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

zwk500

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I don’t think that’s right as far as EWR is concerned. Yes, there was a trial of jacking a brick arch at bridge OXD/14, Moco Farm, but it has since been fully demolished and replaced by a new conventional concrete beam bridge OXD/14A a few metres to the west - it’s on a different alignment to get the approach embankments in. I just had another scan through the TWA drawings, and I don’t think anything else was planned to be jacked in the same way.
Oh, that's a bit dissapointing that after all the effort of the trail it got replaced anyway. I suppose it needed to be tried 'in the field' one way or another, and might as well do it where the risk of failure was lessened.
 
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AlbertBeale

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The former MFO (Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon) factory in Zürich was similarly moved a few years ago.


In Helsinki, a whole railway station (albeit not a very big one!) was moved many years ago. In its new location, it's long been used by a consortium of peace organisations. And it has a nice sauna in the basement of course, as I discovered when visiting colleagues there.
 

swt_passenger

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Oh, that's a bit dissapointing that after all the effort of the trail it got replaced anyway. I suppose it needed to be tried 'in the field' one way or another, and might as well do it where the risk of failure was lessened.
I must admit I originally assumed that although they’d chosen a site that was non operational, (which is good in terms of removing possession issues and as you wrote the immediate effects of failure), it would act as advance work. I don’t remember the PR at the time emphasising or mentioning it was due to be removed.

But if anyone missed it here’s the previous discussion we were both involved with, it includes links to the contractor’s site:

 
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El Magnifico

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<Pedant mode enabled>
EU doesn't make "law" (that people or organisations have to comply with), it issues Directives which Member States are required to transpose into national laws. This is why, for instance, there are huge differences in health & safety law across UK and EU, despite being all being crushed by the same iron fist of Brussels* :D

So both statements could be right, in that the Directive might have said "minimum 2 metres" (or refer to a regulation that specifies this). Or it may be something more qualitative e.g. "high enough to deter trespass" and based on that, the UK government came up with its own number.

*JOKE - please let's not start re-litigating Brexit!

Back on topic, I think electrification of EWR, rather than a standalone scheme, needs to be thought about in the light of other developments that make it cheaper or more sensible
i.e. I don't think you'd do it until after Oxford area. National Grid may also be able to provide additional capacity at 25 kV at Quainton, beyond what HS2 have applied for.
Not true. The EU publishes Directives and Regulations. What you say about Directives is correct but an EU Regulation is automatically law in every Member State.
 

zwk500

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Not true. The EU publishes Directives and Regulations. What you say about Directives is correct but an EU Regulation is automatically law in every Member State.
And is all irrelevant anyway since the UK is no longer bound by EU law... (not that the French ever seemed to be anyway)
 

JamesT

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And is all irrelevant anyway since the UK is no longer bound by EU law... (not that the French ever seemed to be anyway)
Though all EU laws were transposed into UK law at the point of leaving. So if this regulation was made before Brexit then it will apply in the UK until the government actively changes or repeals it.
 

zwk500

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Though all EU laws were transposed into UK law at the point of leaving. So if this regulation was made before Brexit then it will apply in the UK until the government actively changes or repeals it.
Indeed, although the point still stands that we have fewer hoops to jump through should we wish to drop the standard.
 

Trainee9

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Some sightings: Swans Way near Mursley: twin track extending on both sides of overbridge.
Station Rd between Mursley & Horwood: single track extending both sides of bridge.
Calvert village: bare trackbed extending both sides of bridge. Pair of semi-detatched houses by bridge boarded up, with HS2 sign. The bridge parapets have not been raised (unlike those on EWR route).
Blackgrove Road near Waddesdon: a single track under railway bridge, evidently going to Quainton railway centre. A large HS2 work site is nearby, to the west of the road and south of the railway.
 

Pinza-C55

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Some sightings: Swans Way near Mursley: twin track extending on both sides of overbridge.
Station Rd between Mursley & Horwood: single track extending both sides of bridge.
Calvert village: bare trackbed extending both sides of bridge. Pair of semi-detatched houses by bridge boarded up, with HS2 sign. The bridge parapets have not been raised (unlike those on EWR route).
Blackgrove Road near Waddesdon: a single track under railway bridge, evidently going to Quainton railway centre. A large HS2 work site is nearby, to the west of the road and south of the railway.

I watched a short Youtube video on the HS2 works at Calvert and someone commented that they had hoped in their youth to buy the Calvert stationmasters house (the boarded up houses) but they and the bridge are to be demolished. Apparently the Quainton Road group had hoped to replay part of the Brill Tramway but HS2 will make this impossible.
 

Trainee9

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Doomed houses at Calvert, next to bridge. Not a good picture of them- part of one is on extreme left as I was aiming at the HS2 sign and mostly got the next house. The pair had an unusual angle in the middle and looked too modern to be the station master's house.
Edit: Google Satellite clearly shows the kinked semi. Where is the old station-master's house - on the other side of the road?
 

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Bertone

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Blackgrove Road near Waddesdon: a single track under railway bridge, evidently going to Quainton railway centre.
This single track from Aylesbury, although going towards Quainton Road railway centre, is not connected to that centre and I understand that it has been “chopped” just north of Quainton Road station site.
Whether that track will ever be reused to connect to the East West railway is a debatable question within the current scope of the project.
 

Trainee9

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This single track from Aylesbury, although going towards Quainton Road railway centre, is not connected to that centre
Please explain. I have looked on Google Satellite view (undated) and it shows the track running right through the Quainton railway centre.
 

Bertone

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As in its not connected to any of the heritage railway tracks.
Just to confirm that the NR track runs though the middle of the Bucks Railway centre, with no connections on either side.
I was once told a good few years ago by a staff member, that a connection with NR was once muted but with East West Rail planned, that was now impractical.
Stock transfer from one side of the heritage railway to the other is, I understand, by road low loader.
 

Bletchleyite

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Just to confirm that the NR track runs though the middle of the Bucks Railway centre, with no connections on either side.
I was once told a good few years ago by a staff member, that a connection with NR was once muted but with East West Rail planned, that was now impractical.
Stock transfer from one side of the heritage railway to the other is, I understand, by road low loader.

The OS overhead view confirms this. How did the Chiltern shuttles to QR used to work - was it connected back then?
 

zwk500

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The OS overhead view confirms this. How did the Chiltern shuttles to QR used to work - was it connected back then?
I think Chiltern just pulled up at the Platform adjacent to the NR line. The shuttles have run fairly recently, when the line definitely wasn't connected.
 

DelW

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This single track from Aylesbury, although going towards Quainton Road railway centre, is not connected to that centre and I understand that it has been “chopped” just north of Quainton Road station site.
Whether that track will ever be reused to connect to the East West railway is a debatable question within the current scope of the project.
I'm going from distant memory so might be wrong, but I think that when the preservation centre at Quainton Road was first being proposed, it was expected that the BR line running through it would be closed fairly soon. Had that happened, the BRC (as it became) would have aimed to take over the line and run heritage services on it. BR retained the line for the bin liners, which frustrated that plan.
Ah yes, there is a platform adjacent to the NR line, I thought there wasn't.
Capable of handling railtours as well:
IMG_1057.JPG
(picture of UK Railtours Missing Link at Quainton Road, March 2018)
 

geoffk

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I think it's just a general standard for all lines now to have higher parapets, mostly to stop trespass or throwing things onto the tracks/trains.
And to stop photography, as few photographers are 7 ft tall, which is why many of us carry a pair of steps with us! When I was last in France I noticed that, on lines with OHLE, road overbridges were protected by a horizontal grille extending above the wires for perhaps a metre. This would prevent stuff being thrown on to the wires. Is this an alternative to high parapets?
 

zwk500

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When I was last in France I noticed that, on lines with OHLE, road overbridges were protected by a horizontal grille extending above the wires for perhaps a metre. This would prevent stuff being thrown on to the wires. Is this an alternative to high parapets?
Potentially, depends what the risks are judged to be at each location. Also another alternative would be transparent parapets.
 

Bald Rick

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And to stop photography, as few photographers are 7 ft tall, which is why many of us carry a pair of steps with us! When I was last in France I noticed that, on lines with OHLE, road overbridges were protected by a horizontal grille extending above the wires for perhaps a metre. This would prevent stuff being thrown on to the wires. Is this an alternative to high parapets?

it is a permitted solution here. But it’s something else to maintain, and has the potential to fall on the track. A higher parapet is just a bit more parapet!
 

Mark24

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Doomed houses at Calvert, next to bridge. Not a good picture of them- part of one is on extreme left as I was aiming at the HS2 sign and mostly got the next house. The pair had an unusual angle in the middle and looked too modern to be the station master's house.
Edit: Google Satellite clearly shows the kinked semi. Where is the old station-master's house - on the other side of the road?
If those are the houses on the south side of the bridge then the station master’s house is on the other side of the road. It’s a detached building with a conservatory on the side.
 

Trainee9

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If those are the houses on the south side of the bridge then the station master’s house is on the other side of the road. It’s a detached building with a conservatory on the side.
Google Satellite View shows clearly a house answering that description in that position. It did not get my attention when I stopped there. Seems that EWR HS2 don't want any habitations that close to their working railway.
 
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swt_passenger

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Google Satellite View shows clearly a house answering that description in that position. It did not get my attention when I stopped there. Seems that EWR don't want any habitations that close to their working railway.
The former Calvert station and its immediate vicinity is not an EWR issue, it’s on the HS2 route. If it wasn’t for HS2 there’d have been no change at Calvert at all.
 

Mark24

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1660470353200.jpeg

1660470402247.jpeg

Photo of New track coming out of Bicester, under Charbridge Lane Bridge and off to Launton.
Not sure how far it extends. Will have a look next time I’m passing.
 

Nottingham59

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New track coming out of Bicester, under Charbridge Lane Bridge and off to Launton.
Latest video from 'Trains,Planes, Phones and Drones ,GRM production' on YouTube as of yesterday
With track laid to at least Charbridge Lane from the west, and to Mursley from the east, I reckon that's a good third of the route from Bicester to Bletchley has now got railway laid, even if only single track in places.
 

Snow1964

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Government has just published review (dated April 2021)

We have considered the reasons for continuing to spend on CS1 and are content that it is appropriate, given that:

  • it is affordable within the CP6 portfolio
  • HMT has now approved proceeding with CS1 and entry into target price contract and ministers remain committed to delivering CS2 and CS3, which are important to unlock CS1 benefits
  • cross-government ministers have emphasised the importance of the Arc and EWR’s part to aid UK recovery
  • although the level 2 BCR for CS1 is below 1, we are satisfied that, on the basis of the strength of the strategic case for the overall programme and the wider benefits not captured by the cost-benefit analysis the expenditure is likely to represent satisfactory value for money. It will however be essential to ensure that delivery and governance arrangements are in place to ensure the government’s wider goals in relation to the Oxford to Cambridge Arc can be achieved.
Permanent Secretary, DfT

Chief Executive, EWR Co

21 April 2021

 

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