HS2 construction updates

[Bald Rick]

My guess is you don't want to put tracks down too early otherwise they're just going to sit there and go rusty/warped, unless you start doing regular maintenance.

I get the general impression the track laying and OLE can be done pretty quickly, once the right of way has been prepared.

Typically, OLE masts first, then track, then OLE. But it’s slab track, and that will take time to get down. Also the formation (what’s under the track) is very tightly specified to mininimse the risk of future movement, so it will take some time to get down, be compacted, settled and reprofiled.

 

[Nottingham59]

I'd expect to see lots of separate sections of shiny new track laid in photogenic locations about six months before the next election....

 

[Yindee8191]

From this tweet (https://twitter.com/hs2ltd/status/1367763103400747009?s=21) it looks as though the Chiltern TBMs are to launch in May. They were intended to launch in ‘early 2021’ so somewhat of a slip in timings there.

 

[Facing Back]

I came across this video from the Chiltern Society showing construction progress in the Chilterns. The images can also be seen on the Chiltern Society website.

I really enjoyed that. I love all of the before and now images and the view of what has been done so far. I wonder if he can be persuaded to do more of this as stuff gets built and we see the engineering as it develops? I realise he's not a fan but he's clearly got the time to put the effort in. I can lend him a drone if he promises not to get it shot down.

 

[Dave_Cardboard]

I haven't watched the presentation as it's likely I've already seen all the source images and I have little enthusiasm to sit through what I suspect will be an hour of public sulking and "how terrible, how terrible, how terrible," but as I flicked through a bit, the images looked familiar. For anyone who has not seen it before, the "Chiltern Society" has a gallery page that has lots of photos of HS2 sites and works (link below.) The amount of updates has been a bit low at time of posting due to COVID lockdown, but a few are still being updated regularly. It's worth bookmarking.

https://chilternsociety.org.uk/hs2-photo-diary/

The construction of the HS2 high speed railway line will have a major impact on the Central Chilterns and the Colne Valley Park. Some of these locations will never be the same again and we will keep a record of the changes as construction progresses.

The locations are in geographical order northwards from the Colne Valley Regional Park to Wendover. Where given, directions are in relation to the route. North is towards Birmingham and south towards London.

 

[Yindee8191]

HS2 are now starting (proper) construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct. According to this, it looks like just piling for the next year or so. https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-begins-work-on-uks-longest-rail-viaduct

Over the last six years, HS2 has worked closely with Affinity Water and the Environment Agency to monitor water quality and agree working methods. These will be monitored by a team of specialist engineers during construction in order to protect the natural environment.


An extensive programme of test piling has already been completed with engineers sinking 12piles at two locations with geological and structural data from these tests fed back into the design of the viaduct. This has resulted in a 10-15% reduction in the depth of the piles and associated time and cost savings.

 

[Bald Rick]

HS2 are now starting (proper) construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct. According to this, it looks like just piling for the next year or so. https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-begins-work-on-uks-longest-rail-viaduct

That looks fantastic.

Slight quibble with the press release though - there’s no way a Viaduct that long only weighs 6,000 tonnes! Presumably that’s the weight that each if the larger piers will support.

 

[ABB125]

HS2 are now starting (proper) construction of the Colne Valley Viaduct. According to this, it looks like just piling for the next year or so. https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-begins-work-on-uks-longest-rail-viaduct

Very attractive viaduct! Personally I think it enhances the landscape (well, it does in the artist's impressions!). I can't wait to see it finished in however many years' time.

 

[Meole]

Bucks Council remains determined to stop HS2, interesting decision for the Sec of State to take, will he agree with his party in the county ?

HS2 contractors face Bucks lorry ban​

HS2 contractors face Bucks lorry ban

Buckinghamshire Council refuses application for construction lorry routes

www.constructionenquirer.com

Buckinghamshire Council has refused to approve lorry route applications serving HS2 sites in the county

The council said it had “concerns about the impact of increased large construction vehicle movements on the A413/A355 corridor from north of Wendover to the M40 at Beaconsfield.”
HS2 have appealed against the council’s refusal to allow the applications and it will now be up to the Secretary of State for Transport to make the decision.

 

[Domh245]

I can't help but think that the council significantly undermine all of their arguments with:

Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council said: “Buckinghamshire Council has consistently opposed the building of HS2.

“Not only do we doubt the strategic case for it,

Makes it much harder to see any merit in the validity of any concerns about construction traffic when they're quite clearly holding a grudge about it all

 

[Dave_Cardboard]

There are local council elections in Bucks in May 2021. Wannabe local councillors need to be seen to be "doing their bit" to stop HS2 in the eyes of their electorate.

The reality is they cannot. The HS2 Phase1 Act does not give them the power to veto anything. Schedule 17 powers are severely limited and essentially allow them (for the example of a lorry route application) ask for the route to be changed to a different one (which they are meant to recommend.) They cannot (for example) cap traffic numbers or times of use - though there's nothing to stop them making recommendations. If they try to fillibuster using Schedule 17 and just keep saying "no" to everything (despite the prior consultations) after exchanges of legal letter, appeal hearings, etc. it will eventually end up on the desk of the Secretary of State and he can simply over-rule them. Only the lawyers will profit.

This is nothing but political posturing and playing to the gallery ahead of the elections.

Incidentally, I've driven the roads in question - they are good quality "A" roads carrying thousands of vehicles per day,(~8600 according to HS2 pre COVID,) not little backwater cart tracks with passing places. A few hundred "extra" vehicles for HS2 will barely be noticed.

 

[Ediswan]

That looks fantastic.

Slight quibble with the press release though - there’s no way a Viaduct that long only weighs 6,000 tonnes! Presumably that’s the weight that each if the larger piers will support.

6,000 tonnes per group of piles is what the press release says.

 

[Bald Rick]

Incidentally, I've driven the roads in question - they are good quality "A" roads carrying thousands of vehicles per day,(~8600 according to HS2 pre COVID,) not little backwater cart tracks with passing places. A few hundred "extra" vehicles for HS2 will barely be noticed.

I’ve cycled the roads in question a few times. They are full of traffic, including HGVs. Having more HGVs on for HS2 makes no difference.

 

[Energy]

I can't help but think that the council significantly undermine all of their arguments with:



Makes it much harder to see any merit in the validity of any concerns about construction traffic when they're quite clearly holding a grudge about it all

The lack of business case bit is questionable, others with far more experience with railways have looked at it and obviously decided it is worth it. HS2 is known to have an excellent business case...

 

[Bald Rick]

The lack of business case bit is questionable, others with far more experience with railways have looked at it and obviously decided it is worth it. HS2 is known to have an excellent business case...

Not to mention that it has been through the wringer with the Treasury several times. They don’t part with £37bn easily.

 

[Tobbes]

Not to mention that it has been through the wringer with the Treasury several times. They don’t part with £37bn easily.

Or, "They don't borrow £37bn on your behalf easily, as they will have to pay it back" is more accurate....

 

[Horizon22]

Looks like the closure and works on Old Oak Common Lane have intensified. Ealing’s full list of works taking place on the road (very specifically until 8th September 2025) can be found here:

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11923/weekly_schedule_of_roadworks_in_the_borough.pdf

 

[Pete_uk]

I've just started reading the several pages worth of reports on HS2 construction in the latest Modern Railways

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Latest govt report to parliament

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hs2-6-monthly-report-to-parliament-march-2021

The key achievements of the HS2 programme in this reporting period include:

• progressing the remaining enabling works and mobilising main civil construction for Phase One while employing COVID-safe working practices
• achieving Royal assent of the Phase 2a High Speed Rail (West Midlands to Crewe) Bill, cementing in law the government’s commitment to bring the new high-speed railway to the north of England
• evolving our approach to community engagement, including an enhanced complaints procedure to address concerns about how HS2’s impact on communities along the line of route are managed
• speedy implementation of over a quarter of the proposed reforms recommended by the Land and Property Review of November 2020, improving the experience of property owners most immediately and directly affected by HS2
• supporting over 15,000 skilled jobs and creating more than 500 apprenticeships: over 2,100 companies now have contracts with HS2 Ltd, with 97% of these being UK-based businesses – at its peak, the programme will support over 30,000 jobs and create at least 2,000 apprenticeships
• establishing HS2 Ltd’s Environmental Sustainability Committee to strengthen oversight and reporting of efforts to limit and mitigate the environmental impacts from the construction of the railway
• planting over 430,000 trees so far, with the number expected to rise to over 730,000 trees by spring 2021

 

[RSimons]

Not really an update, but I could not find a more appropriate thread:

I've been wondering how the TBM's 'umbilical' connections are maintained as the machine moves forward. The difficulty I have is not with advancing the machine by 50m or 500m, but with the smaller increments of one or two metres. The electrical connection can presumably be laid as a loop or unspool from a large reel. Is the water connection sufficiently flexible that it can be dealt with in a similar way (I am no engineer)?

If the spoil was removed by a conveyor I would expect one conveyor to drop the spoil onto a lower parallel conveyor, but I gather it is to be removed as slurry in a pipe. Would a pipe be both flexible enough and abrasion-resistant enough to be coiled up? The only method I can think of would be for the slurry to be delivered to a long tank that periodically moves forwards another step as a fresh length of pipe is inserted behind it.

 

[ABB125]

Not really an update, but I could not find a more appropriate thread:

I've been wondering how the TBM's 'umbilical' connections are maintained as the machine moves forward. The difficulty I have is not with advancing the machine by 50m or 500m, but with the smaller increments of one or two metres. The electrical connection can presumably be laid as a loop or unspool from a large reel. Is the water connection sufficiently flexible that it can be dealt with in a similar way (I am no engineer)?

If the spoil was removed by a conveyor I would expect one conveyor to drop the spoil onto a lower parallel conveyor, but I gather it is to be removed as slurry in a pipe. Would a pipe be both flexible enough and abrasion-resistant enough to be coiled up? The only method I can think of would be for the slurry to be delivered to a long tank that periodically moves forwards another step as a fresh length of pipe is inserted behind it.

Good questions, I've wondered the same in the past; hopefully someone knows the answer!

 

[samulih]

This is a video of one type of slurry TBM, water pipes rolled to coils, harder pipes added while the machines moves forward

 

[Nottingham59]

Thank you for that, Samulih. Really interesting. And welcome to the forum!

 

[Flying Phil]

Seconded!

 

[Snow1964]

This is a video of one type of slurry TBM, water pipes rolled to coils, harder pipes added while the machines moves forward

Yes, fixed pipes are added at intervals, and the drums of cables and flexible pipes are wound back in, and reconnected to extended fixed pipes / cables.

There are maintenance stops at intervals where this is done (varies by ground type, but typically every 100- 200m). It is also common to retract the cutter head a bit during these servicing periods and replace worn picks and discs in rotating cutting head (cutting head can move forwards and backwards until the next ring is built)

 

[RSimons]

Thank you, Samulih. I had tried searching on the internet but not found anything helpful. The video shows it clearly, and also gives some explanation of why the train behind the cutter head needs to be so long.

 

[kevin_roche]

The video shows it clearly, and also gives some explanation of why the train behind the cutter head needs to be so long.

I was going to suggest the earlier Crossrail series made for the BBC. The video above is better as deals with the slurry. The Crossrail videos were quite a revelation to me and showed how the machine works with the insertion of the concrete tunnel lining pieces too. There is a lot going on there.

 

[david_g]

I took a walk on Monday to look at work going on near the Wormleighton site I posted photos of a few weeks ago, this time taking to the footpaths to see bits not visible from the road. This is the northern end of the cutting at Wormleighton and the crossing of the Oxford Canal, see:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378394/C223-CSI-CV-DPP-030-000001_0.pdf

The first photo is taken from the canal towpath and shows a large heap of spoil in the distance. HS2 will run from this heap along the far bank of the canal before crossing it off to the right.

Walking back up from the canal to the village reveals the view in the second photo, taken looking down towards the canal. The cutting you can see in the middle distance is through the final hump of land at the north end of the cutting shown in the section drawing. This is possibly the only extant bit of HS2 formation and is a heave monitoring site according to the signs on the construction compound.

If you look at the plan and section the amount of excavation neccessary becomes apparent. Where I'm standing will become cutting and looking up the hill - see photo three - the cutting becomes deeper. Given that there are four tracks for maintenance loops further up this is going to be Tring-like when completed.

I attracted the attention of a security guard who took a photo of me shortly after taking the latter two. Were I paranoid, I might think my image was being run through facial recognition software right now and I should expect a knock on the door. He was probably just worried about people casing the site to nick stuff.

I should add that I was on a public footpath.

 

[samulih]

Thanks for the photos, interesting.

And re:that slurry machine, you can find anything on the internet but you have to know the right words .... they are interesting pieces of machinery.

 

[RSimons]

Kevin Roche: thanks for the suggestion about the Crossrail documentary. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to access BBC programs this side of the Atlantic. I should have another attempt.

What surprised me was the flexibility of the pipe carrying the slurry, which reminded me of artists' impressions of Titanoboa (I am a biologist!)