HS2 construction updates

[swt_passenger]

User staffie on SSC has posted a picture of works at Huddlesford, east of Lichfield, where HS2, a few miles before the north end of Phase 1, will go under the WCML. The picture appears to show the reinforced concrete floor slab of a future box-type bridge, which the WCML will presumably be diverted to go over once the bridge is structurally complete. The user remarks that the original plan was to go over the WCML here.

Does anyone have a link to a map showing the required WCML realignment?

High Speed Rail (HS2)

www.skyscrapercity.com

Edit: on second thoughts maybe I've misunderstood the bridge type. Maybe it will be pipejacked like the Werrington underpass or something?

Here is a drawing from 2016:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/532720/C223-CSI-CV-DPP-030-000011-FPD.pdf

 

[The Planner]

User staffie on SSC has posted a picture of works at Huddlesford, east of Lichfield, where HS2, a few miles before the north end of Phase 1, will go under the WCML. The picture appears to show the reinforced concrete floor slab of a future box-type bridge, which the WCML will presumably be diverted to go over once the bridge is structurally complete. The user remarks that the original plan was to go over the WCML here.

Does anyone have a link to a map showing the required WCML realignment?

High Speed Rail (HS2)

www.skyscrapercity.com

Edit: on second thoughts maybe I've misunderstood the bridge type. Maybe it will be pipejacked like the Werrington underpass or something?

Not pipe jack per se. Dig down and slid in and back fill on top I believe. The OLE has been moved already.

 

[snowball]

Thanks both.

 

[Dave_Cardboard]

A more "up to date" (circa 2021) Schedule 17 planning application for the WCML bridge can be found on Lichfield District Councils planning portal (application reference 21/01249/HST) ...

21/01249/HST | Schedule 17 application : Erection of Overbridge: 19.4m long single-span monolithic reinforced concrete box with a skew of 11 degrees to the WCML tracks |

planning.lichfielddc.gov.uk

As noted by others, the WCML is not being realigned - the bridge is being constructed off-line and will be jacked into place when ready. Presumably that's cheaper (less land and material etc required than diverting the WCML,) requires a shorter closure of the WCML and means no alignment changes on the WCML (one wonders whether such could impact WMCL signalling, timetable, speeds profile, etc.. if they'd gone that way? Over to the experts...)

(I use the term "jacked" in the loosest sense - whether it will be "shoved" by jacks a la Werrington or lifted on some modular transporters a la the Cow Lane Bridge in the Reading remodelling, I do not know.)

 

[swt_passenger]

A more "up to date" (circa 2021) Schedule 17 planning application for the WCML bridge can be found on Lichfield District Councils planning portal (application reference 21/01249/HST) ...

21/01249/HST | Schedule 17 application : Erection of Overbridge: 19.4m long single-span monolithic reinforced concrete box with a skew of 11 degrees to the WCML tracks |

planning.lichfielddc.gov.uk

As noted by others, the WCML is not being realigned - the bridge is being constructed off-line and will be jacked into place when ready. Presumably that's cheaper (less land and material etc required than diverting the WCML,) requires a shorter closure of the WCML and means no alignment changes on the WCML (one wonders whether such could impact WMCL signalling, timetable, speeds profile, etc.. if they'd gone that way? Over to the experts...)

(I use the term "jacked" in the loosest sense - whether it will be "shoved" by jacks a la Werrington or lifted on some modular transporters a la the Cow Lane Bridge in the Reading remodelling, I do not know.)

I expect it will become clearer if at some point the concrete box construction gets a shaped cutting edge. If it doesn’t it’s probably not going to be full scale jacking, just transporting into a gap dug in the existing formation. As per your Reading example that can be likely done in a few days, for example over an extended Christmas closure.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I expect it will become clearer if at some point the concrete box construction gets a shaped cutting edge. If it doesn’t it’s probably not going to be full scale jacking, just transporting into a gap dug in the existing formation. As per your Reading example that can be likely done in a few days, for example over an extended Christmas closure.

Even better if it coincides with the inevitable Trent Valley closures to tie in the flying HS2 junction at Handsacre...
There's also the HS2 structure under (?) the Lichfield-Alrewas/A38 route to consider, but that is separate from the WCML.

 

[The Planner]

Even better if it coincides with the inevitable Trent Valley closures to tie in the flying HS2 junction at Handsacre...
There's also the HS2 structure under (?) the Lichfield-Alrewas/A38 route to consider, but that is separate from the WCML.

The bridge will be way before Handsacre as they need it as a haul route to get material for the Handsacre embankments.

As an aside, the EW deck went in at Calvert last week apparently.

 

[snowball]

There's also the HS2 structure under (?) the Lichfield-Alrewas/A38 route to consider, but that is separate from the WCML.

Indeed, according to the map in #1652, HS2 goes in quick succession under the Lichfield-Burton line, the A38 southbound exit slip road for Lichfield, and the A38 mainline.

 

[stuving]

The link to Lichfield Planning (above) leads to a document set that includes some explanations of the construction process. The last document (1mc09-bbv-tp-app-ns06_nl16-000001 combined.pdf) combines all the submissions, and includes this as well as plans:

4 Design Approach and Rationale
4.1.1 The design of the West Coast Mainline Overbridge as a jacked box has been developed since final preliminary design stage as it is the only construction method that causes
minimal disruption to the West Coast Mainline. The short blockade that will be used to
install the structure means that the West Coast Mainline in the area is only closed for a
short period, and the structure can be constructed offline well away from the operational
railway leading up to the blockade and installation. The wing walls were added due to the
removal of Streethay Retaining Structure and are required to keep the Streethay Cutting
earthworks within the Limits of Deviation boundary after installation, as well as to retain
the existing Network Rail embankment.
4.1.2 This design presents an opportunity to attach part of the wing walls to the base slab of
the jacked box, and jack in the box and all but 10-15m of the wing walls on the north and
south sides. This avoids the need to pile close to an operational rail boundary and
reduces the number of secant piles required for the structure.
4.2 Design Constraints
4.2.1 The wing walls added to the structure were due to the LOD constraints on the structure
and the new, wider earthworks from Streethay Open Cut (post removal of Streethay
Retaining Structure from the area). The wing walls are required to ensure that the cutting
earthworks remain within the LOD boundary.

I'm struggling to understand quite what that wing wall attaches to and rests on, but you get the general idea.

 

[Dave_Cardboard]

The sequencing of the works to get under the A38 is an aspect I find the more interesting of the three crossings. I hail from that area and am old enough to remember when the A38 between Hilliards Cross and Streethay was not yet a dual carriageway, let alone the A38 being a bypass to the East of Lichfield - we used to have to travel through the City itself. It's decades since I lived there, but I don't doubt the A38 has become no less busy since and will need to be kept open to traffic as much as possible. I see the "off" (southbound) slip at Streethay has already been closed for works and the central reservation on the main carriageway removed so they can "play" with the traffic lanes a bit.

As yet, I haven't found anything in the public realm that describes the details of how they going to sequence the work. If anyone knows...

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Wow that is an excellent video which shows the true scale of the construction work taking place. Clearly visible defined route now from the air which is amazing.

At Calvert are they letting HS2 get on with the work before EWR because they are projecting Oxford to MK/Bedford to be open by 2025 I thought.

Huge land take in places for a two track railway though. There also appears to be a new roadway all the way not just a dirt track that they used on motorways in the 80's!

 

[ABB125]

Huge land take in places for a two track railway though. There also appears to be a new roadway all the way not just a dirt track that they used on motorways in the 80's!

3m wide access strip either side or most of the route, outside the line's security fencing (which is essentially prison fencing!). Whether the strip is grassed or paved depends on how frequently it will need to be used, and whether it provides access to "a thing" (eg: autotransformer site).

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

3m wide access strip either side or most of the route, outside the line's security fencing (which is essentially prison fencing!). Whether the strip is grassed or paved depends on how frequently it will need to be used, and whether it provides access to "a thing" (eg: autotransformer site).

Fair dos after construction just seems in many places they've got football fields of space but in certain areas but im sure from an environmental perspective they were required demonstrate minimum use of land.

 

[Bald Rick]

Fair dos after construction just seems in many places they've got football fields of space but in certain areas but im sure from an environmental perspective they were required demonstrate minimum use of land.

it‘s all on the land plans on their website why they need temporary land.

 

[DelW]

I'm struggling to understand quite what that wing wall attaches to and rests on, but you get the general idea.

I think from reading the section quoted, that the outer ends of the wingwalls are the secant pile with capping beam lengths visible in the photo linked from post 1651. The inner ends of the wingwalls will be cast on the base slab and be connected to the side walls of the box, and will be slid into place with the box. Presumably an insitu concrete stitch section will then link the two parts of each wingwall together.
(Secant piles are cylindrical concrete bored piles spaced at less than their diameter, so that they cut slightly into each other and interlock).

 

[AM9]

Fair dos after construction just seems in many places they've got football fields of space but in certain areas but im sure from an environmental perspective they were required demonstrate minimum use of land.

Much of it will be returned on completion, just like HS1 which is really quite inconspiuous in most places. Here's a view of HS1 passing under the A20 Ashford Road betweem Charing and Ashford.

For comparison, here's a view of the classi line that passes under the same road less than a kilometre north. Apart from the formation being narrower for obvious reasons, the long-term 'green land take' is quite similar.

 

[stuu]

That's not really a good comparison. HS1 is much more like a classic railway in terms of environmental screening. HS2 is building screening embankments along much of it's length through open countryside, so whilst it will be fairly unobtrusive in >15 years, the permanent land take is still a lot higher. Of course much of that land will be a decent habitat for nature so that's a positive. Going to be a dull ride though I imagine

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

That's not really a good comparison. HS1 is much more like a classic railway in terms of environmental screening. HS2 is building screening embankments along much of it's length through open countryside, so whilst it will be fairly unobtrusive in >15 years, the permanent land take is still a lot higher. Of course much of that land will be a decent habitat for nature so that's a positive. Going to be a dull ride though I imagine

Like most HS lines in Europe your either in a tunnel or looking at a sound barrier but i guess its better than what you get in a plane!

 

[Mikey C]

And the "yoof" are all too glued to their screens to look out of the window anyway

 

[bib]

I read somewhere that there will be a view for 8 mins on a london to birmingham journey, the rest of the journey being in cuttings/tunnels or behind a sound barrier

 

[zwk500]

And the "yoof" are all too glued to their screens to look out of the window anyway

Yoof aren't the only ones, plenty of older people catching up on Netflix on the train.

I read somewhere that there will be a view for 8 mins on a london to birmingham journey, the rest of the journey being in cuttings/tunnels or behind a sound barrier

To be fair, it's little different to catching a train at night, and the countryside it passes through is hardly the Lakes or Dales.

 

[AM9]

Like most HS lines in Europe your either in a tunnel or looking at a sound barrier but i guess its better than what you get in a plane!

Give that most of the rail travelling public ares not like rail enthusasts and not particulalry interested in the view, a trip to Brum from Euston in 50 minutes will be much preferred that one with 80 minutes of the existing WCML 'scenery'.

 

[Mikey C]

To be fair, it's little different to catching a train at night, and the countryside it passes through is hardly the Lakes or Dales.

The Chilterns (which it correctly tunnels under) has some beautiful countryside.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

To be fair, it's little different to catching a train at night, and the countryside it passes through is hardly the Lakes or Dales.

I'm reminded of the Canadian joke (not in Winnipeg) that it's best to cross Manitoba at night, as the scenery is better...

While European HS routes have all these visual and sound barriers in urban areas, there's plenty of clear views in the country.
Once north of Aylesbury, maybe things will open out a bit on HS2, until approaching Birmingham.
I wonder if our barriers will have pictures of birds on them, to stop them flying into the barriers and trains?

 

[janahan]

I'm reminded of the Canadian joke (not in Winnipeg) that it's best to cross Manitoba at night, as the scenery is better...

While European HS routes have all these visual and sound barriers in urban areas, there's plenty of clear views in the country.

To be fair, most of Europe is pretty flat, where as the UK is pretty undulating. This is apparent when riding the Eurostar from London to Paris, where in the UK you go through many embankments and cuttings, and despite the "leveling out" of the route, you can still feel the undulation a bit more. It may not be likely to see a lot of scenary 100% of the time, but nevertheless there will still be some stunning areas, such as the flyover the Denham lakes area.

Once north of Aylesbury, maybe things will open out a bit on HS2, until approaching Birmingham.
I wonder if our barriers will have pictures of birds on them, to stop them flying into the barriers and trains?

Does that actually work?

 

[J-2739]

Give that most of the rail travelling public ares not like rail enthusasts and not particulalry interested in the view, a trip to Brum from Euston in 50 minutes will be much preferred that one with 80 minutes of the existing WCML 'scenery'.

Why don't we just specify the trains without windows, whilst we're at it?

 

[zwk500]

Why don't we just specify the trains without windows, whilst we're at it?

Natural light is still important though. It'd be very dystopian to have viewscreens only, although I think there was a thread on it at one point.

 

[Mikey C]

Why don't we just specify the trains without windows, whilst we're at it?

If Ryanair operate HS2, windows will be a £10 supplement

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Why don't we just specify the trains without windows, whilst we're at it?

At least initially, HS2 trains will be spending more time on the classic WCML routes than on HS2 itself, where the views will be quite good.
London-Birmingham services excepted of course.

 

[stuu]

Once north of Aylesbury, maybe things will open out a bit on HS2, until approaching Birmingham.

They don't, the drawings are all online. Its pretty much all the way, except for the viaducts which will no doubt have screens of some sort