Landslip Near Epsom

[Bald Rick]

How did that happen - surely not in the derailment there several years ago?

Sorry, I didn’t explain, it’s been damaged in the landslip. The points operating equipment that is, rather than the track.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Sorry, I didn’t explain, it’s been damaged in the landslip. The points operating equipment that is, rather than the track.

Agreed, and in any case both derailments that I am aware of have been in the reversing sidings which are at the other end of the station - on one of those instances, I had just got off the train involved! Of course there may have been other minor derailments of which I am not aware.

 

[Deepgreen]

Sorry, I didn’t explain, it’s been damaged in the landslip. The points operating equipment that is, rather than the track.

A-ha - thanks!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There have been surveyors checking the entire embankment between Waterloo Road and Hook Road in the past few days.

If anyone in the area is interested, there is one public viewpoint from which the landslip is easily visible thanks to the trees having been removed a week ago, but would require a serious zoom lens to photograph; Waterloo Road just beyond where the sub-station is. Just look straight ahead from the viewpoint on Streeetview below:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.335...4!1sCJvtZrJIXKcrRAEaGEImDw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[infobleep]

I take it, this is likely to last until the new year. The reason I ask is that I'm interested in travelling on one of the single line working services, as it's not often one gets to do such a thing.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I take it, this is likely to last until the new year. The reason I ask is that I'm interested in travelling on one of the single line working services, as it's not often one gets to do such a thing.

It certainly looks like it; I'd grab the chance to get that rare crossover while you can.

 

[infobleep]

It certainly looks like it; I'd grab the chance to get that rare crossover while you can.

I might try it on Friday as I'll be near there.

I don't know how rare single line working is these days but I get the impression it's not as common as it once was. I do enjoy unusual travel, like leaving from an unusual platform.

 

[Sunset route]

I might try it on Friday as I'll be near there.

I don't know how rare single line working is these days but I get the impression it's not as common as it once was. I do enjoy unusual travel, like leaving from an unusual platform.

If you stay up late Saturday nights into Sunday mornings, then on average every 3 to 5 weeks you’ll find SLW somewhere on the Brighton Main Line between East Croydon and Three Bridges in one of these sections, East Croydon to Coulsdon North GF (over the Up Fast / Up Quarry line), South Croydon Junction to Stoats Nest Junction (over the Down Slow / Down Redhill line), Purley to Redhill (over the Down Slow / Down Redhill line including at intermediate hand signalman breaking the section up into two for the wrong direction), Redhill to Gatwick Airport (over the Up Redhill / Up Slow line),and Gatwick Airport to Three Bridges (over the Up Slow line)

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I managed Coulsdon North Ground Frame on Sunday morning. I was unreasonably excited by something in the dark. Buggered the PIS up at Purley as the train suddenly disappeared. Staff explained why and train duly arrived.

 

[Surreytraveller]

I managed Coulsdon North Ground Frame on Sunday morning. I was unreasonably excited by something in the dark. Buggered the PIS up at Purley as the train suddenly disappeared. Staff explained why and train duly arrived.

These modern CIS systems are incapable of doing anything out of the ordinary, which is when you need them to be able to advertise trains properly

 

[TEW]

I might try it on Friday as I'll be near there.

I don't know how rare single line working is these days but I get the impression it's not as common as it once was. I do enjoy unusual travel, like leaving from an unusual platform.

Happens in that area a few times a year due to engineering work. Single Line Working in to and out of Raynes Park Platform 1, with trains using the ground frame between Raynes Park and Motspur Park. It's due to be taking place the first two weekends in January, but the landslip probably puts that in doubt now.

Single Line Working between Worcester Park and Ewell West is used more occasionally for engineering work, I believe it happened one weekend in November.

 

[infobleep]

Happens in that area a few times a year due to engineering work. Single Line Working in to and out of Raynes Park Platform 1, with trains using the ground frame between Raynes Park and Motspur Park. It's due to be taking place the first two weekends in January, but the landslip probably puts that in doubt now.

Single Line Working between Worcester Park and Ewell West is used more occasionally for engineering work, I believe it happened one weekend in November.

Thank you for that. I didn't realise it occurred as often as this! Yes I know it isn't frequent but still.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I spoke to some of the contractors working on this location earlier today.

They estimate it will be another three weeks before the line is ready again.

At the moment they are bringing in a large volume of aggregates to rebuild the embankment; unfortunately they are having to do this by lorry as the track is too unstable to bring in an engineering train. The road access to the site is through the car body repair business which appears in the Streetview link I provided a few posts ago; that business appears to have been completely requisitioned for the rebuilding work.

 

[infobleep]

I spoke to some of the contractors working on this location earlier today.

They estimate it will be another three weeks before the line is ready again.

At the moment they are bringing in a large volume of aggregates to rebuild the embankment; unfortunately they are having to do this by lorry as the track is too unstable to bring in an engineering train. The road access to the site is through the car body repair business which appears in the Streetview link I provided a few posts ago; that business appears to have been completely requisitioned for the rebuilding work.

When they requisition a site, I take it they pay compensation and the site is returned after the works have finished?

 

[hwl]

Section 14 of the Railway regulation Act 1842:

Power for railway companies to enter upon adjoining lands to repair accidents.

It shall be lawful for the lords of the said committee to empower any railway company, in case of any accident or slip happening or being apprehended to any cutting, embankment, or other work belonging to them, to enter upon any lands adjoining their railway for the purpose of repairing or preventing such accident, and to do such works as may be necessary for the purpose: Provided always, that in case of necessity it shall be lawful for any railway company to enter upon such lands, and to do such works as aforesaid, without having obtained the previous sanction of the lords of the said committee; but in every such case such railway company shall, within forty-eight hours after such entry, make a report to the lords of the said committee, specifying the nature of such accident or apprehended accident, and of the works necessary to be done, and such powers shall cease and determine if the lords of the said committee shall, after considering the said report, certify that their exercise is not necessary for the public safety: Provided also, that such works shall be as little injurious to the said adjoining lands as the nature of the accident or apprehended accident will admit of, and shall be executed with all possible despatch; and full compensation shall be made to the owners and occupiers of such lands for the loss or injury or inconvenience sustained by them respectively by reason of such works, the amount of which compensation, in case of any dispute about the same, shall be settled in the same manner as cases of disputed compensation are directed to be settled by the Acts relating to the railway on which such works may become necessary: Provided always, that no land shall be taken permanently by any railway company for such works without a certificate from the lords of the said committee as herein-after described.

 

[infobleep]

Section 14 of the Railway regulation Act 1842:

Thanks for that. Another old law still in use. I'm use to using old laws in my job but only from the 1930s rather than 1840s.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Update: Some of the aggregates volume is being used for the temporary access road; the actual repair to the embankment will apparently be vertical sheets of corrugated steel inserted into the ground in a similar way to piling and then backfilled with aggregate - pretty much exactly what they did between Worcester Park and Stoneleigh a few years ago.

 

[hwl]

Update: Some of the aggregates volume is being used for the temporary access road; the actual repair to the embankment will apparently be vertical sheets of corrugated steel inserted into the ground in a similar way to piling and then backfilled with aggregate - pretty much exactly what they did between Worcester Park and Stoneleigh a few years ago.

13m long sheet piles going in.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

NR video from yesterday

https://network-rail.wistia.com/medias/g2kj4i1pwh

 

[Peter Mugridge]

13m long sheet piles going in.

Thanks; I couldn't remember the proper name for them!

 

[Bigfoot]

Update: Some of the aggregates volume is being used for the temporary access road; the actual repair to the embankment will apparently be vertical sheets of corrugated steel inserted into the ground in a similar way to piling and then backfilled with aggregate - pretty much exactly what they did between Worcester Park and Stoneleigh a few years ago.

Exactly the same as was completed at hook around a month ago.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The first few sheets appear to have been put in place overnight. They've got a conventional piling rig on site as well.

 

[Wombat]

I spoke to some of the contractors working on this location earlier today.

They estimate it will be another three weeks before the line is ready again.

Got a letter from Network Rail today, in which they've stated that:

- "Clearing the access route for machinery to access the landslip, enabling works" was due to take seven days, starting 23 December (this letter seems to be rather late!)
- "Installation of retaining walls, re-installation of track" was due to start yesterday and take three weeks, confirming what Peter mentioned above.

Funny thing is that it also says this:

"Safety is our number one priority and for this reason work of this type must be carried out while trains are not running. We are contractually obliged to work, whenever possible, at times that cause the least disruption to train services. Unfortunately, this means carrying out a lot of our improvements during the night and at weekends."

All of which is reasonable, except that there aren't any trains running cos the track's dangling in thin air. It would seem to make more sense if they just said "We'll be working round the clock because we have to get the line open ASAP".

 

[Bigfoot]

The plan is to have the line open to traffic for the 6th but plain line, no points. Stable enough to run trains and fully reinstated are two different things...

 

[Robert Carroll]

It seems that trains are terminating at Motspur Park and running empty to Chessington to reverse, so there is now no train service at all for Worcester Park, Stoneleigh and Ewell West. A replacement bus service is running. Looks as though I shall be going to work on 2 January via bus and Underground.

 

[infobleep]

It seems that trains are terminating at Motspur Park and running empty to Chessington to reverse, so there is now no train service at all for Worcester Park, Stoneleigh and Ewell West. A replacement bus service is running. Looks as though I shall be going to work on 2 January via bus and Underground.

I believe trains were running to Ewell West today but no trains are running to Epsom. It seems those trains, will some of them, are running fast from Effingham Junction to Raynes Park.

They are leaving Guildford at x10 and x40. First one was at 8:10. I had thought about going to Sutton today but didn't fancy a bus from Effingham Junction. There are other route to Sutton at least.

The journey to Wimbledon seems to be 50 minutes on the way up but 60 minutes on the way down. I don't know why they don't put in some additional stops before Effingham Junction,

I appreciate they cannot do this on the up service but they regularly have additional morning stops at New Malden on the 7:03 and 7:35 Guildford to Waterloo services but nothing in return on the evening services from Waterloo to Guildford so adding stops in one direction isn't uncommon.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes to both bits; they have been running to Ewell West today, and both tracks between Ewell West and Epsom are still closed.

 

[infobleep]

Yes to both bits; they have been running to Ewell West today, and both tracks between Ewell West and Epsom are still closed.

I'm thinking of catching the Guildford to Waterloo via Effingham Junction service tomorrow. I'm taking the up service as that is faster than the down one.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm thinking of catching the Guildford to Waterloo via Effingham Junction service tomorrow. I'm taking the up service as that is faster than the down one.

Are you still planning on then travelling back from Wimbledon to Ewell West then back up to Wimbledon to experience the single line working?

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm thinking of catching the Guildford to Waterloo via Effingham Junction service tomorrow. I'm taking the up service as that is faster than the down one.

Good luck with that! You'll only get as far as Surbiton.