Improvement timetable

[Dolive22]

Could any infrastructure people here help out someone who takes a not very well informed interest in civil engineering and service improvement?

I want to know how much disruption is involved in, and how long it takes, to qaudruple a line? How much of a possession is lost setting up and clearing the line? How much track could be replaced in an overnight possession? What is usually the limiting factor on line speed? Can the point where tracks diverge (that is, the 6 foot becomes the ten foot) to go around a platform be moved back (away from the existing platform to allow platform extension) in one overnight possession?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bluenoxid]

Oh god. Where to start

First of all, no Civil project is the same. It depends on the condition of the proposed alignment being put in including anything that has been dumped in it. It also depends on what realignments have been done.

I don't have access to the current design codes for railways. I assume there must be some form of max speed for certain formations

First things first, you look at your existing lines. Are they electrified, how will they connect to the new lines, what cabinets, cables and constructions have been put into your proposed alignment. Has the opportunity been taken to realign the tracks.

You look at your new alignment. What is the state of the trackbed. How screwed is it. Drainage, ruts from van use, animals.

Moving lines depends on the amount of closure time. It can depend about what is on site and how accessible it is. It would be foolish to give you a set time for closing and reopening running lines, it differs from job to job.

 

[Geezertronic]

Might be worth seeing if there is any information out there on how the Trent Valley section of the WCML was done.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Quadrupling Munich-Augsburg seems to be taking ages, despite the fact that there are hardly any obstructions

 

[Old Timer]

In a very simple nutshell

You have to do a detailed geophysical survey, which would include ground analysis to identify which side of the existing formation the widening should take place.

There are then boundary issues, Transport & Works Orders, public hearings, and a whole host of other legal processes to go through.

There would need to be an outline design for planning purposes and then a full detailed construction design.

This will all take about 2 years.

Physical works will depend on how much earthworkd needs to be done and whether any embankments need to be stabilised. New drainage also needs to be installed.

The actual track work installation will be quite quick once strated.

As a guide, sleeper laying with a specialist train will be in the region of 3km to 5km per day, that includes laying the sleepers and installing the rail.

Uising conventional techniques about 200m of sleepers an hour can be achieved. Thimbling in both rails and clipping up this sort of length will take about an hour.

Stone drops will depend upon whether there is a train (20 mins/200m) or if offloaded by machine about 80m/hour.

It really is too big a question because there are so many variables but hopefully the above will give you an idea. Different Contractors will also take different times.

The new Nuneaton Flyover work started in Jul 2002 and was completed in April 2004. That should give you an idea of the sort of time that these things take.

Sorry I cannot be more specific.

 

[Dolive22]

Thank you all for replying. You have been very informative. How much of the work can be done with the line running? Obviously the track couldn't be done, but could embankments be done?

What affects whether a train is used? Are the faster contractors more expensive?

 

[Old Timer]

Again it is not a simple question. The use of trains depends upon wagon availability, line blockages, types of equipment, methodology, etc.

There can be a variety of different ways of doing the work, diffferent Contractors may approach things in different ways, ultimately it is a judgement of cost against programme against risk and reputation for delivery.