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

[Lewlew]

Aren't comms part of S&T (Signalling and Telephones)?

That’s what I was thinking of, thanks!

 

[12LDA28C]

Isn’t it Signalling and Communications? With PWay (permanent way) being the actual track?

Permanent way is indeed the track and what it's laid on, but switches and crossings relates specifically to pointwork and the like.

I think you're thinking of Signalling and Telecommunications (usually abbreviated to S&T) which is fairly self-explanatory.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Jun 2023 ==

Aren't comms part of S&T (Signalling and Telephones)?

*Telecommunications so probably wider in scope than just telephones

 

[zwk500]

I think you're thinking of Signalling and Telecommunications (usually abbreviated to S&T) which is fairly self-explanatory.

Cheers for the correction on the T - must have seen an older explanation

 

[snowball]

S&C is Switches and Crossings except when it's Settle and Carlisle.

 

[12LDA28C]

Cheers for the correction on the T - must have seen an older explanation

No worries - pretty sure I recall S&T staff referred to as the 'Sick & Tired' during BR days. Not entirely complimentary!

 

[vic-rijrode]

S&C is Switches and Crossings except when it's Settle and Carlisle.

Or Swindon and Cricklade....

 

[hst43053]

Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere in these 40 pages, but was the commencement of revenue service looking to be Spring 2024? I've seen a variety of dates mentioned across different sources.

Looking forward to using it as it will be a really useful link from near MK where I live, back to Worcester where my family are. Gives a bit of variety from a change at Brum.

 

[12LDA28C]

Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere in these 40 pages, but was the commencement of revenue service looking to be Spring 2024? I've seen a variety of dates mentioned across different sources.

Looking forward to using it as it will be a really useful link from near MK where I live, back to Worcester where my family are. Gives a bit of variety from a change at Brum.

Passenger services to commence in December 2024.

 

[fgwrich]

A bit more positive news from East West today. The pointwork for the East West HS2 railhead has started to arrive today and it looks like the positioning of it will be imminent.

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1677051724794679296?s=46

 

[Mark24]

Photo of the new Claydon sidings taken from the bridge on Queen Catherine Road looking towards Oxford

 

[snowball]

Perhaps some kind person will send a drone up again soon, so we can see how near we are to having continuous track from Bletchley to near Addison Road.

 

[Mark24]

Perhaps some kind person will send a drone up again soon, so we can see how near we are to having continuous track from Bletchley to near Addison Road.

I think the next bridge we can see is the new Road bridge for Addison road. So tracks are very close to it.
Drone footage would be excellent though.

 

[swt_passenger]

Perhaps some kind person will send a drone up again soon, so we can see how near we are to having continuous track from Bletchley to near Addison Road.

There must be at least one continuous track from the location in the latest photo from Bletchley, as the track laying trains have been almost to Addison Road bridge (eg post #1779) and would have come from Bletchley.

I think by comparison with the before pictures of the wooded areas on the left using Google Earth the up rails are laid to about 400m before Addison Rd bridge.

 

[snowball]

I think the next bridge we can see is the new Road bridge for Addison road. So tracks are very close to it.

I had worked that out and was wondering about continuity of the track behind the camera, but had foolishly overlooked the obvious point made by @swt_passenger that the track is laid by a train, which needs to get there somehow!

The result of focussing too much on the fact that there is now track in the "HS2 integration area", as if it was a completely separate operation.

 

[swt_passenger]

If anyone doesn’t mind a link to another forum, there’s a set of recent photos of the area in the Skyscraper City EWR thread, they include a number of shots of the EWR/HS2 intersection area bridges, and a few showing the new Winslow station building progress:

East West Rail

After the recent successes on the western section of the proposed east west line - 1) The signing of the agreement with Chiltern and 2)the commencement of detailed design work for the western section, East West rail are turning their attention to the 'missing gap' between the Midland Main line...

www.skyscrapercity.com

 

[fgwrich]

Photo of the new Claydon sidings taken from the bridge on Queen Catherine Road looking towards Oxford

Good to see the turnouts in, although progress on the gap in the distance seems to have gone a little quiet of late.

 

[Class 170101]

Photo of the new Claydon sidings taken from the bridge on Queen Catherine Road looking towards Oxford

Claydon sidings? I thought it was only a run round and a headshunt before? I didn't know there were to be any such sidings?

 

[The Planner]

Claydon sidings? I thought it was only a run round and a headshunt before? I didn't know there were to be any such sidings?

775m loop, a run round and access to HS2.

 

[12LDA28C]

How far behind schedule is construction at the EWR/HS2 interface, does anyone know?

 

[swt_passenger]

How far behind schedule is construction at the EWR/HS2 interface, does anyone know?

I think in 2022 they said track laying at the interface would be complete by the end of 2023. And that’s intended to be the last section to complete. But on the other hand, has the intended schedule ever stayed the same for a significant period? I’m pretty sure if you we’re to check through from the start of the thread there’d be earlier targets.

 

[hwl]

How far behind schedule is construction at the EWR/HS2 interface, does anyone know?

Handover was originally meant to be the end of July

 

[snowball]

How far behind schedule is construction at the EWR/HS2 interface, does anyone know?

At one time HS2 Ltd was supposed to complete all the earthworks and bridgeworks on "their" section of the EWR alignment by "the middle of 2023" and hand it back to EWR who would start to lay tracks on it. Clearly that hasn't happened, there is still a road that is yet to be diverted under a bridge under EWR, but on the other hand some tracklaying has been started which is within the section that is in the hands of HS2 Ltd.

 

[hwl]

I think in 2022 they said track laying at the interface would be complete by the end of 2023. And that’s intended to be the last section to complete. But on the other hand, has the intended schedule ever stayed the same for a significant period? I’m pretty sure if you we’re to check through from the start of the thread there’d be earlier targets.

The original plan was to complete the plain line track laying then cut in the points for the loop and HS2 yard access afterward but the points are still effectively getting laid on schedule, but the plain line gap in the middle will be there for a while yet.

 

[12LDA28C]

At one time HS2 Ltd was supposed to complete all the earthworks and bridgeworks on "their" section of the EWR alignment by "the middle of 2023" and hand it back to EWR who would start to lay tracks on it.

So the 'middle of 2023' has become the 'end of 2023' at this point in time. I suspect that has much more to do with HS2 than EWR who seem to be cracking on rather well in all other areas.

 

[hwl]

So the 'middle of 2023' has become the 'end of 2023' at this point in time. I suspect that has much more to do with HS2 than EWR who seem to be cracking on rather well in all other areas.

Entirely HS2 causing the delay, but a very relaxed programme from NR as it expectations were low...

 

[swt_passenger]

The original plan was to complete the plain line track laying then cut in the points for the loop and HS2 yard access afterward but the points are still effectively getting laid on schedule

I’ve thought for a while progress on the remaining plain line could still be quite swift once they get the Gawcott Rd underbridge demolished and the road diverted through the new overbridge. That area would seem to be on the critical path?

 

[The Planner]

So the 'middle of 2023' has become the 'end of 2023' at this point in time. I suspect that has much more to do with HS2 than EWR who seem to be cracking on rather well in all other areas.

In a word, yes.

 

[MalaiseForever]

Why does EWR have an interface with HS2?

 

[The Planner]

Why does EWR have an interface with HS2?

It goes over it and also has a connection to the HS2 maintenance facility at Calvert.

 

[zwk500]

Why does EWR have an interface with HS2?

The site would have had a conflict regardless, because an East-west line will inevitably have to cross a north-south line somewhere. EWR has a connection into the HS2 engineering depot to allow supplies and equipment to be delivered or despatched by rail. It will not be possible to run passenger trains between the two in normal service.