Oxford Corridor Phase 2 & Platform 5 updates

[Zomboid]

NR imagery shows something between the abutments for both Platform 2 and Platform 5:

Drone Friday 6 February new bridge spans in place DJI 20260206100750 0004 W

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I'm not an engineer so if this doesn't count as a deck then apologies.

You've got me there! I stand corrected -I
I couldn't see it from the train, and I was looking for it... It looked to me like there was a gap where the deck should have been, but clearly I don't know what a bridge looks like.

 

[cle]

That's a positive sign.

For when p2 becomes through, I do wonder if a single bay would be enough for the traffic at that future moment (Cowley would have to be receiving Marylebone trains - but - they would likely need to be evenly clockface due to that single section) - as 4-5 EWR turning might be quite tough for one bay. It's not London Overground, these services will be coming from MKC and Cambridge and will need longer turns. Might even have toilets, trolleys, driver relief etc to consider - and maybe battery charging!

 

[hwl]

I think any kind of rebuild of the main bridge is going to be off the table for quite some time after this project!

The Deck for the future Up Loop is already in place. NR are putting the footbridge on it for the meantime, while the council try to get their statement/gateway footbridge. AIUI from the public engagement info, NR would basically only need to come in and move the handrails for the bridge to be ready for track laying. It's probably a little bit more complicated than that, it always is.

NR imagery shows something between the abutments for both Platform 2 and Platform 5:

Drone Friday 6 February new bridge spans in place DJI 20260206100750 0004 W

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

I'm not an engineer so if this doesn't count as a deck then apologies.

The pedestrian walkthrough (with camera on long pole) youtube video in post 730 on page 25

shows further progress after the Network rail aerial photos the Platform 2 bridge deck.
The P2 Bridge deck can be seen from ~1m30 to ~3m10s.

I'd suggest that everyone should have good watch...

 

[JamesT]

That's a positive sign.

For when p2 becomes through, I do wonder if a single bay would be enough for the traffic at that future moment (Cowley would have to be receiving Marylebone trains - but - they would likely need to be evenly clockface due to that single section) - as 4-5 EWR turning might be quite tough for one bay. It's not London Overground, these services will be coming from MKC and Cambridge and will need longer turns. Might even have toilets, trolleys, driver relief etc to consider - and maybe battery charging!

I think that's something they'll get to if that change is ever approved. The previous EWR document said they had made their plans assuming Cowley goes ahead, which I take to mean that they would have use of both bays as Chiltern would go to Cowley.

GWR currently terminate trains at Oxford then send them to the carriage sidings North of the station. It's entirely plausible for EWR to do similarly, rather than just occupying the bays.

 

[ABB125]

Following a few comments over the last few days about a more comprehensive Reading-style rebuild of Oxford station, I've started a new speculative thread. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/oxford-station-complete-rebuild-suggestions.301243/

 

[swt_passenger]

Another video popped up for me, showing amongst general views around the area there were some concrete beams going in on the Botley Road bridge side spans, ie the future P2 up loop bridge that was mentioned a few days ago.

 

[djox]

The local Oxford paper Oxford Mail just finding out after 3 years Botley Road Bridge will only be increased by 40cm.

Network Rail spokesman said the new bridge has been built to county council specifications at 4.4m high, "which is suitable for the vast majority of vehicles on the road."

A county council spokesman said: "The height of the new bridge is suitable for the vast majority of vehicles on the road.

"It is higher than the previous bridge and will accommodate all local buses up to 4.42m in height. The previous bridge was signed at 4.0m and this was a problem for some local buses.

HGVs to encounter problem when new Botley Road rail bridge opens

A problem with the new Botley Road bridge in Oxford has emerged with Network Rail carrying out works at the train station.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

 

[zwk500]

The local Oxford paper Oxford Mail just finding out after 3 years Botley Road Bridge will only be increased by 40cm.

HGVs to encounter problem when new Botley Road rail bridge opens

A problem with the new Botley Road bridge in Oxford has emerged with Network Rail carrying out works at the train station.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

I'm a little bit confused by the apparently contradictory statements saying the bridge was built to 4.4m but is able to accommodate local buses up to 4.42m. Presumably NR were rounding off?

FWIW, although the maximum legal height in the UK for a HGV is 4.95m to fit under the 5.03 minimum standard clearance, a quick bit of googling suggests that most standard HGVs are 4.0m (Europe has a 4.0m maximum height), or 4.2m (for Container on flatbed) and that the majority of lorries above 4.4m are the double-decker logistics lorries, which are presumably unlikely to need to get through Botley road given the presence of the ring road connections to the A34?

 

[Stephen42]

I'm a little bit confused by the apparently contradictory statements saying the bridge was built to 4.4m but is able to accommodate local buses up to 4.42m. Presumably NR were rounding off?

There are UK standard requirements around low bridge signs and the rounding used. I'd expect it's that the bridge will be signed as 4.4m. A bridge signed for 4.4m must have a measured minimum clearance of 4.48m otherwise it will be signed as 4.3m instead.

 

[Zomboid]

I'm a little bit confused by the apparently contradictory statements saying the bridge was built to 4.4m but is able to accommodate local buses up to 4.42m. Presumably NR were rounding off?

FWIW, although the maximum legal height in the UK for a HGV is 4.95m to fit under the 5.03 minimum standard clearance, a quick bit of googling suggests that most standard HGVs are 4.0m (Europe has a 4.0m maximum height), or 4.2m (for Container on flatbed) and that the majority of lorries above 4.4m are the double-decker logistics lorries, which are presumably unlikely to need to get through Botley road given the presence of the ring road connections to the A34?

It's storm in a teacup stuff, the benefit is that standard buses will be able to get through, and who wants those huge artics getting anywhere near Oxford city centre after? It would be carnage. HGVs not being able to get under is a benefit, not a problem.

If they'd just added the extra spans without doing the road lowering then the bridge would have ended up even lower than it was to start with, that's actually the point of the project...

 

[swt_passenger]

It's storm in a teacup stuff, the benefit is that standard buses will be able to get through, and who wants those huge artics getting anywhere near Oxford city centre after? It would be carnage. HGVs not being able to get under is a benefit, not a problem.

If they'd just added the extra spans without doing the road lowering then the bridge would have ended up even lower than it was to start with, that's actually the point of the project...

Definitely mountain out of a molehill territory.
Headline: HGVs to encounter problem…
Er, you mean all HGVs?
Article text: Some HGVs to encounter a problem…
Er, is that a lot of HGVs then?
Not really, only the very few that are significantly higher than usual…
Just the type we don’t want in a city centre then?

 

[fishwomp]

Just the type we don’t want in a city centre then?

Exactly! It might be worth putting the odd weight limit on some of the older bridges too.

fwiw, I just checked Google Streetview - the entry to the underground lorry delivery area at the Westgate centre says 5.0M restriction..

I do rather like this new de facto exclusion, perhaps Network Rail could be commissioned to build some more at the other entry points.

 

[Falcon1200]

Definitely mountain out of a molehill territory.

Absolutely!

The comments on the Oxford Mail's Facebook post on the bridge have sensible people explaining just why the bridge will be the stated height, that it will be higher than the old bridge, and that there are in the UK hundreds of bridges the same height or lower. And then there are the usual moaning ignoramuses saying, on the basis of no engineering knowledge whatsoever, that it should have been built higher. The Facebook post does not help however with its 'problem' headline. There is no problem.

 

[Zomboid]

And then there are the usual moaning ignoramuses saying, on the basis of no engineering knowledge whatsoever, that it should have been built higher

I wonder how many of them will be driving 4.8m high vehicles into Oxford city centre. It inconveniences almost nobody... But who lets facts get in the way of a whinge?

 

[zwk500]

I wonder how many of them will be driving 4.8m high vehicles into Oxford city centre. It inconveniences almost nobody... But who lets facts get in the way of a whinge?

The only people I can see it being a problem for are the residents of south Oxford who are the available route for high HGVs to the big shopping centre.
However that was the case before the project and it is presumably a relief to the residents of Botley, amd traffic in the city centre, that the route has not changed.

 

[fishwomp]

The only people I can see it being a problem for are the residents of south Oxford who are the available route for high HGVs to the big shopping centre.
However that was the case before the project and it is presumably a relief to the residents of Botley, amd traffic in the city centre, that the route has not changed.

Also worth noting is that at the moment the congestion charge (and future who knows what) does not apply to goods vehicles - so such traffic can also come down through north Oxford, not just up from the south to places like the Westgate Centre or High Street. I suspect this is all 6am delivery traffic I'm not used to being up to see..

I do wonder how soon the complaints from the folks of Botley Road will come in about the traffic noise/pollution/gridlock once it's reopened, and possibly also for lorries the may find the extra 40cm worth route-changing.

 

[Edvid]

Updates from the 1 May newsletter

Flood defence works
Construction is progressing on a new 120-metre groundwater flood defence beneath the lowered Botley Road. The base concrete layer is complete, with waterproofing and steel reinforcement now being added ahead of further concrete pours. This modern structure replaces the old Victorian brick arch and will help prevent groundwater flooding. Around 1,250 cubic metres of concrete will be used in the coming weeks.

Pictured above: construction of the groundwater flood defence (left) and steel reinforcement is fitted before concrete is poured to strengthen this structure (right)

Completion of the groundwater flood defence structure is pushed back to 10 June because of local concrete supply issues.

Surface water drainage
Specialists have started work on the new underground surface water drainage system that will take surface water from Botley Road. A deep underground attenuation (water storage) tank is being built, using pre-cast concrete units.

Western retaining wall
The new western retaining wall is nearly complete. This will support a future rail track leading to a new Platform 5. Precast concrete units have been installed, including bespoke sections around existing utilities.

Pictured above: the surface water drainage system (left) and the western retaining wall (right)

Meanwhile the SSE Osney Bridge permit has yet another revised completion date of 31 July on one.network. One hopes that includes adjustments to be made after the remedial water main & bridge works...

 

[oxfordrelayer]

Sheep wash Bridge is being renewed next year

 

[djox]

Sheep wash Bridge is being renewed next year

Renewed? Does that mean a new rail and road bridge?

I think any plan for future work is speculative until Botley Road Bridge fully opens.

 

[fishwomp]

Renewed? Does that mean a new rail and road bridge?

I think any plan for future work is speculative until Botley Road Bridge fully opens.

Both are way too low for the cyclists and pedestrians that use them - accidents must be happening there..

I'm also curious as to the plan.. many questions mulling.

Timing - is everything waiting until 2028 (is that CP8?)

Platform 5 area at the north end - is cleared out as if planning to execute.

The bridge and points to Platform 5 from the south are there.

I could understand a grand new entrance plan being deferred - but wouldn't it be a heck of an improvement to just have another platform.. with a temporary footbridge on the west side as some sort of emergency exit..

 

[Mikey C]

Renewed? Does that mean a new rail and road bridge?

I think any plan for future work is speculative until Botley Road Bridge fully opens.

Sheepwash bridge upgrades - Network Rail

Bridges over Sheepwash Channel, north of Oxford station, need to be replaced for an increase in trains as part of Oxfordshire Connect.

www.networkrail.co.uk

Four railway lines cross Sheepwash channel over a railway bridge at the northern end of platform 4. Next to the railway bridge is another bridge carrying road traffic and pedestrians as part of Roger Dudman Way.
Our station expansion programme means we need to widen the railway bridge to allow space for an extra railway line over it, servicing a new platform (platform 5).
To make room for a wider railway bridge we need to also realign the road and pedestrian bridge.

 

[The Planner]

Both are way too low for the cyclists and pedestrians that use them - accidents must be happening there..

I'm also curious as to the plan.. many questions mulling.

Timing - is everything waiting until 2028 (is that CP8?)

Platform 5 area at the north end - is cleared out as if planning to execute.

The bridge and points to Platform 5 from the south are there.

I could understand a grand new entrance plan being deferred - but wouldn't it be a heck of an improvement to just have another platform.. with a temporary footbridge on the west side as some sort of emergency exit..

2028 is still CP7. April 29 onwards for FP1 (financial period 1, or CP8 in old money)

 

[Falcon1200]

Both are way too low for the cyclists and pedestrians that use them - accidents must be happening there..

Which has been the case since the railway opened, and would be impossible to resolve!

It looks anyway as if the existing structures are unchanged, new ones being provided to faciltate Platform 5.

 

[fishwomp]

Which has been the case since the railway opened, and would be impossible to resolve!

Ah, the "impossible to resolve" gambit. This is an old favourite on this forum. I'll raise you the "everything is possible because HS2 shows it can be done, it's just money" reply.

Currently it is several bridge spans - some are lower than others. Given that's the case, you'd at least put in new ones no lower than the best of the current ones..

All the current bridges have steel/iron beams that are quite deep. Would newer spans have different structures such that the lowest point on the bridge doesn't alter the lowest point on the bridge deck - whether they be cast concrete or steel, I dunno, not my area.

One thing that would improve the safety for pedestrian/cylists is to box in all the under-frame - such that ducking only once (obv for a longer period) rather than a dozen times would be required.. that'd be safer.

 

[Zomboid]

You'd hope that the new structure will be better, but there's a limit to how much higher the bottom of the deck can go. It's still going to be an unpleasant and claustrophobic walk along that towpath, especially for tall people.

 

[Falcon1200]

Ah, the "impossible to resolve" gambit. This is an old favourite on this forum. I'll raise you the "everything is possible because HS2 shows it can be done, it's just money" reply.

What are the accident statistics that would justify the expenditure required? All I can say is that of the numerous occasions I have been under the bridge I have never come to harm! The impossibility is that the railway cannot be raised, nor can the path be lowered, and any other solution seems to me not worth the cost.

 

[fishwomp]

What are the accident statistics that would justify the expenditure required? All I can say is that of the numerous occasions I have been under the bridge I have never come to harm! The impossibility is that the railway cannot be raised, nor can the path be lowered, and any other solution seems to me not worth the cost.

Nope, probably not - but it's not impossible so let's not say impossible! There are plenty of examples of the railway spending money on exceptionally low value for money projects on safety grounds!

 

[Zomboid]

Impossible to justify, rather than impossible to do. It would entail raising the track through the station, at which point you're basically flattening the whole thing and starting again. Which isn't realistic...

 

[fishwomp]

Impossible to justify, rather than impossible to do. It would entail raising the track through the station, at which point you're basically flattening the whole thing and starting again. Which isn't realistic...

I'll agree with that one!

I still wonder if Network Rail with hindsight would have done this instead of the Botley Rd plan they actually implemented. Obviously they didn't know then what they know now!

 

[Zomboid]

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