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

[cle]

Would a curve face the Winslow direction, and another face the Bicester direction?

Aylesbury VP - is a second platform being built? Might this be useful for future extensions to the current service regardless?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Would a curve face the Winslow direction, and another face the Bicester direction?

Only the Winslow direction I expect, there's no plan for Oxford<->Aylesbury services.

Aylesbury VP - is a second platform being built? Might this be useful for future extensions to the current service regardless?

AVP is designed for an EWR platform to be built onto the other side of the current London "bay", creating an island platform. That's one reason why it's not on the same side as the building, though the other reason is that Chiltern is mirror based DOO and if it was on the other side it'd curve slightly the wrong way and might make dispatch of a long train difficult.

 

[snowball]

Would a curve face the Winslow direction, and another face the Bicester direction?

Definitely no curve towards Bicester. Apart from the fact that no service is proposed, HS2 would be in the way.

 

[swt_passenger]

Definitely no curve towards Bicester. Apart from the fact that no service is proposed, HS2 would be in the way.

I doubt if anyone has ever seriously looked at it.

 

[zwk500]

I doubt if anyone has ever seriously looked at it.

Yes, although it's an interesting thought experiment to guess if that's because the service wouldn't have been worth looking from a commercial/social benefits point of view at or simply because there wasn't an old curve to think about putting back.

 

[cle]

I was thinking about freight too actually - I’m not sure what passenger use it would be.

 

[DavidGrain]

I was thinking about freight too actually - I’m not sure what passenger use it would be.

If you think about freight you need to look at likely freight flows and the existing track layouts. If you think about the connecting lines they would all run to or from the south. Traffic from the south would come in from Princes Risborough through Aylesbury. Your suggested curve would then take the freight to Oxford again heading south. The only possible use of that curve that I can think of would be waste trains to the new facility to be built at Calvert which would require new sources of waste for processing.

 

[zwk500]

I was thinking about freight too actually - I’m not sure what passenger use it would be.

What freight use do you see for it? The only terminal to serve is Calvert, you'd need a lot of trains using the curve to justify the cost over simply routing a freight from Hinksey to Calvert via Birmingham and Bletchley.

 

[12LDA28C]

It would presumably be somewhat more cost effective to stop a train that is going to run through the station anyway than it would be to run a train especially for the event though?

It's a heritage station with facilities which are not up to modern standards. Delaying a timetabled service train by adding in an additional stop at Quainton, even on just a few days a year is extremely unlikely to happen.

simply routing a freight from Hinksey to Calvert via Birmingham and Bletchley.

That's a hell of a diversion. Simpler would be to run the waste train top-and-tail and reverse in Claydon loop, or run round with a single loco.

 

[Meerkat]

The stub to the HS2 IMD will go, the Claydon Loops themselves are permanent.

The link to HS2 IMD isn’t permanent? I assumed that was how HS2 would get its materials for ongoing maintenance in, or is there not much of that for slabbed track?

 

[Andyjs247]

Quite. It would be crazy *not* to make the link here permanent even if it will not be in daily use. Apart from Handsacre where else does HS2 physically link to the rest of the network anywhere to the south? HS1 has similar links at St Pancras Maintenance Siding to the MML and via Silo Curve to the NLL.

 

[The Planner]

The link to HS2 IMD isn’t permanent? I assumed that was how HS2 would get its materials for ongoing maintenance in, or is there not much of that for slabbed track?

It might well be permanent now, but originally it was going to be treated as a construction siding. Much like the proposed 2A one at Stone, and a temporary one at Washwood Heath to bring track and OLE in. There is no reason why you cannot bring engineering trains at night and park them up either at Washwood Heath or Calvert from Handsacre. Its not as though NR engineering trains don't do the same thing from Hinksey, Bescot, Kingmoor, Crewe, Westbury etc to wherever the job is.

 

[Meerkat]

It might well be permanent now, but originally it was going to be treated as a construction siding. Much like the proposed 2A one at Stone, and a temporary one at Washwood Heath to bring track and OLE in. There is no reason why you cannot bring engineering trains at night and park them up either at Washwood Heath or Calvert from Handsacre. Its not as though NR engineering trains don't do the same thing from Hinksey, Bescot, Kingmoor, Crewe, Westbury etc to wherever the job is.

The speed difference will be a bit more on HS2!

 

[Andyjs247]

The speed difference will be a bit more on HS2!

It would but it would still run as a Class 6 and would be a lot of extra time and distance to get to where they need to be if it’s anywhere south.

 

[The Planner]

The speed difference will be a bit more on HS2!

You don't run it in HS2 service times.

 

[Meerkat]

You don't run it in HS2 service times.

Sure but doesn’t it mean you lose valuable time between service ending and actual work taking place if you have to wait for engineering trains pass to Calvert before starting work?

 

[swt_passenger]

I’m not really sure what HS2’s possible future engineering works policy has to do with EWR construction. Even if the points that are currently being installed cease to be needed after a while they’ll probably just be left in situ anyway…

 

[12LDA28C]

Chiltern is mirror based DOO and if it was on the other side it'd curve slightly the wrong way and might make dispatch of a long train difficult.

Plenty of locations on the Chiltern route that use monitors for DOO dispatch and indeed it's very unlikely that any new station or platform would be constructed with mirrors installed for DOO dispatch, monitors are the new standard. Even Little Kimble now has monitors.

 

[The Planner]

Sure but doesn’t it mean you lose valuable time between service ending and actual work taking place if you have to wait for engineering trains pass to Calvert before starting work?

Its how it works now during normal engineering works on NR lines. The trains still have to get to the possession.

 

[work-traveller]

The link to HS2 IMD isn’t permanent? I assumed that was how HS2 would get its materials for ongoing maintenance in, or is there not much of that for slabbed track?

There is a permanent link from the OXD loop into the HS2 IMD, for delivery/removal purposes. There is also a permanent link from the HS2 mainline into the IMD, for infrastructure maintenance.

I doubt if anyone has ever seriously looked at it.

A Bicester facing loop had multiple options developed - all expensive, space consumptive and disruptive to the HS2 proposals/timeline.

 

[DavidGrain]

There is a permanent link from the OXD loop into the HS2 IMD, for delivery/removal purposes.

What do you mean by OXD Loop? If you mean EWR, track laying was completed only a few weeks ago and the line is not yet operational. If you mean the line from Aylesbury, that is currently severed at Quainton and will need to be re-instated to access HS2 Depot.

 

[The Planner]

What do you mean by OXD Loop? If you mean EWR, track laying was completed only a few weeks ago and the line is not yet operational. If you mean the line from Aylesbury, that is currently severed at Quainton and will need to be re-instated to access HS2 Depot.

Claydon loops on the main E-W line.

 

[snowball]

Press release

MEDIA INVITE: ‘East meets West’: rail project connects Oxford with Bletchley for first time in 50 years

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

WHAT: An event to mark the coming together of the tracks on Connection Stage One (CS1) of the East West Rail project. The final section of track connecting Bicester and Bletchley will be laid Thursday (7 March) as part of the East West Rail (EWR) project to improve rail connectivity between Cambridge and Oxford. The project began by rebuilding Bletchley flyover, the first phase of the track work started in 2021. Since then 66 kilometres of new track has been laid. Passenger services are expected to start next year.

WHEN: Thursday 7 March 13:30-15:40 (16:30 if station visit included)

WHERE: B1 compound by level crossing, Queen Catherine Road, Steeple Claydon, MK18 2ER

CONTACT ON THE DAY: Lucy Greggs (Network Rail senior communications manager) 07395385582

INTERVIEWEES:

Huw Merriman, Rail Minister (please contact Jake Alexander, Press Officer - Department for Transport 07977695958)
Eoin O’Neil, Director for Capital Delivery at Network Rail
Beth West, CEO, East West Railway Company
Mark Cuzner, EWR Alliance Director

WHAT THERE IS TO FILM ON THE DAY:

Ceremony to commemorate the completion of track laying between Bicester and Bletchley for Connection Stage One (CS1) of East West Rail, Rail minister to ‘clip’ track together
Access to site where the final section of track has been laid
An option for a visit to Winslow station

PROJECT STATS AND FACTS:

Use of a New Track Construction train (NTC) to install up to 85 per cent of track
63 shifts completed with the NTC, one shift achieving 1.4km of new track in ten hours
Delivering all track materials via rail rather than lorries, reducing traffic and carbon emissions
66,353 metres of track laid
99,320 railway sleepers laid
267,266 tonnes of ballast (railway stones) used
18 units switches and crossings (that help trains to switch tracks)
427 rails delivered by Long Welded Rail Train (LWRT) totalling 216 metres in length

SAFETY INFORMATION/EQUIPMENT: This is a working site, so reporters and camera crews will always need to be accompanied and must follow the safety instructions from those on site.

On arrival detailed safety briefing will be given before accessing the site. Full personal protective equipment (PPE) of hi visibility jacket, trousers, hard hat will be provided. As steel toecap boots are in limited supply please bring your own if you have them.

HOW TO CONFIRM ATTENDANCE: Please confirm attendance by emailing [email protected] or calling 07395385582 no later than 2pm on Wednesday 6 March with PPE, shoe sizes and car registrations.

 

[zwk500]

Press release

MEDIA INVITE: ‘East meets West’: rail project connects Oxford with Bletchley for first time in 50 years

Information for journalists, press, bloggers and the media about Network Rail. Contact the press office to receive news, updates, press releases, videos, pictures, and factsheets, and to arrange interviews, filming and photography

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Is it normal for an event like this to have it's contact/registration details published so publicly?

 

[snowball]

Another press release - the media event in #1553 having now happened.

‘East meets West’: rail project connects Oxford with Bletchley for first time in 50 years

Major track milestone completed on Connection Stage One (CS1) of East West Rail project Rail minister connects final section of rail at Steeple Claydon Engineering landmark paves way for passenger services to start from 2025

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Region & Route:
North West & Central: West Coast Mainline South

Major track milestone completed on Connection Stage One (CS1) of East West Rail project
Rail minister connects final section of rail at Steeple Claydon
Engineering landmark paves way for passenger services to start from 2025

The final section of track connecting Bicester and Bletchley has been laid today (Thursday 7 March) as part of the East West Rail (EWR) project to improve rail connectivity between Cambridge and Oxford. The project began by rebuilding Bletchley flyover, the first phase of the track work started in 2021. Since then 66 kilometres of new track has been laid. Passenger services are expected to start next year.

Once up and running, the new service will provide a fast sustainable transport option for local communities improving connectivity between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, reducing travel times and providing better access to jobs, healthcare and education.

The fully Government-funded programme is being delivered by the East West Rail Alliance (EWRA) which is a collaboration of four organisations including Network Rail, AtkinsRéalis, Laing O'Rourke and VolkerRail. Close collaboration with Network Rail’s Supply Chain Operations (SCO) team and supply chain partners has allowed EWRA to overcome challenges such as industrial action and national material shortages.

Key features of the first phase of the project have included:

Use of a New Track Construction train (NTC) to install up to 85 per cent of track
63 shifts completed with the NTC, one shift achieving 1.4km of new track in ten hours
Delivering all track materials via rail rather than lorries, reducing traffic and carbon emissions
66,353 metres of track laid
99,320 railway sleepers laid
267,266 tonnes of ballast (railway stones) used
18 switches and crossings (that help trains to switch tracks)
427 rails delivered by Long Welded Rail Train (LWRT) totalling 216 metres in length

East West Rail Alliance is on track to hand over the project to Network Rail later in 2024, with remaining work this year including the installation of signalling, testing and the construction of Winslow station. Passenger services are due to start from 2025.

 

[swt_passenger]

Some pretty inaccurate English, (or maths), in the facts and figures as is so often the case. Presumably nobody sense checks anything before publication.

”427 rails delivered by Long Welded Rail Train (LWRT) totalling 216 metres in length”.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Some pretty inaccurate English, (or maths), in the facts and figures as is so often the case. Presumably nobody sense checks anything before publication.

”427 rails delivered by Long Welded Rail Train (LWRT) totalling 216 metres in length”.

Also I thought the last stock movement or charter from Oxford to Bletchley was around 1997, which isn't 50 years ago.

 

[Boodiggy]

Some pretty inaccurate English, (or maths), in the facts and figures as is so often the case. Presumably nobody sense checks anything before publication.

”427 rails delivered by Long Welded Rail Train (LWRT) totalling 216 metres in length”.

That is every rail being 216m
That is the length it is when it leaves the factory. So 16 rails gives you just over a mile of track (both rails) or 32 if you include both the Up and Down.

 

[swt_passenger]

That is every rail being 216m
That is the length it is when it leaves the factory. So 16 rails gives you just over a mile of track (both rails) or 32 if you include both the Up and Down.

I know. The correct statement should therefore have been 427 x 216m rails totalling about 92 km or 57 miles. Their wording is equivalent to someone saying they’ve just replaced 20 fence panels with a total length of 6 feet.

But even then if you divide by 2 for single track length, you get 46 km, or divide by 4 for double track length, that’s only 23 km, so you end up with a completely different total length to the 66 km they listed earlier…

 

[Starmill]

Is there a public statement confirming a service between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central anywhere, please? Or is it still a possibility that the initial service would be 1tph Oxford - Bletchley? As it's likely over a year to go I guess there is still scope for things to shift.