Bletchley Maintainance Depot

[ole man]

Network Rail and the Thameslink programme are buliding at the moment a new 5 road electric sidings at bedford and also wiring the run around road next to the up/down bletchley almost to bedford st johns.Now just down that track at bletchley sits an empty fully wired depot that could of been used for the thameslink trains if Network Rail wired the whole of the bedford to blecthley route
Granted a little work maybe required at bletchley for access from the bedford end,but did network rail look at this option?Any views on why this would'nt work...or even if this would work?

 

[ushawk]

It is a fair distance between Bedford and Bletchley, just for the depot, where the sidings at Bedford could be used.

For example, if Bletchley TMD was used and a train failed, and an avaliable train is there, then there will be a longer wait than a train thats already in the sidings.

 

[route:oxford]

Perhaps it is going to be used for HS2?

If you look at the map of the route, at Calvert, the E-W route is showing as wired towards Bletchley with the words "to depot" (or similar).

 

[swt_passenger]

Perhaps it is going to be used for HS2?

If you look at the map of the route, at Calvert, the E-W route is showing as wired towards Bletchley with the words "to depot" (or similar).

That's going to be the HS2 infrastructure depot, it is going to be right there where the lines cross, it is explained in one of the reports.

 

[A0]

Network Rail and the Thameslink programme are buliding at the moment a new 5 road electric sidings at bedford and also wiring the run around road next to the up/down bletchley almost to bedford st johns.Now just down that track at bletchley sits an empty fully wired depot that could of been used for the thameslink trains if Network Rail wired the whole of the bedford to blecthley route
Granted a little work maybe required at bletchley for access from the bedford end,but did network rail look at this option?Any views on why this would'nt work...or even if this would work?

It may also be that Bletchley is unsuitable for the maintenance / support of the newer generation of EMUs. After all, London Midland's units are maintained out of a new facility at Northampton, rather than continuing to use Bletchley.

Don't think wiring Bedford - Bletchley would have made any sense at all - very costly for little or no benefit.

 

[ole man]

That's going to be the HS2 infrastructure depot, it is going to be right there where the lines cross, it is explained in one of the reports.

What link is that on?where will hs2 cross the wcml?will it go under or over,did'nt think it went anywhere near it

 

[swt_passenger]

What link is that on?where will hs2 cross the wcml?will it go under or over,did'nt think it went anywhere near it

The earlier post mentioned where HS2 crosses the Bicester - Bletchley route just north of the existing Calvert waste transfer station. The HS2 infrastructure depot will be alongside Claydon LNE junction, ie east of the ensuing HS2 overbridge, and the connecting chords will be towards the east.

There's a map here: http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/sit...es/infrastructure-maintenance-depot-map_0.pdf

 

[AlterEgo]

The earlier post mentioned where HS2 crosses the Bicester - Bletchley route just north of the existing Calvert waste transfer station. The HS2 infrastructure depot will be alongside Claydon LNE junction, ie east of the ensuing HS2 overbridge, and the connecting chords will be towards the east.

There's a map here: http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/sit...es/infrastructure-maintenance-depot-map_0.pdf

Okay, I'm a little confused. Bicester-Bletchley isn't the WCML; it's the former Varsity line, some miles from Bletchley.

Are they relaying the East-West link for sure, and electrifying it?

Very confused.

 

[swt_passenger]

Okay, I'm a little confused. Bicester-Bletchley isn't the WCML; it's the former Varsity line, some miles from Bletchley.

They don't necessarily need to electrify it - (and the drawing I quoted refers to a fuel point) - but HS2 have previously explained that infrastructure trains will be able to access HS1 from the direction of the WCML at Bletchley - so it will have to be 'reopened' at least.

But none of this is anything to do with the original question, that of re-using Bletchley depot for Thameslink. I was really just answering routexford who was wondering why there is a connection shown on HS2's maps that appears to head towards Bletchley...