Chiltern Oxford Link completed

[LNW-GW Joint]

These piles could be signalling related but I think electrification is more likely.

It's difficult to judge the scale, but the diameter looks rather smaller than the mast piles going in elsewhere.

 

[jimm]

It's difficult to judge the scale, but the diameter looks rather smaller than the mast piles going in elsewhere.

I'd agree with that. You can see what the GWML mast supports on top of the piles look like in this picture to the right of the train, with a part-driven pile to the left giving a good idea of their size.

http://www.hondawanderer.com/43126_Circourt_2015.htm

But what the ones at Bicester are, I've no idea. Not signal post supports either, going by their positions.

 

[DaveHarries]

SimSig (Marylebone) has recently had its 2015 era revised to give what is planned to be the final layout of the Bicester South Junction to Oxford Parkway route. I would be interested to know how the name Gavray Junction came about: I guess something of local significance but I don't know the area.

Screenshot posted by permission: hope it is of interest. If you want to view it bigger then:

- click on your right-hand mouse button
- select "Save Link"
- Pick a filename of your choice (if you wish to), then click "OK" or press ENTER.

Dave

 

[Andyjs247]

SimSig (Marylebone) has recently had its 2015 era revised to give what is planned to be the final layout of the Bicester South Junction to Oxford Parkway route. I would be interested to know how the name Gavray Junction came about: I guess something of local significance but I don't know the area.

Gavray Junction is at the end of Gavray Drive, so in the first instance it is named after a road. The road takes its name from a village in Normandy, France though. Gavray is twinned with Launton, one of Bicester's neighbouring villages.

It's the road that probably ought to have been joined up years ago with Launton Road in Bicester, either with a bridge or a level crossing over the railway (which they would have to be replacing now!) but probably never will as development has been allowed on Launton Road - and now the railway junction is in the way too! As it is the road is a bit of a road to nowhere.

 

[midlandred]

I've managed to upload some photos here in the East West Rail thread.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2263488&postcount=180

These piles could be signalling related but I think electrification is more likely. With London Road level crossing being closed to road traffic now until 14 September I have not been down to that part of town for a week and so I've not had a chance to investigate further or see if there any other piles elsewhere.

This ad appears in this week's "Bicester Advertiser"

Photos from this morning are included in the following galleries:
Bicester Town Station
London Road Crossing
Tubbs Crossing

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

What a shame the original stone station buildings were demolished, seemingly after 1992.

 

[davetheguard]

What a shame the original stone station buildings were demolished, seemingly after 1992.

I think the building on the Bletchley-bound platform at Bicester Town/Village/London Road was still there when Network SouthEast reopened the line. But at some time the roof was taken off, and with the building no longer watertight, the walls seem to have almost gradually decayed by time and weather since then.

But yes, a shame, the old building was quite attractive.

 

[jimm]

Stephen Barker, an engineer who works for Chiltern Railways, will be talking about the project at a joint meeting organised by Railfuture and the Oxon & Bucks Rail Action Committee in Bicester on September 9.

http://www.obrag.org.uk/609/meeting-with-talk-by-chiltern-about-oxford-bicester-line/

 

[swt_passenger]

Stephen Barker, an engineer who works for Chiltern Railways, will be talking about the project at a joint meeting organised by Railfuture and the Oxon & Bucks Rail Action Committee in Bicester on September 9.

http://www.obrag.org.uk/609/meeting-with-talk-by-chiltern-about-oxford-bicester-line/

This is the chap who presented the engineering evidence to the TWA Order inquiry, I've linked to his papers earlier in the thread. I doubt there's many other people who understand the whole project to such a high level of detail.

 

[Andyjs247]

Bicester London Road Level Crossing is now closed for a further month, until 5 am on 11 October according to local notices. Does anyone know what additional work is happening and why extended closure is necessary. At the moment people are fairly sympathetic - being August and school holidays the traffic is not too bad - although I can imagine people becoming rather less patient come September!

The www.bicestertooxfordcollaboration.com website hasn't been updated - it still lists the road closure as finishing on 14 September.

 

[ironstone11]

Bicester London Road Level Crossing is now closed for a further month, until 5 am on 11 October according to local notices. Does anyone know what additional work is happening and why extended closure is necessary. At the moment people are fairly sympathetic - being August and school holidays the traffic is not too bad - although I can imagine people becoming rather less patient come September!

The www.bicestertooxfordcollaboration.com website hasn't been updated - it still lists the road closure as finishing on 14 September.

I emailed them about parts of their website being out of date and mentioned the October 11/September 14 anomaly and athough the "Latest News" part has been updated, the crossing closure date remains at 14 September. So what do we believe?

 

[midlandred]

The road signs at the crossing have the 11 Oct date

 

[ironstone11]

The road signs at the crossing have the 11 Oct date

Yes, if test running starts a week before the line opening date of Oct 26, that's cutting things a bit fine!

 

[Andyjs247]

Yes, if test running starts a week before the line opening date of Oct 26, that's cutting things a bit fine!

As I understand it, whilst the road is closed it presumably it doesn't prevent trains running. So in theory driver training and test running could still begin in 3 weeks' time (14 September). Unless anything has changed, that is when the chord and signalling should be complete and finally connected to the Chiltern line.

Not much appears to have happened to the road during the closure so far. On Saturday just the top surface around the crossing had been removed ready for resurfacing. No sign of major construction. To the lay person it appeared that the road could easily have remained open a bit longer if I'm honest. At some point the construction compound south of the crossing should be vacated as it is due to become a secondary car park and drop off area for the station but no sign of this work having begun.

 

[The Ham]

Yes, if test running starts a week before the line opening date of Oct 26, that's cutting things a bit fine!

In reality it is more likely that the contractor has asked for an end date beyond when they think that they need it for so that they don't have to jump through hoops to get it extended.

 

[ironstone11]

The road signs at the crossing have the 11 Oct date

Following yet another email to Oxford - Bicester collaboration, they have now updated the London Road LC closure dates published on their website to October 11. Thus confirming the dates given on the roadside signs.

 

[jimm]

Looks like there is going to be a delay to the opening from Parkway into the city. Though it is hard to work out from this Oxford Mail story as to whether it is down agreeing the final bit of noise reduction work or issues with the signalling installation, given the questions there seem to have been over what sort of interim track layout there should be around Oxford station to allow electric trains to start running before the eventual station rebuilding project starts, with the problems over GW electrification generally probably not helping on this front.

THE opening of the final section of new railway between central Oxford, Bicester and London could be delayed until next summer.

Work to complete the line between Oxford Parkway at Water Eaton, and Oxford station in the city centre, cannot take place until Network Rail secures final permissions from Oxford City Council.

The local authority must approve measures to reduce noise and vibration for nearby homes, with the last section of track being considered east of Burgess Fields in North Oxford.


It had been hoped by train operator Chiltern Railways that work could be complete by next spring.

But Network Rail consents manager Paul Panini said it was now not expected to be finished until next May or June, even if permission was secured by the end of this year.

He said: “This is the last section in our package of works.

“It always takes a little bit longer than you think to get these things agreed and we are where we are.

“We think we would get to completion of the tracks by April, with signalling works carried out in May or June.”

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/13...rail_link_could_be_delayed_until_next_summer/

 

[midlandred]

Photos taken today from the new overbridge at Oddington

Looking south-west

Looking north-east

 

[Andyjs247]

Unless anyone knows otherwise, could this be the first train to use the Bicester chord?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H16522/2015/09/14/advanced

 

[150219]

Unless anyone knows otherwise, could this be the first train to use the Bicester chord?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H16522/2015/09/14/advanced

I'd be suprised if the stone train was the first timetabled train to run over the Chord. The path is the base path for 6M06, with the return working being 6V01. However I'm willing to be corrected nearer the time.

When the line between Aynho Junction and Bicester North was doubled, there were special ECS movements arranged to fully test the new infrastructure. IIRC they ran in the engineering possession, so wouldn't count as scheduled trains. The locos for these ECS's (specially hired 50s) sat outside our office outside hours.

 

[midlandred]

Unless anyone knows otherwise, could this be the first train to use the Bicester chord?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H16522/2015/09/14/advanced

It's down to run tomorrow as 6M06

 

[Andyjs247]

I'd be suprised if the stone train was the first timetabled train to run over the Chord. The path is the base path for 6M06, with the return working being 6V01. However I'm willing to be corrected nearer the time.

When the line between Aynho Junction and Bicester North was doubled, there were special ECS movements arranged to fully test the new infrastructure. IIRC they ran in the engineering possession, so wouldn't count as scheduled trains. The locos for these ECS's (specially hired 50s) sat outside our office outside hours.

It's down to run tomorrow as 6M06

Interesting. I believe the signalling is being commissioned at the weekend. So that being the case anything that does run before then would presumably need to be under a possession. So I'm not expecting anything to run in service until next week at the earliest. But I've not heard anything official about work being completed yet.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
New signals are lit already but there's obviously work in progress at the moment. It seems that commissioning is being done in stages with much of the work is being done over the weekend. I walked over London Road crossing earlier this evening - it was somewhat strange to see the wigwags going with the main crossing barriers raised (but still open to pedestrians - other barriers were across both the road and the tracks)! With full bi-di on the route to Oxford there are over 60 signals to commission and it will be 2 weeks before it's fully available for use. I'll just have to keep checking to see what actually runs in the meantime I guess.

 

[midlandred]

60103 "Flying Scotsman" due over the Bicester Chord!

According to Steam Dreams 2016 programme, 1st June is the date to watch out for!

 

[route:oxford]

60103 "Flying Scotsman" due over the Bicester Chord!

According to Steam Dreams 2016 programme, 1st June is the date to watch out for!

The NIMBYs in Oxford will go absolutely nuts if they find out!

I can just imagine the pictures of pouting miseries in the Oxford Times as they worry about the risk of Port Meadow catching fire from sparks.

 

[ironstone11]

The NIMBYs in Oxford will go absolutely nuts if they find out!

the risk of Port Meadow catching fire from sparks.

That's odd, it never happened during the heyday of steam. (As far as we know!)

 

[jimm]

That's odd, it never happened during the heyday of steam. (As far as we know!)

Old pictures of both lines between Oxford and Wolvercote show that there wasn't a tree to be seen anywhere, so ruthless was the vegetation clearance effort, so there was nothing much to catch fire to start with...

 

[midlandred]

Any firm indications as to when driver route knowledge training begins?

 

[jimm]

Any firm indications as to when driver route knowledge training begins?

No sign in realtime trains of any Chiltern driver training runs yet but the freights to and from Bicester MoD and Oxford Banbury Road sidings are shown booked as running via the chord line from next Monday.

 

[midlandred]

From this week's Bicester Advertiser

A MAP of Bicester sparked alarm after it suggested the London Road level crossing would close.

The map, available at council buildings, labelled the level crossing as shut from 2019 as residents claimed any closure would build a “Berlin Wall” between the east and west of the market town.

The level crossing is currently closed while work continues on Bicester Village station, which will open on October 26.

But Network Rail has since been unable to confirm or deny whether the crossing could be permanently closed.

Bicester Town Council said the map publishers made a “serious error” and denied it had any involvement in its creation.
Town council chief officer Sue Mackrell wrote to the Bicester Traffic Action Group to confirm the mistake.
She said publishers of the map, Codair, had admitted it made the error.
The council officer added the map would be reprinted.

But residents are still worried about the future of the level crossing.

John Broad, 70, who lives in Langford Village, said: “I’ve got a map and it says it will close in 2019.
“This is supposed to be an eco-town and we are being told that all the time.
“Yet there will be a barrier from the east side to the centre of town.
“At the moment it’s about a 10-minute walk into town.
“If the crossing is closed, then the only option is to drive around the ring road or go to Boundary Way, and the parking in the town centre is already horrendous.
“The east will be cut off, it will be like the Berlin Wall between the east and west. It’s completely insane.”

Codair director Terry Knight said he was aware of the issue, adding that every effort would be made to collect in the 10,000 incorrect maps printed, with a correct replacement to be distributed.
He added: “It was totally an error on our part.
“It was information one of our cartographers found online and they acted on that in good faith, thinking they were providing up-to-date information.”

Network Rail said it was working with transport authority Oxfordshire County Council, but rail bosses could not confirm whether the crossing would be reopened.

Network Rail spokeswoman Victoria Bradley said the future of the crossing was in the “early stages” of discussion.
She added: “ If there is an increase in services, that means the crossing will be shut for a period of time. We are speaking with the council to alleviate this, that could mean the crossing may close or may not. It’s in the very early stages.”

Action group member Sallie Wright said a closure would cause a “huge inconvenience” to residents.

She added: “With it being closed already, it means the residents in Langford Village are cut off.
“If you are in a wheelchair there is no easy way to get across the crossing.
“The council and rail company need to think again.”

The October 26 reopening will also see the new Oxford Parkway station at Water Eaton near Kidlington opening as the new commuter link to London Marylebone via Bicester comes into operation.

 

[67018]

From this week's Bicester Advertiser

A MAP of Bicester sparked alarm after it suggested the London Road level crossing would close.

The map, available at council buildings, labelled the level crossing as shut from 2019 as residents claimed any closure would build a “Berlin Wall” between the east and west of the market town.

Yes, this has caused quite a kerfuffle locally, even though there is nothing really new here. The crossing is going to be a nightmare come 2019 (or whenever East-West Rail opens), there aren't any easy solutions and the various authorities are trying to work out what to do in the full knowledge that whatever compromose arises is going to be vocally opposed by someone.