


Seriously - well done to the orange army and their contractors for going
'above and beyond' on this job over the past few weeks...




MARK

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jun 2023 ==

 

[josh-j]

Brilliant, well done all of you

 

[oxfordrelayer]

Brilliant, well done all of you

not me actually - done a bit on there but will be there tomorrow

 

[railfan99]

Hats off to whoever made that prediction when the incident had newly happened, bang on the money to reopen on time! That's a cracking effort to rebuild the ground from the condition it turned out to be in.

In my country my guess is a similar occurrence would take longer to fix, so if the line soon reopens, great effort.

The UK from the Industrial Revolution onwards has always had excellent engineers so hats off to Network Rail and contractors.

 

[swt_passenger]

Are tampers running today as well? I see “6J81”s in the system to/from Appleford yesterday and today, I think that’s a typical tamper ID from what’s been said before?

 

[railfan99]

Is anyone planning to be on the 'first train', or is that too hard because you won't have much advance warning, or the 'reopening' is super early in the day?

The speed with which this has occurred shows that your nation's rail track authority can still 'do it' when called upon. I hope your politicians take notice and issue compliments all round.

 

[jfowkes]

The speed with which this has occurred shows that your nation's rail track authority can still 'do it' when called upon. I hope your politicians take notice and issue compliments all round.

They will take notice, take the opportunity for a photo-op, praise the industry etc.

What they won't do is actually pay for a program of pro-active inspection and maintenance to avoid this kind of dangerous situation in the first place (and the expensive, disruptive work that goes with it). How long before another piece of decaying infrastructure like this fails and actually kills someone? How long before the next emergency closure and repair?

 

[zwk500]

They will take notice, take the opportunity for a photo-op, praise the industry etc.

What they won't do is actually pay for a program of pro-active inspection and maintenance to avoid this kind of dangerous situation in the first place (and the expensive, disruptive work that goes with it). How long before another piece of decaying infrastructure like this fails and actually kills someone? How long before the next emergency closure and repair?

Indeed - this is the second emergency rebuild of an embankment in recent months after Hook. Third time might pay for all....

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed - this is the second emergency rebuild of an embankment in recent months after Hook. Third time might pay for all....

I think Hook was definitely a slightly more high profile failure because it happened to initially close a four track mainline, but it was just another in a long sequence of earthwork failures all over the “southern” area. Many have been on secondary routes or branches and happened with very little discussion in these forums. Botley and Salisbury had significant embankment failures in recent times, so where and when should you start your count?

 

[zwk500]

I think Hook was definitely a slightly more high profile failure because it happened to initially close a four track mainline, but it was just another in a long sequence of earthwork failures all over the “southern” area. Many have been on secondary routes or branches and happened with very little discussion in these forums. Botley and Salisbury had significant embankment failures in recent times, so where and when should you start your count?

Fair point. I'd personally say Hook and Nuneham are on nationally significant mainlines while Salisbury and Botley are not (despite what the Withered Arm Provisional Wing might claim).