What is this?

[Thebaz]

I was at Surrey Quays on the overground a few weeks back and I noticed this unusual-looking section of track. I've never seen it before and presume it's something to do with TfL Overground signalling. Can anyone tell me if this is the case?

 

[rebmcr]

It appears structural, definitely not signal-related.

Likely some sort of breathing space for a bridge or similar to sway/expand into, but I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be along to offer more than a guess.

 

[swt_passenger]

I think its a transition section between slab track (possibly some sort of resiliently mounted slab?) and ballasted track or something like that.


Done a bit of digging and it may be vibration reduction for buried services that pass under the track bed at the station.

 

[Tio Terry]

I think you will find it's something to do with noise and vibration absorption.

 

[pdeaves]

It looks like it might have a secondary function, whether by design or not, of grabbing a wheelset to prevent a derailed train from hitting the wall.

 

[robbeech]

I think you will find it's something to do with noise and vibration absorption.

This would make sense. Looking at the structure around it shouts noisy environment to me, if there is something structural there that has been found to be less stable than one would like or noise reduction is important (think about the line under the Barbican for example) then minimising vibration and thus noise becomes crucial.

It's entirely possible it is something completely different of course.

 

[swt_passenger]

This is what I was referring to in post #3, I just couldn't easily cut and paste it at the time; it is towards the end of the pdf:

http://www.pynford-1.vm.bytemark.co.uk/pdf/Piling Actual.pdf

EAST LONDON LINE EXTENSION

LOCATION
New Railway Line Surrey Quays Station Rotherhithe

CLIENT Transport for London

Abbey Pynford constructed piled foundations for a new slab to protect existing sewers that run below the tracks and also for temporary works to support the railway cutting. Over 100 piles were installed each of 450mm diameter to a depth of 14m. The piles were cased to 7m depth due to there being unstable ground conditions. The piles for the temporary works were installed as a contiguous piled wall.
The station had a very unique method of access which meant loading all the necessary equipment onto a road railer at the end of the line and driving it down the track into the station. We also had to get our concrete delivered into site in the same way for part of the works which required careful planning and cooperation with the other contractors on site. This offers a textbook example of Abbey Pynford’s ability to meet challenging demands on site

 

[Thebaz]

Thanks all

 

[tellytype]

Someone beat me to it. There are some quite large, old, fragile old culverts & sewers underneath here. Believe it or not, there are also some critical comms cables inside those sewers - fibre stuff.

It wouldn't just create a stink if they collapsed, that's for sure