Beaulieu Park Station Construction

[Adrian1980uk]

Latest video of work on site, prior to the holiday blockade over Christmas. Lots of activity on site. Video taken on 12/12/23.

Very good video, whenever I travel past it's dark so can't see a lot of it

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

From this Network Rail picture , going to have a better roof than Chelmsford & Stratford !View attachment 148555

Good to see industry getting its mojo back and just getting on and delivering projects like this at pace.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Good to see industry getting its mojo back and just getting on and delivering projects like this at pace.

Totally agree, Cambridge south as well as this quietly happening and will both be popular stations I'm sure

 

[Class 170101]

Good to see industry getting its mojo back and just getting on and delivering projects like this at pace.

Even though Beaulieu Park has seen late notice changes affecting passengers to get where they now are.

I wouldn't hold Beaulieu Park up as a shining example of project delivery I'm afraid.

 

[Geml246]

Eight days of work are now underway at #BeaulieuParkStation to divert a section of mainline onto new track that runs through the new station. This video shows the new wooden roof structure in place prior to #ChristmasRailWorks starting. https://network-rail.wistia.com/medias/xd095ky359…

 

[Canary73]

Its construction has basically meant the GEML is a Monday to Friday service. Mind its been like that for decades given the amount of works that take place.

 

[dk1]

Its construction has basically meant the GEML is a Monday to Friday service. Mind its been like that for decades given the amount of works that take place.

Overhead line upgrades, followed by the Olympics upgrades, then CrossRail & now Beaulieu Park station & it’s accompanying track alterations. Add that to the fact that frequent intermodal freight uses the route all night long Mondays-Fridays and you are never going to get a consistent weekend all train service on the GEML.

 

[Canary73]

Overhead line upgrades, followed by the Olympics upgrades, then CrossRail & now Beaulieu Park station & it’s accompanying track alterations. Add that to the fact that frequent intermodal freight uses the route all night long Mondays-Fridays and you are never going to get a consistent weekend all train service on the GEML.

You are lucky to get one weekend a year where it is a full train service - it has been like it for decades. I'd like to see how the GEML compares against other parts of the country for weekends lost because of engineering works. I'm well aware of the need to ensure the railway is sufficiently maintained to accommodate freight moves but weekend travellers have been ignored. It is the same with Christmas & New Year (I'm well aware of the points raised about fewer people travelling) but there comes a point where the rights of weekend travellers need to be protected.

 

[dk1]

You are lucky to get one weekend a year where it is a full train service - it has been like it for decades. I'd like to see how the GEML compares against other parts of the country for weekends lost because of engineering works. I'm well aware of the need to ensure the railway is sufficiently maintained to accommodate freight moves but weekend travellers have been ignored. It is the same with Christmas & New Year (I'm well aware of the points raised about fewer people travelling) but there comes a point where the rights of weekend travellers need to be protected.

You are exaggerating a bit on the one weekend a year. There have been several free weekends in the last year when I have worked through to Liverpool Street from Norwich and this has been a particularly engineering filled one. Being a two-track railway for much of its length and the fact works I’m afraid I can no longer happen using bidi operation I see no change to this in the future.

 

[Canary73]

You are exaggerating a bit on the one weekend a year. There have been several free weekends in the last year when I have worked through to Liverpool Street from Norwich and this has been a particularly engineering filled one. Being a two-track railway for much of its length and the fact works I’m afraid I can no longer happen using bidi operation I see no change to this in the future.

Perhaps - but having a season ticket at Norwich and looking at the fixtures from August to May means there is just one home fixture that can be done wholly by train. Think I managed a handful last season and with Beaulieu not opening until late 2025, the next two seasons look to be write offs also.

 

[dk1]

Perhaps - but having a season ticket at Norwich and looking at the fixtures from August to May means there is just one home fixture that can be done wholly by train. Think I managed a handful last season and with Beaulieu not opening until late 2025, the next two seasons look to be write offs also.

The frequent engineering works were the reason catering is generally not available on Sundays on Intercity services now.

 

[Bald Rick]

Perhaps - but having a season ticket at Norwich and looking at the fixtures from August to May means there is just one home fixture that can be done wholly by train. Think I managed a handful last season and with Beaulieu not opening until late 2025, the next two seasons look to be write offs also.

Summer is usually kept clear

 

[Horizon22]

Summer is usually kept clear

Not much club football in summer!

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Not much club football in summer!

Just this conversation proves there's not good time, look elsewhere in the country (gwml, Ecml and formally GEML) if you don't find enough time for all the upgrades that have taken place.

In this country people forget how much we get out of our infrastructure, a train passing over every few minutes from 6am to 11pm then the freight over night from there.

 

[AM9]

Just this conversation proves there's not good time, look elsewhere in the country (gwml, Ecml and formally GEML) if you don't find enough time for all the upgrades that have taken place.

In this country people forget how much we get out of our infrastructure, a train passing over every few minutes from 6am to 11pm then the freight over night from there.

It's a common whinge here "why do they have to disrupt travel now" (as in 'when I want to use it!'). It ranks with other comments like "why am I being persecuted for trivial things (speeding/no insurance/drink driving insert applicable offence), - why don't you go and arrest real criminals".
As you say, the railway infrastructure runs on a shoestring, yet is expected to runs services way above available capacity.

 

[Canary73]

The point is that it is always the same type of passengers and freight customers that are targeted/penalised/discriminated against. I’m well aware of the reasoning for undertaking works at these times but it is about time there was some balance to ensure the railway in some regions isn’t only a weekday service. Making provision for those that wish to travel at weekends shouldn’t be seen as wanting the moon on a stick.

 

[dk1]

The point is that it is always the same type of passengers and freight customers that are targeted/penalised/discriminated against. I’m well aware of the reasoning for undertaking works at these times but it is about time there was some balance to ensure the railway in some regions isn’t only a weekday service. Making provision for those that wish to travel at weekends shouldn’t be seen as wanting the moon on a stick.

With the sheer amount of weekday freight and the resurgence of commuter traffic on the GEML I’m afraid weekend travel will always suffer.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

With the sheer amount of weekday freight and the resurgence of commuter traffic on the GEML I’m afraid weekend travel will always suffer.

It's simply not practical to bus replace the commuter traffic on the GEML as each train can have around 700 passengers so that's around 10 busses and they're going down there every few minutes.

 

[dk1]

It's simply not practical to bus replace the commuter traffic on the GEML as each train can have around 700 passengers so that's around 10 busses and they're going down there every few minutes.

Precisely mate.

Those containers don’t fit very well on RR either

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Hopefully Beaulieu Park is just the start of putting more passing loops so the InterCitys don't get stuck behind stoppers quite so much.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not much club football in summer!

Arguably, there‘s barely any club football worth watching on the GEML for the rest of the year either…

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Back on topic, Network Rail have tweeted some pictures of the works taking place.

https://twitter.com/NetworkRailAng/status/1739979187606425759?t=rRvVL_G8Sa1a5ZgiUwg_lQ&s=19

As there appears to be two new tracks on a new alignment plus room for a platform on the A12 side of the station, I presume that island platform will extend over the site of the former down line?

 

[greaterangrier]

If trains are going to be using the new down line and the loop line, does this mean short delays for up trains now who will have to cross?

(I am not saying they should shut the railway down, just wondering what will be going on shortly)

 

[davews]

Passed through Beaulieu Park on Christmas Eve, impressive construction going on there. Came back today with the replacement bus to Billericay, they seemed to have handled that very well with loads of buses and handling the long line of passengers very well. Pity about the A12 though.... If as you suggest they are doing this most weekends I guess they are well trained.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

If trains are going to be using the new down line and the loop line, does this mean short delays for up trains now who will have to cross?

(I am not saying they should shut the railway down, just wondering what will be going on shortly)

I think they will use still the existing up line but with the new Overhead gantries. Presumably only the new down line will be commissioned with plain line at each end for now. Again my assumption is the points and signals for the loop line between the up and down line will be commissioned during another bank holiday. Easter?

This is all guesswork based on what has been installed so far.

 

[Alfie1014]

Perhaps - but having a season ticket at Norwich and looking at the fixtures from August to May means there is just one home fixture that can be done wholly by train. Think I managed a handful last season and with Beaulieu not opening until late 2025, the next two seasons look to be write offs also.

I thought I’d have a look at what’s coming up at weekends for the Spring and there isn’t a single weekend between now and up to and including Easter when the route between LST and Norwich is fully open and there aren’t buses for some portion. So except the two weekends just before Xmas 16/17 and 23/24 I think that will mean no weekend service since the beginning of October until early April. I’ve lived on the route for 11 years now and I don’t think it’s been quite so bad. Effectively it is a weekday only railway for at least half the year now. I fully understand the need for engineering works but the weekend leisure market must be severely depressed by the lack of services. Ironically GA have been advertising leisure travel to London recently, good luck with that if you want to travel at a weekend or between Xmas and Nee Year!

 

[Canary73]

I thought I’d have a look at what’s coming up at weekends for the Spring and there isn’t a single weekend between now and up to and including Easter when the route between LST and Norwich is fully open and there aren’t buses for some portion. So except the two weekends just before Xmas 16/17 and 23/24 I think that will mean no weekend service since the beginning of October until early April. I’ve lived on the route for 11 years now and I don’t think it’s been quite so bad. Effectively it is a weekday only railway for at least half the year now. I fully understand the need for engineering works but the weekend leisure market must be severely depressed by the lack of services. Ironically GA have been advertising leisure travel to London recently, good luck with that if you want to travel at a weekend or between Xmas and Nee Year!

Yep that is exactly my point and its been like it for years/decades. GA (and its predecessors) along with NR have stated that the these works (which included overhauls of the OLE and various other upgrades) would make the network more robust and minimise the need for extended periods of possessions. This has not been the case and it makes the network pretty much a weekday service. I think there have been a handful of weekends when the railway will have been available from August 23 to April 24. In correspondence with Network Rail Anglia, they suggested this will continue until Beaulieu Park opens in November 2025. How much will require possessions and where these will take place remains to be seen but I suspect it will be as disruptive to weekend travellers as usual. Recent experiences show that the replacement buses fail to provide adequate connections and it is better and cheaper to use local bus services.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Yep that is exactly my point and its been like it for years/decades. GA (and its predecessors) along with NR have stated that the these works (which included overhauls of the OLE and various other upgrades) would make the network more robust and minimise the need for extended periods of possessions. This has not been the case and it makes the network pretty much a weekday service. I think there have been a handful of weekends when the railway will have been available from August 23 to April 24. In correspondence with Network Rail Anglia, they suggested this will continue until Beaulieu Park opens in November 2025. How much will require possessions and where these will take place remains to be seen but I suspect it will be as disruptive to weekend travellers as usual. Recent experiences show that the replacement buses fail to provide adequate connections and it is better and cheaper to use local bus services.

I find that despite the roadworks, at weekends driving down the A12 to Shenfield and taking the train from there is the best option.

 

[dk1]

If trains are going to be using the new down line and the loop line, does this mean short delays for up trains now who will have to cross?

(I am not saying they should shut the railway down, just wondering what will be going on shortly)

It’s only a 50mph TSR so should make little or no difference.

 

[afc75]

I find that despite the roadworks, at weekends driving down the A12 to Shenfield and taking the train from there is the best option.

There does need to be a better solution. Line is closed from Witham to London all weekends in Feb. So that is not even an option.

I did see somewhere else that passengers from Chelmsford pay the most per KM to London......yet get a 5 days a week service.

As a Chelmsford commuter, Post Covid i'm not entirely convinced the new station was needed either. Though appreciate where u live in Chelmsford will skew your view on that.