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

[Bletchleyite]

Off topic but Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool are all unitary “City Councils”! It’s probably more unusual not to be…

They're not quite the same, because all (or most) of them have a metropolitan structure of some kind above them, e.g. Greater Manchester (Burnham's thing) or the Liverpool City Region and its Metro Mayor. They're not County Councils as they once were, but they are structures with some level of power. Whereas Milton Keynes City Council is a true unitary, and so has nothing above it other than Parliament.

 

[Noddy]

They're not quite the same, because all of them have a metropolitan structure of some kind above them, e.g. Greater Manchester or the Liverpool City Region. They're not County Councils, but they are structures with some level of power. Whereas Milton Keynes City Council is a true unitary, and so has nothing above it other than Parliament.

The City Regions have only come about in very recent years though…their “city council” names have been around for much longer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The City Regions have only come about in very recent years though…their “city council” names have been around for much longer.

They were still pseudounitaries because they always worked together on various committees (e.g. the PTEs) with their relevant Boroughs.

A true unitary is wholly independent with only Parliament (or the Welsh or Scottish Governments or NI Assembly) above them. Metropolitan city councils and boroughs were never really spoken of as unitary authorities, because they aren't quite the same. MK City Council is one, as is Buckinghamshire Council (a County Unitary effectively), as are the new Northamptonshire Councils etc.

Despite MK City Council's name, it covers the whole of the unitary area it did before - a far bigger area than the actual built up city or even any proposals for it to expand to (though I believe the whole thing has City Status).

 

[Mordac]

Off topic but Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool are all unitary “City Councils”! It’s probably more unusual not to be… (Cardiff, Edinburgh are the notable large examples)

Cardiff and Edinburgh are all unitary as well (in fact all local authorities in Wales and Scotland are, even massive Highland Council).

 

[Noddy]

They were still pseudounitaries because they always worked together on various committees (e.g. the PTEs) with their relevant Boroughs.

A true unitary is wholly independent with only Parliament (or the Welsh or Scottish Governments or NI Assembly) above them. Metropolitan city councils and boroughs were never really spoken of as unitary authorities, because they aren't quite the same. MK City Council is one, as is Buckinghamshire Council (a County Unitary effectively), as are the new Northamptonshire Councils etc.

Despite MK City Council's name, it covers the whole of the unitary area it did before - a far bigger area than the actual built up city or even any proposals for it to expand to (though I believe the whole thing has City Status).

Ignoring the vague distinctions between unitary and metropolitan councils (which I think the average resident wouldn’t understand or recognise and I speak as a former resident of a number!) what about Derby, Hull, Leicester, Plymouth, Stoke “City Councils”? All similar broadly sized cities to MK and all unitary authorities as far as I understand. I could add more to the list! “City Council” is a common top tier name, more common than not.


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Nov 2022 ==

Cardiff and Edinburgh are all unitary as well (in fact all local authorities in Wales and Scotland are, even massive Highland Council).

Yes but they are more unusual as they don’t have “City Council” in their names (Cardiff Council, and City of Edinburgh Council).

 

[THC]

Head of policy for a large district council here. We in local government tend to view London boroughs, metropolitan districts and unitary authorities as the same type of beast, having largely the same set of powers and responsibilities. Mayoral combined authorities, which sit "above" local government as set out in the 1972 Local Government Act and successor legislation, possess sub-regional strategic functions devolved from central government. A new set of county combined authorities are in the process of development and negotiation for remaining English non-metropolitan areas and will come into being over the next five years.

And city, like borough, is purely honorific and can be bestowed upon a unitary or a district council alike.

Anyway, well off topic, so mods feel free to do your thing.

THC

 

[AlbertBeale]

BIB - the walk from Bedford station to Bedford town centre is less than 15 minutes and pretty much flat, compared to the 20-30 minutes and up a noticeable gradient. But agree you'll get Aylesbury and Winslow-Bletchley and MKC custom for some shopping/leisure uses.

You'd be surprised how people will object to 'obvious' sources of pollution but then completely neglect stuff even at just 1 degree of separation. Very much out of sight, out of mind.

I think that's the case with some comments on these forums - people extolling the environmental usefulness of railways, but also supporting un-environmental travel too...

 

[zwk500]

I think that's the case with some comments on these forums - people extolling the environmental usefulness of railways, but also supporting un-environmental travel too...

I'm not 100% sure what you're getting at. Is this a general point about car/plane usage in a 'trains should go everywhere' mood or do you have specific examples in mind around EWR?

 

[richieb1971]

All I know is that the last 50 posts have nothing to do with the construction progress. Is it only when I post it gets derailed?

 

[AlbertBeale]

I'm not 100% sure what you're getting at. Is this a general point about car/plane usage in a 'trains should go everywhere' mood or do you have specific examples in mind around EWR?

No - sorry - maybe my point wasn't much to do with this thread specifically. I was agreeing with your observation that "people will object to 'obvious' sources of pollution but then completely neglect stuff even at just 1 degree of separation", and suggesting that posters on these forums aren't always immune from that tendency....

 

[zwk500]

No - sorry - maybe my point wasn't much to do with this thread specifically. I was agreeing with your observation that "people will object to 'obvious' sources of pollution but then completely neglect stuff even at just 1 degree of separation", and suggesting that posters on these forums aren't always immune from that tendency....

Right, fair enough.

Also, apologies to @richieb1971 for my part in the thread drift, which he's absolutely right to give us a ticking off for!

 

[Cowley]

OK, well now you’ve all had a word with yourselves, we could probably all get back on topic now I think.

Thanks!

 

[II]

Those two retail units are due to be combined and turned into a Greggs. Work should have already started but is obviously delayed for some reason.

Just an update to say that the new Greggs at Oxford opened a couple of weeks ago, and was joined last week by a Pret A Manger.

With a general tart up of the M&S as well, the concourse looks quite different now.

The Pumpkin on Platform 4 has now closed for the construction works of the new Platform 5, and ‘Station Grill’ (what used to be Mick’s Cafe) will be closing permanently in a couple of weeks for the same reason.

 

[Geoff DC]

News has it that Greggs have now had a 2nd attempt to open a shop in Cornwall - so far they can't get anyone to work in it

 

[Wyrleybart]

News has it that Greggs have now had a 2nd attempt to open a shop in Cornwall - so far they can't get anyone to work in it

Not even the Cornish pasty section ? !!!!

 

[S-Car-Go]

You can keep your Prets & Greggs. Bletchley Bakery & Café opened this year. I've regularly gone there on a break or when sat spare in Bletchley messroom. If I don't work off the eclairs, I'm going to get too tubby to fit in my uniform

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.co.uk

 

[Bertone]

I am aware that it is easy to drift off thread topic at times but come on guys, I’m really interested in EWR but how does Greggs and similar establishments enhance my knowledge on construction progress ?
Sorry to be a party popper!

 

[swt_passenger]

I am aware that it is easy to drift off thread topic at times but come on guys, I’m really interested in EWR but how does Greggs and similar establishments enhance my knowledge on construction progress ?
Sorry to be a party popper!

I think it got mentioned in this thread, or the EWR Consultation thread, a few months ago after someone posted some details regarding the changes needed to provide for Oxford P5. AIUI the Oxford platform works are not directly part of the EWR project, and have their own dedicated thread anyway.

 

[edwin_m]

I am aware that it is easy to drift off thread topic at times but come on guys, I’m really interested in EWR but how does Greggs and similar establishments enhance my knowledge on construction progress ?
Sorry to be a party popper!

They built this railway ... on sausage rolls.

 

[THC]

They built this railway ... on sausage rolls.

It's not often I laugh out loud when reading this forum but you got me there

THC

 

[Bertone]

They built this railway ... on sausage rolls.

It's not often I laugh out loud when reading this forum but you got me there

THC

Ah ! - now I understand the Greggs connection to the thread and so pleased that we are now back on topic

 

[Baxenden Bank]

They built this railway ... on sausage rolls.

That was Lad Baby back in 2018. They followed in 2019 with 'I love welded rails', then in 2020 with 'Don't stop me tamping' culminating in 2021 with 'smooth journeys for everyone'.

link to LadBaby news article on ITV. Partial quote follows, you really don't need the whole article

Social media star Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne (LadBaby Mum) have scored this year’s top chart spot with the novelty track Sausage Rolls For Everyone.
The YouTubers began the theme of food pun-based chart-toppers in 2018 with We Built This City, and then went on to claim further success in 2019 with I Love Sausage Rolls and 2020’s Don’t Stop Me Eatin’.

 

[Mark24]

Marsh Gibbon Station taken this afternoon from the new footpath bridge. From this distance it looks like some of the original platform still remains

Photo below shows the other direction towards Bicester, with the track stopping about ¼ mile short of the former station

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Nov 2022 ==

 

[swt_passenger]

Marsh Gibbon Station taken this afternoon from the new footpath bridge. From this distance it looks like some of the original platform still remains

I can see exactly why it appears that way too, but on further checking I think it looks a lot more substantial than it really is. The video in post #828 suggests that what is visible is probably a couple of fence lines, it’s just after 2 minutes in.

The pictures on the “disused stations” website suggest the platforms were mostly removed by 1968, and definitely by 2005:

Disused Stations: Marsh Gibbon & Poundon Station

 

[Amos]

---

New footbridge going in at Bletchley station.

 

[Sonik]

New footbridge going in at Bletchley station.

Is that the bridge from the new high level platforms to the existing station?

 

[TiddlyPom]

Is that the bridge from the new high level platforms to the existing station?

Yes, it links the existing bridge to the new platforms. Phil Marsh's tweet has a picture of the complete bridge: https://twitter.com/Marshrail/status/1602222138043375618?s=20&t=Yc4f3OSOxaDdhEv7JDZOww

 

[Amos]

Yes, it links the existing bridge to the new platforms. Phil Marsh's tweet has a picture of the complete bridge: https://twitter.com/Marshrail/status/1602222138043375618?s=20&t=Yc4f3OSOxaDdhEv7JDZOww

Was down there yesterday and didn’t even realise the rest of it had gone in. I really shouldn’t drive around with my eyes closed .

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes, it links the existing bridge to the new platforms. Phil Marsh's tweet has a picture of the complete bridge: https://twitter.com/Marshrail/status/1602222138043375618?s=20&t=Yc4f3OSOxaDdhEv7JDZOww

Looks as if once a curved roof is added it will look a fair bit like the existing one?

 

[70014IronDuke]

There's plenty of traffic between the two. I'm not saying it'd be profitable (none of EWR will, regional routes generally aren't), but you'd certainly get decent custom. It'd be a lot busier than the Marston Vale.

I won't pretend I know the area well, but I remember hitching with friend from Bletchley (or close by) with a friend to Quainton Rd in Sept 1969 along what were country roads, with the odd car here and there.

In 2007 (I think it was) I drove from Ayelsbury one weekday at about 18.00 to MK via Quainton. I was staggered at the amount of traffic on the roads. Of course, nothing like all was going twixt Aylesbury and MK, but a proportion for sure would consider a rail service were one provided, even then.