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

swt_passenger

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Which way would any platform extensions for 8/12 car trains go? Presumably from the northern end? Given the viaduct works, would it have made sense to have built if nothing else, at least the foundations for them into the new structures?
An extension to that sort of length would have to be mostly to the south because the junction is too close to the north end of the platforms. I think a 12 car platform is very difficult, so long as branches towards Milton Keynes and Bedford exist.
 
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The Planner

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Which way would any platform extensions for 8/12 car trains go? Presumably from the northern end? Given the viaduct works, would it have made sense to have built if nothing else, at least the foundations for them into the new structures?

An extension to that sort of length would have to be mostly to the south because the junction is too close to the north end of the platforms. I think a 12 car platform is very difficult, so long as branches towards Milton Keynes and Bedford exist.
It would also probably mean moving two signals as the turnback and the up platform (8) signals are at the end of the platforms. You might be able to extend towards the junction a tiny bit as you have about 30m to play with, but you would need to be careful with the down junction signal.
 

mr_jrt

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Whoops, I fell into the same trap as those renders! o_O I meant south, over the flyover, precisely because of the junction, and because that was the bit that is new build, so had the opportunity for any alterations.
 

QueensCurve

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They also got rid of dangerous support pillars in the 10 foot. They possibly no longer meet new build standards.

Worth noting that BR took a very similar approach for the Rugby grade separation back in the Sixties, although this is one track over three, with supports in the ten-foot, so much smaller.


Bridge piers in the 6 foot or 10 foot are likely to be viewed as dangerous following the Eschede derailment.
 

Trainee9

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Bletchley Viaduct: some steelwork has appeared at the site of the planned high level station. There is a steel platform cantilevered out from the side of the concrete viaduct. Further along are a frame with foundations at the upper ground level and with a horizontal beam (west side, pic1019) and some vertical columns with angled stays (east side, pic1018).
 

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Kingham West

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I took these yesterday morning 13th sept ), the steelwork is very clearly shown, the whole project is progressing rather well.
 

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DarloRich

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I noticed on my recent visit to the bottom end of Bletchley that steel work for what I assume is the station structure is starting to appear on the flyover.

I also noticed a foundation/footing next to the existing platform bridge that I assume is for support for an extended bridge to the new high level platforms.

I took these yesterday morning 13th sept ), the steelwork is very clearly shown, the whole project is progressing rather well.

that was you buzzing about as it? Keep the noise down next time ;) ( good shots)

Looking at the photo, it really would be useful to put in a north facing chord.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <(<(<(<(<(<(<(<(<(<( ;)

And the Photo highlights just how destructive it would be.
One from the other side would show that better but agreed!
 

swt_passenger

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The recent photos of the steelwork for the platforms show quite well how they are not going to put any significant weight on the existing concrete viaduct sections. It was mentioned in the planning application, but it’s still interesting to see how it’s been achieved.
 
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Trainee9

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I took these yesterday morning 13th sept ), the steelwork is very clearly shown, the whole project is progressing rather well.
If you look at the second image in post #217 and zoom in, some interesting detail of the Box over the mainline and of the top of the former Cable & Wireless building can be seen.
 
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Bletchley Viaduct: Some scaffolding has appeared at the north-eastern corner of the Box, suggesting that the wedge-shaped connection to the viaduct is going to be cast in situ. On the span by the Buckingham Road, some oddly bulky parapet blocks have appeared on the east side. They look like they would topple off if not secured in place.
Update Tuesday: Yesterday a green heavy duty crane could be seen at the south-western end of the Water Eaton Road compound. This morning several beams were in place across the final gap (image 1001), and two more waiting on lorries to be lifted.
My delivery route is Bletchley and I go through the viaduct every day and I look at this edging and think they must be doing something up there to hold them secure - and yet when you see the lorries bringing them in there doesn't appear to be anything obvious to do that.

Also, there appears to be the start of a lift tower at the southern end of the platform area going up
 

Trainee9

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Bletchley Viaduct: work continues at various points. The top surface of the Box and the viaduct now shows white (concrete) on aerial photos rather than dark (forest of rebar loops on top of beams). The triangular section joining the Box to the northern viaduct is becoming more complete, most of the heavy-looking parapet blocks are now in place on new sections of viaduct to north and south, and steelwork is going up at the site of the new high-level station. While hard to see at ground level, it looks like the trackbed diagonally across the Box will be confined by high concrete sides.
Pictures taken Saturday 25th (1025, 1026,1030)
Pictures 1031,1032 taken Thurs 30th.
 

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swt_passenger

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My delivery route is Bletchley and I go through the viaduct every day and I look at this edging and think they must be doing something up there to hold them secure - and yet when you see the lorries bringing them in there doesn't appear to be anything obvious to do that.
A good question - I wonder if they’re glued o_O, drilled and dowelled in situ.
(Using some specialised industrial concrete adhesive, rather than something from B&Q!)
 

Trainee9

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A good question - I wonder if they’re glued o_O, drilled and dowelled in situ.
(Using some specialised industrial concrete adhesive, rather than something from B&Q!)
The parapet blocks I saw at ground level had protruding rebar loops along one edge, presumably intended to be incorporated into concrete once in place.
 

richieb1971

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Nice little presentation there. Will be great to see some tracks machines working the new track when its laid in November.
 

Tobbes

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Fascinating presentation, thanks very much for posting it.
 

swt_passenger

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Fascinating presentation, thanks very much for posting it.
Interesting take aways were that the Flyover had so many differently designed sections, and in the Q&A someone raised a very relevant question about how many other concrete structures might have problems…
 

alf

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Thanks to poster above for giving us the superb PW Institute Richard Molloy presentation.

I was an armchair cynic before, thinking it wasteful to remove the 1960 structure across the WCML.
Now I realise the replacement was essential & that there may be other potentially risky bridges(although Richard Molloy did not say that).

The structure carrying the up slow over the fast tracks between Wimbledon & Earlsfield immediately comes to mind;
Nearly 86 years old & looking exactly as it did when built by the Southern railway in 1936. (also the vintage Ilford flyover)

The consequences of a failure to a fast train below or a slow train on top would be far far worse than than the Clapham junction crash, which happened just two & a half miles further on.

Hopefully this is just armchair cynicism!
 
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One thing I have noticed with the metal structure being constructed is that it's not parallel to the flyover edge. I know it widens in that area but at the north end the uprights are inside the edge but by the south they are supported by the braces on the outside of the wall.

Is there a realignment of the tracks going on up there?
 

swt_passenger

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One thing I have noticed with the metal structure being constructed is that it's not parallel to the flyover edge. I know it widens in that area but at the north end the uprights are inside the edge but by the south they are supported by the braces on the outside of the wall.

Is there a realignment of the tracks going on up there?
The track no longer widens out as it did before, because the junction S&C moves a lot further north to put it beyond the platforms. I think that’s the main reason for what you’re seeing. The plan in post #12 might make it clear?

Meanwhile, Google satellite view still shows the original track layout.
 
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The track no longer widens out as it did before, because the junction S&C moves a lot further north to put it beyond the platforms. I think that’s the main reason for what you’re seeing. The plan in post #12 might make it clear?

Meanwhile, Google satellite view still shows the original track layout.
Ah yes, that makes sense. It's hard to make out what's going on up top when you only go underneath it
 

russ81

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View from the new bridge over the railway in bicester.
 

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