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

[kevin_roche]

Thanks for the link.
Considering the progress with the bridges along this stretch, I’m surprised it will take a further 3 years.

That’s what I thought back when I found it. I suggested here that it was relatively unambitious, but others disagreed…

The latest reports on the Bletchley Flyover suggest it has been done more quickly and cheaper than expected, so who knows? Maybe stage 1 will be delivered early?

 

[fgwrich]

Thanks for the link.
Considering the progress with the bridges along this stretch, I’m surprised it will take a further 3 years.

That’s what I thought back when I found it. I suggested here that it was relatively unambitious, but others disagreed…

Particularly if or when the Balfour Beatty NTC begins it's work along the line. Fingers crossed for an early 1st stage delivery - late 2023 to summer 2024?

 

[Elecman]

Particularly if or when the Balfour Beatty NTC begins it's work along the line. Fingers crossed for an early 1st stage delivery - late 2023 to summer 2024?

You may be in for a nice suprise

 

[richieb1971]

Surely 2025 is a placeholder date. Unless the teams making the magic happen are timetabled very strictly I can see the end coming much sooner. But what do I know we come from a country that has a very poor record of time keeping. But if you believe your eyes this project seems to be bucking the trend.

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder this is an infrastructure thread to discuss construction updates.

We welcome speculative posts in the correct forum section, please.

Some posts have been moved to: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...t-rail-ewr-when-the-line-is-completed.225987/

Thanks

 

[hwl]

Surely 2025 is a placeholder date. Unless the teams making the magic happen are timetabled very strictly I can see the end coming much sooner. But what do I know we come from a country that has a very poor record of time keeping. But if you believe your eyes this project seems to be bucking the trend.

We should see all the track east of the "HS2 gap" going in before the end of Summer 2022
The track west of the "HS2 gap" going in Autumn 2022.
The HS2 gap and connections to HS2 IMD (and the freight loop there) in first half of 2023.
Signalling and other systems and snagging until Easter 2024 (at worst) for start of service at May 24 TT change.

 

[The Planner]

We should see all the track east of the "HS2 gap" going in before the end of Summer 2022
The track west of the "HS2 gap" going in Autumn 2022.
The HS2 gap and connections to HS2 IMD (and the freight loop there) in first half of 2023.
Signalling and other systems and snagging until Easter 2024 (at worst) for start of service at May 24 TT change.

Six months early then as its expected for Dec 24 in planning circles.

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Some photo's of track work on Phil Marsh's twitter site. Things are beginning to move

Click link above - Hope it works

A few more pictures of track work around Bletchley vis Phil March's twitter site

Click on the link above.

 

[Class360/1]

Some photo's of track work on Phil Marsh's twitter site. Things are beginning to move

Click link above - Hope it works

Thanks for sharing, great to see the progress being made!

 

[alexx]

Is it because they have to allow a significant time for a raised embankment like this to settle, before adding the road base, and they build the level up in phases? They also probably have to remove the existing road and foundations to do it properly? Not really something they can speed up.

Here's an interesting update from Launton Parish Council (original link)

The Launton side of the bridge work is now complete, but there are still some modifications needed to the current alignment towards the southern side. However, this work will be done predominantly using traffic light controls rather than long road closures.

The reason for the three-stage highway construction (the temporary roadway to the side of the bridge, the temporary section on the southern elevation of the bridge and the final bridge construction) is that the East West Rail project was unable to acquire land under the Transport and Works Act Order to divert the road around the bridge structure just once.

It seems the final alignment won't open until June 2022.

 

[swt_passenger]

Here's an interesting update from Launton Parish Council (original link)

Thanks that makes sense. So they’re basically confirming what I thought in post #350. To do the ramp in one phase they’d have needed to divert the temporary road through the edge of the industrial unit alongside the original road.

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Two links below showing a new picture of work going on at Winslow Station plus a bit of write up.

Work at Winslow reported by volkerfitzpatrick
Work at Winslow reported in Rail Business Daily

Teams are already carrying out platform construction at the site – building a station which, when finished, will play a key role in transforming travel between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

Currently, more than 500 pre-cast concrete platform units are being lifted into position within the new railway cutting before work starts on the station building itself next spring.

This involves using a 250 tonne crawler crane, with a 62 metre arm - known as a lattice boom - which is taller than Nelson’s Column.

Reported via another forum - NetworkRail that Track Renewal Work on the Bletchley Flyover between Denbigh Hall Jcn to just north of the New Platforms. This work will be carried out continuously from 21:00 Friday 24th December through to 07:00 Monday 27th December.

Have a good Christmas All - Keep safe.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Thanks for the link.
Considering the progress with the bridges along this stretch, I’m surprised it will take a further 3 years.

Me too.
AIUI There is very little new build railway that is not being built on existing trackbeds, and with the modern methods of track laying it would be relatively easy I imagine. Perhaps it is the funding over the period which is the reason why it seems drawn out ?

The bit I really struggle with is why they are not providing the OLE bases if not the OLE masts whilst the formation is still a linear building site. To commission EWR then have to close it for periods when they eventually sort out the funding for the OLE is frankly ridiculous, unless you are in the world of finance.

 

[Meerkat]

Me too.
AIUI There is very little new build railway that is not being built on existing trackbeds, and with the modern methods of track laying it would be relatively easy I imagine. Perhaps it is the funding over the period which is the reason why it seems drawn out ?

The bit I really struggle with is why they are not providing the OLE bases if not the OLE masts whilst the formation is still a linear building site. To commission EWR then have to close it for periods when they eventually sort out the funding for the OLE is frankly ridiculous, unless you are in the world of finance.

From other links in this thread they are rebuilding the trackbeds - you can't just dump track down on what is knocking about from decades ago. Probably a bit or cutting/embankment reprofiling too?

 

[Wyrleybart]

From other links in this thread they are rebuilding the trackbeds - you can't just dump track down on what is knocking about from decades ago. Probably a bit or cutting/embankment reprofiling too?

Oh yes. I get that. But it is not like having to build a new railway formation from virgin land. Digging out all the existing ballast / spoil etc must be relatively easy, but I accept that repair and replacing culverts etc is also required. But just how quickly do new roads, dual carriageways etc get built. That was my comment.

 

[The Planner]

Oh yes. I get that. But it is not like having to build a new railway formation from virgin land. Digging out all the existing ballast / spoil etc must be relatively easy, but I accept that repair and replacing culverts etc is also required. But just how quickly do new roads, dual carriageways etc get built. That was my comment.

You are looking at 2 years minimum for a new road I would have thought.

 

[Cantab26]

AIUI There is very little new build railway that is not being built on existing trackbeds, and with the modern methods of track laying it would be relatively easy I imagine. Perhaps it is the funding over the period which is the reason why it seems drawn out ?

From other links in this thread they are rebuilding the trackbeds - you can't just dump track down on what is knocking about from decades ago. Probably a bit or cutting/embankment reprofiling too?

Oh yes. I get that. But it is not like having to build a new railway formation from virgin land. Digging out all the existing ballast / spoil etc must be relatively easy, but I accept that repair and replacing culverts etc is also required.

There are restrictions on how much work can be done at once e.g. phasing requirements to reduce the combined lorry movements on the road network from EWR and HS2.

If the local authorities had their way it would take even longer!

The bit I really struggle with is why they are not providing the OLE bases if not the OLE masts whilst the formation is still a linear building site. To commission EWR then have to close it for periods when they eventually sort out the funding for the OLE is frankly ridiculous, unless you are in the world of finance.

Electrification wasn’t funded so the relevant powers could not be included in the authorising order.

It is also unclear whether other powers are available to do it (short answer: probably not without obtaining a supplemental consent).

Positive passive provision for electrification is currently in scope and within the funding envelope for the Bletchley to Cambridge section though.

And you’d have to close bits of active railway to electrify come what may since trains are already running at the Oxford end so it’s not actually as much of a ‘no brainier’ as a lot of people seem to think.

 

[hwl]

Oh yes. I get that. But it is not like having to build a new railway formation from virgin land. Digging out all the existing ballast / spoil etc must be relatively easy, but I accept that repair and replacing culverts etc is also required. But just how quickly do new roads, dual carriageways etc get built. That was my comment.

It was a fairly cheap build over some "interesting" geology and prone to flooding hence a big rebuild needed. Track (plain line) will be pretty much done in 2022 with signalling and commissioning in 2023 and early 2024.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Dec 2021 ==

It is also unclear whether other powers are available to do it (short answer: probably not without obtaining a supplemental consent).

Positive passive provision for electrification is currently in scope and within the funding envelope for the Bletchley to Cambridge section though.

And you’d have to close bits of active railway to electrify come what may since trains are already running at the Oxford end so it’s not actually as much of a ‘no brainier’ as a lot of people seem to think.

Most of the route is electrification ready (including new signalling) which is a very big head start compared to most electrification projects. Decent RRV access being built in is also an advantage.

Minimal extra consents for electrification later are likely to be needed as very little at or outside current rail boundaries are needed (e.g. presumably cable to the NG Claydon substation).

Cost wise best to wait till Oxford is done as that will make the EWR bill look a lot smaller if that isn't included!

 

[Bald Rick]

But it is not like having to build a new railway formation from virgin land.

You’d be surprised how similar the activity is. In some cases it’s asctually easier (technically) to build on ‘virgin’ land.

 

[hwl]

You’d be surprised how similar the activity is. In some cases it’s asctually easier (technically) to build on ‘virgin’ land.

Agreed some completely inappropriate material often used in rail construction in times passed.

 

[Ploughman]

Agreed some completely inappropriate material often used in rail construction in times passed.

Also Cowboy building techniques.
Thinking of the GWSR and their drainage problems arising from embankments built by the GWR on land that had not been stripped of topsoil and grass.

 

[Cantab26]

Minimal extra consents for electrification later are likely to be needed as very little at or outside current rail boundaries are needed (e.g. presumably cable to the NG Claydon substation).

I’m not able to go into the details, regrettably, but it’s something that I have been directly dealing with and looking into at work for over a year.

Unfortunately, there are…issues, shall we say, on the consenting front arising in part from some of the rather cavalier behaviour by our Victorian forebears!

 

[hwl]

I’m not able to go into the details, regrettably, but it’s something that I have been directly dealing with and looking into at work for over a year.

Unfortunately, there are…issues, shall we say, on the consenting front arising in part from some of the rather cavalier behaviour by our Victorian forebears!

Oh dear, that is rather unusual but at least 2 sets of significant local land owners who also happened to have railway share holding are probably causing headaches now.

 

[russ81]

boxing day view from the bicester ring road looking over the new bridge.

 

[fishwomp]

boxing day view from the bicester ring road looking over the new bridge.

Thanks for posting. Great to see.

 

[Mark24]

You’d be surprised how similar the activity is. In some cases it’s asctually easier (technically) to build on ‘virgin’ land.

House builders also agree. Green sites maximise their profits

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Dec 2021 ==

boxing day view from the bicester ring road looking over the new bridge.View attachment 107650

Great photos. Good view of the new Jarvis’ Lane footbridge too. Hopefully some of the footpaths can be reopened soon.

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Some pictures of the new bridge at Verney Junction, these appeared today on the @progresseast twitter site

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

 

[JKF]

You’d be surprised how similar the activity is. In some cases it’s asctually easier (technically) to build on ‘virgin’ land.

Pretty much all rail land would be considered contaminated and need investigating properly, things like ash from steam locos and oil/grease accumulation over the years can lead to some nasties that can cost quite a bit to treat or dispose of.

 

[Backroom_boy]

I'm sure there are 'reasons', but it does seem a leisurely timescale. It's probably apples and oranges but the Brightline upgrade in Florida looks to be proceeding much quicker.

 

[hwl]

I'm sure there are 'reasons', but it does seem a leisurely timescale. It's probably apples and oranges but the Brightline upgrade in Florida looks to be proceeding much quicker.

A key limiting factor is the HS2 construction effectively creating a gap in the middle (1/3 of the way from Bicester to Bletchley) so no point in progressing the rest too fast at the moment. I'd agree re planned progress in 2023 & 24.
Road closures and construction traffic levels on roads for EWR and HS2 are both restricted.