Great Eastern weekend engineering works

[Russel]

I have family that moved to Clacton about 10 years ago, I know, I feel for them too. I try to visit aboit 6 times a year usually at the weekend, in the 10 years I can only remember a handful of times when it has been a normal service from Liverpool Street, so, I have a question...

What exactly is being done to the Great Eastern Mainline, its generally a replacement bus from Newbury Park to either Chelmsford, Shenfield or Ingatstone?

And secondly, I don't recall ever having tickets checked when using the replacement bus, is this normal?

 

[dk1]

I have family that moved to Clacton about 10 years ago, I know, I feel for them too. I try to visit aboit 6 times a year usually at the weekend, in the 10 years I can only remember a handful of times when it has been a normal service from Liverpool Street, so, I have a question...

What exactly is being done to the Great Eastern Mainline, its generally a replacement bus from Newbury Park to either Chelmsford, Shenfield or Ingatstone?

And secondly, I don't recall ever having tickets checked when using the replacement bus, is this normal?

Engineering works on the GEML & bus transfers particularly from Ingatestone have been a thing for as long as I can remember. Certainly in the mid-90s we were doing it on a regular basis. It suffers with only being a very busy 2-track railway with constant freight through the night meaning there isn’t really any other good time to do it than weekends, Christmas etc. Over the last 10 years there has been the complete renewal of the then ageing & unreliable in hot weather OHL as well as the CrossRail upgrades through to Shenfield. There is still much rail replacement to do and the bank slip issues between Ingatestone & Shenfield. Hopefully from the Summer it won’t be quite so frequent but the routine engineering works will never stop.

Tickets are never checked on the buses themselves by guards as their role is only on trains & assisting at stations. Revenue Protection occasionally do swoops before passengers enter buses but never seen them do arrivals.

I would imagine in the upcoming few years further disruption as Beaulieu Park station is built near Chelmsford & the track/signalling remodelled in the area.

 

[59CosG95]

Engineering works on the GEML & bus transfers particularly from Ingatestone have been a thing for as long as I can remember. Certainly in the mid-90s we were doing it on a regular basis. It suffers with only being a very busy 2-track railway with constant freight through the night meaning there isn’t really any other good time to do it than weekends, Christmas etc. Over the last 10 years there has been the complete renewal of the then ageing & unreliable in hot weather OHL as well as the CrossRail upgrades through to Shenfield. There is still much rail replacement to do and the bank slip issues between Ingatestone & Shenfield. Hopefully from the Summer it won’t be quite so frequent but the routine engineering works will never stop.

Tickets are never checked on the buses themselves by guards as their role is only on trains & assisting at stations. Revenue Protection occasionally do swoops before passengers enter buses but never seen them do arrivals.

I would imagine in the upcoming few years further disruption as Beaulieu Park station is built near Chelmsford & the track/signalling remodelled in the area.

Not to mention that the OLE east of Chelmsford will doubtless need to be renewed soon, in a similar manner to the equipment on the LTS route.

 

[30907]

This recent thread (which I've just located again) started from the same GEML issues so might be helpful:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...mum-service-requirements.243096/#post-6081436

 

[Bald Rick]

The GEML has a unique set of circumstances which means the track gets hammered more than anywhere else on the network:

1) frequent high speed passenger services (100mph) - which needs a good alignment
2) frequent heavy freight services on the same tracks (an average of 2 freights an hour each way, usually at 75mph, which batter the tracks)
3) largely built on London Clay which is a cross between jelly and a sponge.

Therefore the track needs replacing often, and maintaining very regularly, to keep it in a reasonable condition.

Having done my fair share of track renewals between London and Norwich, what comes out is usually a messy gloop mix of ballast, liquified clay and, ahem, all the things that get flushed out of train toilets for the last 30-40 years.


As others have said, on top of this is all the work required to replace the late 40s overhead line kit (now done) and lots of work for Crossrail. Coming up - replacement of all the point work at Witham, and building the new station near Chelmsford.

 

[Russel]

Some interesting insights here, thanks.

So, in summary, there is no end in sight?

 

[apinnard]

Coming up - replacement of all the point work at Witham, and building the new station near Chelmsford.

Is the Witham points renewal like-for-like? Would be a somewhat useful to have the crossover at the north end of Witham rather than just after Church Street.

 

[Alfie1014]

Is the Witham points renewal like-for-like? Would be a somewhat useful to have the crossover at the north end of Witham rather than just after Church Street.

I believe the plan is yes with the crossovers at Kelvedon removed as a consequence.

 

[66701GBRF]

I believe the plan is yes with the crossovers at Kelvedon removed as a consequence.

Seems like a bit of a backwards step to remove cross overs at Kelvedon if true.

 

[TomG]

I have family that moved to Clacton about 10 years ago, I know, I feel for them too. I try to visit aboit 6 times a year usually at the weekend, in the 10 years I can only remember a handful of times when it has been a normal service from Liverpool Street, so, I have a question...

What exactly is being done to the Great Eastern Mainline, its generally a replacement bus from Newbury Park to either Chelmsford, Shenfield or Ingatstone?

And secondly, I don't recall ever having tickets checked when using the replacement bus, is this normal?

Typically You have Rail Replacement from Ingatestone/Shenfield to Newbury Park (Both Ingatestone and Newbury Park are located by the A12 so good road access, plus Ingatestone has a big enough car Park to accommodate all the coaches). Coaches run from Shenfield, although there are less of them. My Parents once got the wrong Rail Replacement Bus from Shenfield (the stopping one operated by TfL Rail as it was back then) and it took longer! When the GEML is closed to Liverpool Street the line into Fenchurch Street is open so there is a route from Essex into London. Although the Car Park at Upminster fills up really quickly.

 

[Alfie1014]

Seems like a bit of a backwards step to remove cross overs at Kelvedon if true.

Makes the layout more flexible for reversals at Witham from the Colchester direction, (shortens the time running wrong direction), compared to Kelvedon. Especially useful for the forthcoming blockades for Beaulieu (Park).

 

[dk1]

Makes the layout more flexible for reversals at Witham from the Colchester direction, (shortens the time running wrong direction), compared to Kelvedon. Especially useful for the forthcoming blockades for Beaulieu (Park).

Yes during engineering works that’s a frequent move from platforms 1&2 bidi back to Kelvedon. Used to do quite a bit of shunting at the south end then back into 3&4 but not for a few years now.

 

[66701GBRF]

Makes the layout more flexible for reversals at Witham from the Colchester direction, (shortens the time running wrong direction), compared to Kelvedon. Especially useful for the forthcoming blockades for Beaulieu (Park).

Adding crossover a Witham certainly helps with flexibility. Taking away the crossover at Kelvedon increases the distance between crossovers by 50% or more as you'd need to get to Marks Tey to cross back over (or Witham if going up the down from Marks Tey), not great in a failure or engineering scenario. If the signalling and infrastructure is already there then why not just leave it unless it is genuinely life expired?

 

[90sWereBetter]

Seems I've picked the worst possible weekend (18th/19th March) to get back to Norwich from London, what with both the West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines having rail replacements for part of their length.

Is this a one-off or is it quite normal for both main lines in East Anglia to have engineering works on the same weekend? Sadly it appears the GEML is slipping back towards regular weekend closures after a break of a few years.

 

[dk1]

Seems I've picked the worst possible weekend (18th/19th March) to get back to Norwich from London, what with both the West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines having rail replacements for part of their length.

Is this a one-off or is it quite normal for both main lines in East Anglia to have engineering works on the same weekend? Sadly it appears the GEML is slipping back towards regular weekend closures after a break of a few years.

It’s becoming more frequent & can’t see much changing with the construction of new stations/track in Cambridge/Chelmsford. Even with additional relief services the overcrowding on the Norwich-Stansted route has been hideous

 

[stuu]

What are the current weekend works closing the electric lines at weekends? NR have it as "works to improve the reliability of the railway", which could be pretty much everything

 

[66701GBRF]

What are the current weekend works closing the electric lines at weekends? NR have it as "works to improve the reliability of the railway", which could be pretty much everything

Track renewal in the Seven Kings area this weekend.

 

[Bald Rick]

Seems I've picked the worst possible weekend (18th/19th March) to get back to Norwich from London, what with both the West Anglia and Great Eastern main lines having rail replacements for part of their length.

Don’t forget the RMT strike on the 18th…

 

[Alfie1014]

Even though GA have been responding to tweets saying that the current batch of engineering blockades run until the end of March, blocks for 1/2 April, (Easter) Sunday 9th, 15/16 and 30th April/BH 1st May have now appeared in the planners. No mention of service levels for Good Friday, Easter Sat and Monday yet but whose going to put money on these will be blocked too (even though NR’s recent press release makes no mention of any GEML work!) The nature of the work however moves north Ingatestone to Marks Tey (presumably Beaulieu Park construction) though with major roadworks on the A12 at Marks Tey until summer 2024 the bus replacement could be fun!

 

[30907]

Even though GA have been responding to tweets saying that the current batch of engineering blockades run until the end of March, blocks for 1/2 April, (Easter) Sunday 9th, 15/16 and 30th April/BH 1st May have now appeared in the planners. No mention of service levels for Good Friday, Easter Sat and Monday yet but whose going to put money on these will be blocked too

Given that NRE has an extensive list for GA over Easter weekend, I would put money (if I were a gambler) on there being no further block, just the 2-track railway out to Shenfield which will be tedious but no more.

 

[Alfie1014]

NRE appears to have partially updated showing the works on Sunday 9th but not Monday 10th which is in addition to the 2 line working between London and Shenfield, journey planners however show bus replacement between Ingatestone and Marks Tey on these days.