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

[Sun Chariot]

After many years of driving past the line, today was the first time I saw this signal lit up

That's excellent, thanks. I didn't wander up to the overbridge, so I didn't spot the signal was operational. I can't wait to see traffic return to the line.

 

[12LDA28C]

That's excellent, thanks. I didn't wander up to the overbridge, so I didn't spot the signal was operational. I can't wait to see traffic return to the line.

Me neither, although when exactly that might be is open to conjecture.

 

[Benjwri]

Track laying is 99% complete, the NTC has finished its work apparently (Source: @VolkerRailUK)

Track laying of the first connection stage of East West Rail (EWR) is now 99% complete, after the NTC train completed its 58th and final shift, installing 942m of track using 1,449 sleepers. bit.ly/3GJLc3s
#cando #rail #EWR @networkrail, @atkinsrealis and @Laing_ORourke

 

[richieb1971]

A bit off topic but something that would boost passenger numbers no end on this line. UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

I have to assume Ewr will jump on this for their marketing spin and I cannot believe it won't have some kind of spur.

Universal Studios Great Britain — Possible Location Revealed for UK Theme Park

Rumors for a new Universal theme park coming to the United Kingdom seem to be backed up by the company purchasing land in England

orlandoparkstop.com

 

[The Planner]

A bit off topic but something that would boost passenger numbers no end on this line. UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

I have to assume Ewr will jump on this for their marketing spin and I cannot believe it won't have some kind of spur.

Universal Studios Great Britain — Possible Location Revealed for UK Theme Park

Rumors for a new Universal theme park coming to the United Kingdom seem to be backed up by the company purchasing land in England

orlandoparkstop.com

I can, it will just get a bigger station.

 

[BlueLeanie]

A bit off topic but something that would boost passenger numbers no end on this line. UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

Just came here to raise awareness and you got there first.

The BBC refers to 480 acres of land at Stewartby. Which appears to straddle the E-W line. There is clearly a lot of post industrial land around there though and I don't have the local knowledge.

Even if it's simply close by, it's going to mean that the East West Link will cover three of the UK's biggest tourist attractions (Oxford, Bicester Village and a potential Universal Theme Park). One day it might reach Cambridge too.

 

[snowball]

The BBC refers to 480 acres of land at Stewartby. Which appears to straddle the E-W line. There is clearly a lot of post industrial land around there though and I don't have the local knowledge.

It'll probably be former brickfields. Bedfordshire is where the bricks came from to build London.

 

[richieb1971]

It states Kempston Hardwick which had a brickworks which closed 1980 ish. Its been brown land since unused. Looking at this pic it stretches all the way to Kempston in the East and tip of Stewartby on the west.

Breaking news: Universal Studios confirm they are planning a theme park in Bedford Borough - Bedford Independent

Excitement has been building in and around Bedford over the last 24 hours after a respected theme park website reported on evidence...

www.bedfordindependent.co.uk

Rumours which have now been confirmed to the Bedford Independent by Universal Destinations and Experiences – show that Universal Studios’ parent company, Comcast, purchased a construction company called Cloud Wing UK Limited in 2023.

This purchase brings a 240-acre parcel of land titled “Kempston Hardwick New Settlement” with it.

The land, which is close to public transport links to Bedford and, crucially, the M1 had already been suggested as a possible site for a business park, with several projects previously being put forward.

Market research company, IBIS World reports that income in the UK amusement & theme park sector has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.1% over the past five years, and reached an estimated £972.7m in 2023.
Employment opportunities for the area would also be in the thousands. While it’s not known how many would be employed at Universal Studios, as a guide Alton Towers employs 2,500 people.
Visitors to the area would also bring in significant income using local transport and hotels. Harry Potter World has attracted 16 million visitors since it opened in 2012, with up to 6,000 visitors a day during peak times.
Theme park fan, James Block, told the Bedford Independent: “Even though it’s extremely early days, as a lifelong Bedfordshire resident and theme park fan, it would be amazing news for the area, a massive boost to the local economy, and make Bedford the place to be.
“People travel from all over the world to visit Universal Parks. Seeing Bedford listed alongside Hollywood, Orlando, Beijing, Osaka and Singapore is amazing.”


Wixams station is going mid bottom of the map pic as well on the Thameslink line.










×

 

[Steve Harris]

It'll probably be former brickfields. Bedfordshire is where the bricks came from to build London.

Not just Bedfordshire. You also had Cambridgeshire aswell (Peterborough and surrounding area).

 

[zwk500]

A bit off topic but something that would boost passenger numbers no end on this line. UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

I have to assume Ewr will jump on this for their marketing spin and I cannot believe it won't have some kind of spur.

Why would you pay for an additional spur when the site is essentially adjacent to the line? The Harry Potter studios tour has a Shuttle Bus from Watford Junction, does anybody have stats on the road vs rail usage for that attraction?

 

[fishwomp]

[..] UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

I have to assume Ewr will jump on this for their marketing spin and I cannot believe it won't have some kind of spur.

There's been talk about a loop before on the line? Could be roller coaster style now

 

[richieb1971]

Why would you pay for an additional spur when the site is essentially adjacent to the line? The Harry Potter studios tour has a Shuttle Bus from Watford Junction, does anybody have stats on the road vs rail usage for that attraction?

If even 10% of the traffic goes by train you'll need more than a couple of 4 car units every 30 minutes. The Vale line services will be impacted as well. It will be interesting to see how its handled. I recently went to the Universal park in Osaka Japan and the trains were rammed with people.

 

[zwk500]

If even 10% of the traffic goes by train you'll need more than a couple of 4 car units every 30 minutes. The Vale line services will be impacted as well. It will be interesting to see how its handled.

Expect Universal to contribute towards a bigger station, maybe an additional Bletchley-facing bay. But not much more. I would imagine a fair chunk of the 240 acres will be car parking.

I recently went to the Universal park in Osaka Japan and the trains were rammed with people.

That's in Japan, where people trust that the trains will run exactly to time. From a brief google maps survey, it also appears to be right in the middle of an Urban area with a highway connection shared with the port and limited space for vast car parks.

 

[DJ_K666]

An article in the New Civil Engineer reports track laying between Bicester and Bletchley to be 99%complete. I'm guessing they've got a team behind welding and one doing track circuits etc. It's a piece of good news anyway.

Expect Universal to contribute towards a bigger station, maybe an additional Bletchley-facing bay. But not much more. I would imagine a fair chunk of the 240 acres will be car parking.

That's in Japan, where people trust that the trains will run exactly to time. From a brief google maps survey, it also appears to be right in the middle of an Urban area with a highway connection shared with the port and limited space for vast car parks.

They've got a very different idea of what constitutes 'on time' in Japan. In my view for, say, a 10:00 departure from any given station anything between 10:00:01 and 10:00:29 constitutes 'On Time' but I think the difference is cultural.

 

[swt_passenger]

An article in the New Civil Engineer reports track laying between Bicester and Bletchley to be 99%complete. I'm guessing they've got a team behind welding and one doing track circuits etc. It's a piece of good news anyway.

There was also an X/twitter report with photos about this from Volker Rail, it was linked in post #1413 earlier, but might have been missed because of the coverage of the Universal stuff.

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder that any post which is referring to any external content, should have a link to the content (wherever possible), as well as a quote of the content (in quote tags, using the quote button) in addition to a comment.

Furthermore, this thread is for actual railway construction updates; anything that is of a speculative nature belongs in the Speculative Discussion section please. Any comparisons with other railways also belong elsewhere please. We do welcome such posts, in appropriate threads, but not in infrastructure update threads.

If anyone has any questions, please contact us directly.

Thanks

 

[EIKN]

A bit off topic but something that would boost passenger numbers no end on this line. UNIVERSAL studios has stated they want to build a theme park I presume at the Kempston Hardwick brickyard site.

I have to assume Ewr will jump on this for their marketing spin and I cannot believe it won't have some kind of spur.

Universal Studios Great Britain — Possible Location Revealed for UK Theme Park

Rumors for a new Universal theme park coming to the United Kingdom seem to be backed up by the company purchasing land in England

orlandoparkstop.com

I agree that this could be rail served , similar to how in Florida, Disneyworld, Epcot and I think other parks are served by rail , or monorail ( it's a log time since I looked ), and I believe, Disneyland Paris is also rail served .
However I think a spur is maybe over kill , but perhaps a parkway station , with bus links to the park, mirroring the train time tables , only thing is you'd likely need extra ' tourist trains ' slotted in among the regular services between biscter and Bedford , as it clearly will swallow up the line between Milton Keynes and Bedford . Hence the upper station of the new raised section at bletchley , to allow EWR services to continue to Bedford .( On a side note , they will likely need to extend platforms or do as was done on the Cotswold line from Oxford , prior to redoubling , and the platform extensions, and have selective door opening)
Anyway back on subject , this new line has much potential, and a parkway station for the theme park would likely be helpful, there maybe other sections that may benefit from passing loops for freight, and additional stations on the future.
But for now , if the theme park needs a rail connection, then that would seem to be the best solution. It's been done elsewhere , eg the reopened Inverness airport station , which is a short bus ride from the trains to the terminal , it's got ample parking , so these kind of stations can work .

It states Kempston Hardwick which had a brickworks which closed 1980 ish. Its been brown land since unused. Looking at this pic it stretches all the way to Kempston in the East and tip of Stewartby on the west.

View attachment 148811

Breaking news: Universal Studios confirm they are planning a theme park in Bedford Borough - Bedford Independent

Excitement has been building in and around Bedford over the last 24 hours after a respected theme park website reported on evidence...

www.bedfordindependent.co.uk

Rumours which have now been confirmed to the Bedford Independent by Universal Destinations and Experiences – show that Universal Studios’ parent company, Comcast, purchased a construction company called Cloud Wing UK Limited in 2023.

This purchase brings a 240-acre parcel of land titled “Kempston Hardwick New Settlement” with it.

The land, which is close to public transport links to Bedford and, crucially, the M1 had already been suggested as a possible site for a business park, with several projects previously being put forward.

Market research company, IBIS World reports that income in the UK amusement & theme park sector has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.1% over the past five years, and reached an estimated £972.7m in 2023.
Employment opportunities for the area would also be in the thousands. While it’s not known how many would be employed at Universal Studios, as a guide Alton Towers employs 2,500 people.
Visitors to the area would also bring in significant income using local transport and hotels. Harry Potter World has attracted 16 million visitors since it opened in 2012, with up to 6,000 visitors a day during peak times.
Theme park fan, James Block, told the Bedford Independent: “Even though it’s extremely early days, as a lifelong Bedfordshire resident and theme park fan, it would be amazing news for the area, a massive boost to the local economy, and make Bedford the place to be.
“People travel from all over the world to visit Universal Parks. Seeing Bedford listed alongside Hollywood, Orlando, Beijing, Osaka and Singapore is amazing.”


Wixams station is going mid bottom of the map pic as well on the Thameslink line.










×

I just noticed the map shown here if the new theme park and other developments, but also noted how close the EWR and Thameslink lines are, is there any benefit to potentially have a linkline ( double track ) between the two ? May sound strange , but could allow additional services into London or even Thameslink using EWR to maybe serve Oxford or Bedford ( if they don't already serve Bedford ) EWR will likely have ample room for extra services and other operators to run services .
Eg GWR from Oxford and points west to link for example, Milton Keynes .
Forgive my lack of knowledge if this is not something that would work .
But as we are beginning to see that the push toward electric cars, is not going to give the same freedom of private cars , as fossil fuel vehicles , so with that in mind , I think we will see increased use of the railways .
I did actually read elsewhere and in one rail magazine, that indeed , expanding rail services, will be needed very soon, as more people switch to the trains .
Given how expensive, car ownership is getting , not to mention ever more Draconian road laws .
It's as if we've come full circle , and the car boom of the 60's has now burnt out .
The costs of parking , people being charged to park at places of work , traffic congestion , that makes electric vehicles less useful as jams would vastly reduce their range.
Buses won't be the answer , as they'd be stuck in the same jams .
So the railways will be very much needed in coming years , more reopenings , and more operators , using lines like EWR or cross country for example , giving more capacity to give people a better alternative to the car.
I for one if visiting Edinburgh always take the train for example .
Parking is crazy expensive, and the jams are a nightmare .
Trains on the other hand are generally smoother , and a nicer way of getting about .

 

[12LDA28C]

I agree that this could be rail served , similar to how in Florida, Disneyworld, Epcot and I think other parks are served by rail , or monorail ( it's a log time since I looked ), and I believe, Disneyland Paris is also rail served .

I don't believe Disneyworld or Epcot in Florida are rail served, but they do have an internal monorail system to transport visitors between the various Disney parks. They also have a narrow-gauge steam train but I suspect that's not what you meant. Anyway, back on topic...

 

[vuzzeho]

I’m not sure if this is unusual or totally normal, but I was driving past the line near Newton Longville and I noticed that one of the signals was showing a yellow. Is that to be expected?

 

[12LDA28C]

I’m not sure if this is unusual or totally normal, but I was driving past the line near Newton Longville and I noticed that one of the signals was showing a yellow. Is that to be expected?

If it's a distant signal yes, as that's its most restrictive aspect. Was there a plate on the signal?

 

[vuzzeho]

If it's a distant signal yes, as that's its most restrictive aspect. Was there a plate on the signal?

I don’t remember if there was a plate on it - I saw it for a brief time. What do you mean by distant, though?

 

[12LDA28C]

I don’t remember if there was a plate on it - I saw it for a brief time. What do you mean by distant, though?

A signal that cannot display a 'stop' aspect, i.e. red. It might be a two-aspect signal that can only show a yellow or green, so a 'distant' or 'repeater' signal which gives an indication of what aspect your next signal is showing.

 

[vuzzeho]

A signal that cannot display a 'stop' aspect, i.e. red. It might be a two-aspect signal that can only show a yellow or green, so a 'distant' or 'repeater' signal which gives an indication of what aspect your next signal is showing.

Ah, yeah I think it was that. Thanks!

Also, do we have a ballpark figure for when we’ll be seeing test trains starting to run? I read somewhere (a while ago, admittedly) that CrossCountry would run on EWR. Is there any truth to that?

 

[12LDA28C]

Ah, yeah I think it was that. Thanks!

Also, do we have a ballpark figure for when we’ll be seeing test trains starting to run?

Testing should start late summer next year. Passenger trains potentially in May 2025.

 

[fishwomp]

Testing should start late summer next year. Passenger trains potentially in May 2025.

Am wondering if any workings have yet done the full length of the line.. a ballast train or such likes coming in from one end and going out the other, or even a loco that brought something from Oxford end running to (say) Bletchley to run round.

 

[swt_passenger]

Am wondering if any workings have yet done the full length of the line.. a ballast train or such likes coming in from one end and going out the other, or even a loco that brought something from Oxford end running to (say) Bletchley to run round.

I‘d been wondering if either the penultimate or the very last visit of the new track construction machine, (NTC), might have been effectively a through journey. For instance, for the eastbound shift that filled the down line gap in the vicinity of the HS2 bridge, the NTC would have reached the “join” with both locos at the rear, with the transit wagon behind. It would probably have made more sense to rearrange the consist for departure/travel in the already completed loop just in front, rather than reverse it at walking pace all the way back to the Bicester temporary crossover, which apparently would take a few hours. It looks like the last NTC visit arrived from Bletchley, although it may also have been able to depart in either direction.

 

[zwk500]

I‘d been wondering if either the penultimate or the very last visit of the new track construction machine, (NTC), might have been effectively a through journey. For instance, for the eastbound shift that filled the down line gap in the vicinity of the HS2 bridge, the NTC would have reached the “join” with both locos at the rear, with the transit wagon behind. It would probably have made more sense to rearrange the consist for departure/travel in the already completed loop just in front, rather than reverse it at walking pace all the way back to the Bicester temporary crossover, which apparently would take a few hours. It looks like the last NTC visit arrived from Bletchley, although it may also have been able to depart in either direction.

I suspect it would have returned in the same direction as it arrived. Its not impossible, but crew, stabling, and turning of the train would have been concerns.
However it's very possible tampers might run through, depending on their next jobs.

 

[Class 170101]

I’m not sure if this is unusual or totally normal, but I was driving past the line near Newton Longville and I noticed that one of the signals was showing a yellow. Is that to be expected?

The line appears to be being planned for Track Circuit Block Regulations so potentially the next signal would be at red. Headway shown as four minutes in the Planning Rules. Whether NR should be planning and building a new line to operate using Absolute Block Signalling seems unwise.

Expect Universal to contribute towards a bigger station, maybe an additional Bletchley-facing bay.

Why do you say a Bletchley facing bay? Surely most demand is likely to come from the Bedford direction (to / from London via MML) rather than from Bletchley? In any event didn't EWR have two services terminating at Bedford from Cambridge - surely you would extend these into such a bay if ever built which I cannot see happening to be honest.

 

[12LDA28C]

The line appears to be being planned for Track Circuit Block Regulations so potentially the next signal would be at red. Headway shown as four minutes in the Planning Rules. Whether NR should be planning and building a new line to operate using Absolute Block Signalling seems unwise.

What has absolute block got to do with the original question asked? Clearly EWR will not be absolute block.

 

[mr_jrt]

Why do you say a Bletchley facing bay? Surely most demand is likely to come from the Bedford direction (to / from London via MML) rather than from Bletchley? In any event didn't EWR have two services terminating at Bedford from Cambridge - surely you would extend these into such a bay if ever built which I cannot see happening to be honest.

Not saying it's worthwhile doing, but presumably if you wanted to future proof a station like this in anticipation of massive demand, then building it as a pair of island platforms with one or two central through lines you could terminate in (or just have increased dwells with potential for overtaking) from either direction would be the most flexible?