East-West Rail (EWR): Oxford-Bletchley construction progress

[tspaul26]

Either the newly set up East West Rail Company (Privately owned, Government backed)

Government owned

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Looks like the Alesbury line north of quainton has now been lifted up to the EWR line

Picture from Quainton via Phil Marsh tweet site - Quainton

 

[Oxfordblues]

Yes, Great Central tracks have finally reached Oxford! The GC never made it here of course, but there were about 60-70 panels loaded on Salmons in Hinksey Yard yesterday en-route from lifting between Quainton Road and Calvert. Presumably destined for the national track-recycling facility at Whitemoor.

 

[wildcard]

Looks like the Alesbury line north of quainton has now been lifted up to the EWR line

Picture from Quainton via Phil Marsh tweet site - Quainton

Is this mainly to facilitate HS2 construction further north rather than an early move to relaying Aylesbury Parkway to Calvert for EWR ? . Is that part of EWR still "paused " ? - so I guess the GC trackbed north of Quainton will be left without rails for the foreseeable future.

 

[swt_passenger]

Is this mainly to facilitate HS2 construction further north rather than an early move to relaying Aylesbury Parkway to Calvert for EWR ? . Is that part of EWR still "paused " ? - so I guess the GC trackbed north of Quainton will be left without rails for the foreseeable future.

AIUI the track bed north of Quainton Rd has to be reinstated on a new alignment to serve the resited Calvert waste terminal, irrespective of whether or not there’s an EWR passenger service?

 

[edwin_m]

AIUI the track bed north of Quainton Rd has to be reinstated on a new alignment to serve the resited Calvert waste terminal, irrespective of whether or not there’s an EWR passenger service?

It's probably also useful to have an extra route to feed the HS2 construction railhead, later to become an infrastructure maintenance base.

 

[Andyjs247]

HS2 is taking part of the former GC Aylesbury to Claydon alignment around Calvert and the current landfill access is being relocated south to Greatmoor where there is an existing EfW incinerator. There is a separate TWAO for this work, the HS2 Greatmoor Railway Sidings - Transport and Works Act Order.

This authorises HS2 Ltd to construct railway sidings and associated works adjacent to the Aylesbury Link railway for the transfer of waste and spoil material to the Calvert landfill and Greatmoor energy from waste facility.

The new sidings are being provided to the east of the Aylesbury Link line (ie the Aylesbury to Claydon line - which is itself due to be reinstated on a new alignment to the east of HS2). Both the landfill and Greatmoor EfW are west of HS2; waste for both will need to be unloaded at the sidings and transferred by road to cross a bridge over the tracks for disposal.

See

Greatmoor Railway Sidings Transport and Works Act Order: Planning Direction Drawings

The planning direction drawings have been submitted in support of the request for a Planning Direction.

www.gov.uk

Incidentally vehicular access to Greatmoor EfW from the A41 uses part of the trackbed of the former Ashendon Jn-Grendon Underwood Jn line.

 

[Philip]

deleted

 

[DarloRich]

E-W platforms at Bletchley coming on nicely

Bletchley by DarloRich2009, on Flickr

 

[swt_passenger]

E-W platforms at Bletchley coming on nicely

I expect just left of centre must be where the new footbridge extension will be connected. It looks quite a distance for a single span.

 

[DarloRich]

I expect just left of centre must be where the new footbridge extension will be connected. It looks quite a distance for a single span.

Agreed - not shown just below the frame is what I assume is the massive foundation for the new bridge span. It is a huge concrete block

 

[Bertone]

I am trying to find a plan which shows where the route reinstatement of the GC track north of Quainton Road station will be.
The gov.uk plans for Greatmoor (link a few posts above) appear to show Quainton Road as a terminal station!
Anyone advise please.
Much appreciated

 

[The Planner]

I am trying to find a plan which shows where the route reinstatement of the GC track north of Quainton Road station will be.
The gov.uk plans for Greatmoor (link a few posts above) appear to show Quainton Road as a terminal station!
Anyone advise please.
Much appreciated

Basically right next to the HS2 alignment. The HS2 route maps will likely show it.

 

[kevin_roche]

I am trying to find a plan which shows where the route reinstatement of the GC track north of Quainton Road station will be.
The gov.uk plans for Greatmoor (link a few posts above) appear to show Quainton Road as a terminal station!
Anyone advise please.
Much appreciated

Is this any help? https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/east-west-rail/East West Rail - Western section - Phase 2/02 TWAO application documents/East West Rail NR14 Deposited plans and Sections and Rights of Way Plans.pdf

I guess there is more in the HS2 Plans, but all I can find is this which seems to lack detail.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/529513/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000008-FPD.pdf

 

[swt_passenger]

…I guess there is more in the HS2 Plans, but all I can find is this which seems to lack detail.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/529513/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000008-FPD.pdf

I expect the HS2 map doesn’t show anything immediately north of Quainton Rd because it doesn’t change the route position at all until the bridleway bridge GUN/28 way over on the left.

 

[Bertone]

I am trying to find a plan which shows where the route reinstatement of the GC track north of Quainton Road station will be.
The gov.uk plans for Greatmoor (link a few posts above) appear to show Quainton Road as a terminal station!
Anyone advise please.
Much appreciated

Many thanks for responses Chaps

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

New video published - East West Rail: Phase 2 design & construction of track formation - Tim Mead and Hanna

Another video released today covering the current build status of the road bridge construction at Launton, Bicester, Oxfordshire 04-Dec-2021 - Thanks to Mike Plowman

 

[Meerkat]

I'm confused - why the rather vicious kink in the road immediately one side of the Bicester road bridge? There seems space for it to have been a straight approach and its a busy A-Road isnt it??
Also are the abutments passive for dual carriageway - they look longer than they need to be?

 

[geoffk]

I expect the HS2 map doesn’t show anything immediately north of Quainton Rd because it doesn’t change the route position at all until the bridleway bridge GUN/28 way over on the left.

What about provision for the planned, but now postponed, link from Aylesbury to EWR and on to Milton Keynes?

 

[swt_passenger]

What about provision for the planned, but now postponed, link from Aylesbury to EWR and on to Milton Keynes?

If we’re still discussing maps then it’s shown on the next HS2 map in sequence to the north. But it’s re-routed slightly to the east of the original curve to allow for the link between HS2 and their Calvert infrastructure depot. The drawing is in Post #317 showing the changes.

I'm confused - why the rather vicious kink in the road immediately one side of the Bicester road bridge? There seems space for it to have been a straight approach and its a busy A-Road isnt it??
Also are the abutments passive for dual carriageway - they look longer than they need to be?

I think it’s temporary stage works, and they’ll build another new embankment over the site of the existing road south of the new bridge. That part of the existing road couldn’t be diverted west, because there are buildings in the way.

On the second point, the TWA Order drawing package does show elongated abutments on the east side of the road, in about the right position for dualling the bypass.

 

[Meerkat]

I think it’s temporary stage works, and they’ll build a new embankment on the site of the existing road south of the new bridge. That part of the existing road couldn’t be diverted west, because there are buildings in the way.

Did they keep the road open during construction then? It isnt open in the video.
Also the kinked bit of road seems to have tarmac lines and lampposts??

 

[swt_passenger]

Did they keep the road open during construction then? It isnt open in the video.
Also the kinked bit of road seems to have tarmac lines and lampposts??

Yes it was open until a month or two back. (17th Oct it turns out.) On the north side of the railway they had built a temporary road almost all the way to the roundabout. It came with full pavement, kerbs and street lighting, now removed.

The route of the temporary road is visible in an earlier video made by the same YouTube member, I’ve taken a screen shot:

 

[snowball]

Deleted

 

[hwl]

I think it’s temporary stage works, and they’ll build another new embankment over the site of the existing road south of the new bridge. That part of the existing road couldn’t be diverted west, because there are buildings in the way.

Correct. The aim is to reopen the road at the end of next week with the temporary alignment to the south of the line

Charbridge Lane Road Closure - Launton Parish Council

Charbridge Lane will be closed from 17 October to 17 December between the Launton roundabout and Gavray Drive for EWR works. However, access will be maintained at the southern end from the Rodney House roundabout to the Langford Village entrances and to the businesses / frontages beyond Gavray...

www.launton-pc.gov.uk

Please note that when Charbridge Lane reopens, the traffic flow will be switched onto the new bridge structure from the north with a temporary alignment still to the south and work will begin to complete road approach from the south in order to put the road into its final alignment.

 

[swt_passenger]

Correct. The aim is to reopen the road at the end of next week with the temporary alignment to the south of the line

Charbridge Lane Road Closure - Launton Parish Council

Charbridge Lane will be closed from 17 October to 17 December between the Launton roundabout and Gavray Drive for EWR works. However, access will be maintained at the southern end from the Rodney House roundabout to the Langford Village entrances and to the businesses / frontages beyond Gavray...

www.launton-pc.gov.uk

Is it because they have to allow a significant time for a raised embankment like this to settle, before adding the road base, and they build the level up in phases? They also probably have to remove the existing road and foundations to do it properly? Not really something they can speed up.

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

Road Bridge Construction, Launton, Bicester, Oxfordshire 11-Dec-2021​

 

[Mark24]

What’s the current estimated opening date for the Oxford to Bletchley section?

 

[swt_passenger]

What’s the current estimated opening date for the Oxford to Bletchley section?

“By 2025”, according to the EWR company website. I posted a link a few months back, but it’s easier to repeat it:

Connection Stages | East West Rail

East West Rail is a major infrastructure project to connect communities between Oxford and Cambridge. Services will be introduced in three stages; from Oxford to Milton Keynes, Oxford to Bedford and Oxford to Cambridge.

eastwestrail.co.uk

 

[Mark24]

“By 2025”, according to the EWR company website. I posted a link a few months back, but it’s easier to repeat it:

Connection Stages | East West Rail

East West Rail is a major infrastructure project to connect communities between Oxford and Cambridge. Services will be introduced in three stages; from Oxford to Milton Keynes, Oxford to Bedford and Oxford to Cambridge.

eastwestrail.co.uk

Thanks for the link.
Considering the progress with the bridges along this stretch, I’m surprised it will take a further 3 years.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for the link.
Considering the progress with the bridges along this stretch, I’m surprised it will take a further 3 years.

That’s what I thought back when I found it. I suggested here that it was relatively unambitious, but others disagreed…