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

[II]

I reckon the first photo covers a huge distance, you can just see a strip of green under the second arched bridge, so that must be the next new footbridge, where you took photos 2 and 3 from. If I’ve got my bearings right it also shows one abutment of the new Launton Station Road bridge. That’s about 2.25 km from the Jarvis Lane footbridge you are standing on…

Yes indeed that's quite correct. Focal length on photos 1 and 4 was the full 400mm on my crop sensor EOS 7D Mk2 and zoom lens. A nice bright and clear day meant the shutter speed was 1/500 and the lens has good active stabilisation so the result is nice and crisp. By comparison the second image was at 200mm, and the wide angle portrait of image 2 was at 18mm.

Great photos. Thanks for the update

Are all the foot bridges now open?

The two at that end of the line between Bicester and Launton are both open. Can't speak about any of the other ones further down the line.

 

[swt_passenger]

If anyone hasn’t seen it there’s a good up to date drone video of the EWR/HS2 interface area just been posted in the HS2 thread:

HS2 construction updates

A new drone video of the Calvert area has been uploaded by "The Boy" on YouTube today. You can clearly see that aforementioned spur has been started by the HS2 construction team, but also the EWR overbridge is almost ready for lifting.

www.railforums.co.uk

(I thought I’d just do a link to the post rather than adding another direct link to YouTube.)

 

[richieb1971]

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

 

[eMeS]

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

Unlikely, as there was still much to do when we passed through Winslow and area a few weeks ago. Sorry, I was driving; so don't have any snaps or definite date!

 

[12LDA28C]

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

No, that is some way off yet. For example, platforms at Winslow station are quite advanced and work has started on the main station building but no track has been laid although the trackbed is in place. No track either at Verney Junction.

 

[snowball]

Apart from anything else, the section each side of the HS2 crossing is still in the hands of HS2 Ltd and has to be handed back before track can be laid on it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There once was a station at Launton. Anyone local to that area with news of any changes to the nature of that area?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

I would guess there is still a 10-mile gap between the two sets of new rails near Bicester and Winslow.
The recent drone pictures from Calvert (where EWR will cross HS2) show how much work there still is to do in that area (see post #812).

 

[swt_passenger]

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

No, as is fairly clear from discussions earlier this year, eg post #497, reporting that they’d lay track either side of the HS2 area initially, and the sections would only be joined in the vicinity of HS2 later in 2023.

There once was a station at Launton. Anyone local to that area with news of any changes to the nature of that area?

Two of the photos in post #793 show the recent situation around the old Launton station site. There are views in either direction from the new road overbridge.

 

[russ81]

I would guess there is still a 10-mile gap between the two sets of new rails near Bicester and Winslow.
The recent drone pictures from Calvert (where EWR will cross HS2) show how much work there still is to do in that area (see post #812).

Any locals got anymore news? Do we have end to end rail from Bletchley to Bicester yet?

bicester side has 2 tracks till the site off old launton station,then it single track till bridge with road to marsh gibbon

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

bicester side has 2 tracks till the site off old launton station,then it single track till bridge with road to marsh gibbon

That answers the recent posting query that I raised about the long closed Launton station site.

 

[DarloRich]

The support legs for the new passenger footbridge have recently gone in at Bletchley

 

[oversteer]

From the road you can just glimpse a 66 between Winslow and Swanbourne

edit: Drove alongside it on its return towards Bletchley - 66556

 

[Neen Sollars]

Track going down at Launton. Thanks to Oxford Drones.

 

[Tobbes]

Track going down at Launton. Thanks to Oxford Drones.

Excellent to see - thanks very much!

 

[Mark24]

Track going down at Launton. Thanks to Oxford Drones.

Looking good. Thanks for the post

 

[Neen Sollars]

More You Tube footage from The Boy. You can see the location of the above clip at 4 m 30 secs

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

More You Tube footage from The Boy. You can see the location of the above clip at 4 m 30 secs

Thats a good distance for a drone to be operated and gives a great perspective of the works through the surrounding countryside

 

[DanBlanchflowe]

More You Tube footage from The Boy. You can see the location of the above clip at 4 m 30 secs

Thanks Great perspective from that height & angle,& general appreciation of much of the new section.
Does this drone do that long distance without GPS?

 

[Elecman]

East West Rail Alliance are now demobilising most of their construction depots

 

[Tobbes]

More You Tube footage from The Boy. You can see the location of the above clip at 4 m 30 secs

Many thanks - what's the skew bridge at 0:40 - is it a disused railway?

 

[snowball]

Many thanks - what's the skew bridge at 0:40 - is it a disused railway?

From the OS map I think it's the bridleway from Charndon to Poundon, which is too wiggly to have been a railway. A parish boundary follows it, and an old 1:25000 map shows it as a road, so it may have some history, maybe a drove road or something?

 

[swt_passenger]

From the OS map I think it's the bridleway from Charndon to Poundon, which is too wiggly to have been a railway. A parish boundary follows it, and an old 1:25000 map shows it as a road, so it may have some history, maybe a drove road or something?

The TWA drawings show it as OXD/30 - Green Lane Overbridge. It was only supposed to have vehicle restraint systems added, but it looks from the video it’s had work done to the abutments. I think there’s a few bridges where the work has expanded after detailed investigations.

 

[Tobbes]

Thank you both!

 

[Amos]

Footbridge sections were being taken off a lorry at Bletchley this evening.

 

[67018]

From the OS map I think it's the bridleway from Charndon to Poundon, which is too wiggly to have been a railway. A parish boundary follows it, and an old 1:25000 map shows it as a road, so it may have some history, maybe a drove road or something?

The Poundon-Charndon track is quite a substantial one, definitely has the feel of an ex-road. Last time I walked down it last year there was a lot of activity at the Poundon end where there was/is an EWR compound.

 

[DarloRich]

On thursday evening I saw a train of side tippers trundle over Bletchley flyover heading off the new line. First one i have seen for a while

 

[Neen Sollars]

Another You Tube feature on intersection of EWR and HS2. Narrative is what we already know, but there are good views of current worksite. Thanks to Rail Focus. Note he states MK to Aylesbury only an aspiration currently.

 

[richieb1971]

From those familiar with the area and design, any chance of their being a natural vantage point for enthusiasts at this location?

 

[BucksBones]

Another You Tube feature on intersection of EWR and HS2. Narrative is what we already know, but there are good views of current worksite. Thanks to Rail Focus. Note he states MK to Aylesbury only an aspiration currently.

For 'aspiration' read 'never going to happen.' Poor old Aylesbury. EWR would have been a real boost. It is surrounded by HS2 and EWR works causing massive disruption and wrecking the countryside but there is zero benefit for the town, which seems to be destined to be forever stuck at the end of an interminably slow branch line.