• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

MKC to Bedford - direct?

Status
Not open for further replies.

eMeS

Member
Joined
12 Jun 2011
Messages
954
Location
Milton Keynes, UK
From Wikipedia: "The platform was ready for use in January 2009 but services (now operated by London Midland) cannot begin until re-signalling of the Bletchley station area is completed, currently scheduled for 2013."

Is this work on schedule? Can't say I've seen any track side evidence of work going on. It was very obvious when MKC was being re-vamped a few years ago.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Class377/5

Established Member
Joined
19 Jun 2010
Messages
5,594
Isn't this part of the east-west rail phase 2? Phase 1 hasn't started yet to no way this would be ready by 2013.
 

Mike395

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
23 May 2009
Messages
2,894
Location
Bedford
Isn't this part of the east-west rail phase 2? Phase 1 hasn't started yet to no way this would be ready by 2013.

No, this is separate AFAIK - the new platform is an east-facing bay on the same side as P5/6 used for the Marston Vale services at Bletchley, intended to reduce potential conflicting paths to a minimum :)
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
29,178
Location
Fenny Stratford
The OP not mean platform 2A at MKC?

There is a lot of preparation work going on, OHLE works, line side structure works etc but no track work as yet.

The Cambridge sidings appear to have been turned into an impromptu S&C assembly facility. I think there are three large S&C units being constructed there.
 

eMeS

Member
Joined
12 Jun 2011
Messages
954
Location
Milton Keynes, UK
The OP not mean platform 2A at MKC?

There is a lot of preparation work going on, OHLE works, line side structure works etc but no track work as yet.

...

Yes - it was the creation of 2A that I was thinking about. I now note that the Wikipedia entry has information on this. Thanks.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,257
Getting back to the timescales, the December update to the CP4 plan has Bletchley signalling alterations completion Dec 2012, and GRIP 6 (construction and testing complete) in Jun 2013. It doesn't mention a new platform at Bletchley, just revised signalling allowing bidirectional use through P5 and P6, to allow access between branch and slow lines if either platform is in use.
 

The Planner

Veteran Member
Joined
15 Apr 2008
Messages
15,832
Can confirm the above, no new platform. Fair bit of track rationalisation as the parcel sidings and Bletchley South and North Jn all go.
 

ole man

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2011
Messages
739
Location
LEC5
Im now working on this project, all the SC on the BBM's is getting ripped out easter and the layout changed, new OHLE.
The Up / Down Goods will become passenger lines, and has you can see already the Field Sidings has been reduced to a single line for the Cemex yard.
The Flyover lines will be remodelled and new OHLE installed.
The Parcel sidings will be removed next year
 

al green

Member
Joined
2 Oct 2011
Messages
140
Bedford-MKC trains will reverse in p5 at Bletchley in both directions. That is the only platform that will have connections to both Bedford branch and to slow lines via a new Relief 2, which is the current up goods. I expressed concern about capacity because p5 will also be the only access to carriage sidings and freight sidings from south. NR folk said it would be OK cos access to CS only required early morning/late night.
 

MK Tom

Established Member
Joined
31 Aug 2011
Messages
2,421
Location
Milton Keynes
Sorry can I just clarify ole_man's post, do you mean OHLE on the flyover? As in all of it?

I went through Bletchley on my two changes but still quicker than the bus route from MK to Corby today - Bedford trains are now using both tracks from Bletchley to the V7 bridge, whereas before they only used the down line, and the up line has clearly been relaid. There's a ton of spare track sitting on top of the sidings between that and the old EMU depot. I'm assuming that's all for this weekend's remodelling of the main line.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,257
Bedford-MKC trains will reverse in p5 at Bletchley in both directions. That is the only platform that will have connections to both Bedford branch and to slow lines via a new Relief 2, which is the current up goods. I expressed concern about capacity because p5 will also be the only access to carriage sidings and freight sidings from south. NR folk said it would be OK cos access to CS only required early morning/late night.

I think, now that I've re-read it, that the section I read in the enhancement plan must therefore be referring to access from the slow lines south of the station to/from the Bedford line via both platforms 5 & 6.

"direct access to the Bedford lines from the Slow lines independent of whether platform 5 or 6 is occupied"; ie the capabilty is different depending on whether you are looking at the layout from the south or from the MK direction.

That also seem to fit in with the track diagram posted here a few weeks ago.
 

andyfrommk

Member
Joined
12 Jan 2011
Messages
202
I can't see where the Oxford-bound trains would platform.
They haven't decied that yet.

I'm quoting al green when I use the word 'final', I assume that final means the current works i.e signalling and such and not the final bletchley that will be in the east west rail link
 

The Planner

Veteran Member
Joined
15 Apr 2008
Messages
15,832
E-W is entirely separate to this work and was always mooted to be a platform on the flyover.
 

MK Tom

Established Member
Joined
31 Aug 2011
Messages
2,421
Location
Milton Keynes
If I understood the earlier post correctly and there is going to be OHLE on the flyover, won't that get in the way of future high level platforms on the flyover? I've never understood if the E-WR costing includes the cost of an elevated station straddling a 63-year old structure. What happened to the plans to turn Bletchley around so it opened onto a bridge over the V7 and into Queensway?
 

Trog

Established Member
Joined
30 Oct 2009
Messages
1,546
Location
In Retirement.
Why do upgraded subsiduary lines always have to be reliefs!!!!!!

We are not the bl**dy GWR, a bunch of plonkers who took a generation just to get the rails the right distance apart. Why are they not to be the Up and Down Passenger Loops in proper LNWR style? Also what is the point in renaming all the Cambridge lines as Marston Vale, and the Flyovers as the Up and Dn Bletchley. Renaming for the sake of it has got to be a safety risk (even if only slight) as it gives an added chance of confusion between lines for no gain.
 

al green

Member
Joined
2 Oct 2011
Messages
140
If I understood the earlier post correctly and there is going to be OHLE on the flyover, won't that get in the way of future high level platforms on the flyover? I've never understood if the E-WR costing includes the cost of an elevated station straddling a 63-year old structure. What happened to the plans to turn Bletchley around so it opened onto a bridge over the V7 and into Queensway?

OHLE currently only goes about half way up the flyover line and I assume that new OHLE will do same.
As others have said this project is nothing to with EWRL. This upgrade should have happened 5 years ago but NR were running out of time and money on WCML upgrade and Bletchley was one of the sections that it was decided could be postponed for a few years.
The last detailed proposal for EWRL that I saw had an island platform on the embankment where Summit junction is now, so platform would not be on viaduct structure.
The project to turn round Bly station collided with a recession. It came off worst.
 

ole man

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2011
Messages
739
Location
LEC5
The OHLE on the flyover will not be extended, forgive me if i gave that impression.
It will be renewed with new Portals and Cantilevers, and a new switch.
The current Up and Down Goods will be made bi-directional with the signalling upgraded.
 

cle

Established Member
Joined
17 Nov 2010
Messages
4,005
There was talk at some point of there only being one platform on the flyover - serving both directions.
 

MK Tom

Established Member
Joined
31 Aug 2011
Messages
2,421
Location
Milton Keynes
OHLE currently only goes about half way up the flyover line and I assume that new OHLE will do same.
As others have said this project is nothing to with EWRL. This upgrade should have happened 5 years ago but NR were running out of time and money on WCML upgrade and Bletchley was one of the sections that it was decided could be postponed for a few years.
The last detailed proposal for EWRL that I saw had an island platform on the embankment where Summit junction is now, so platform would not be on viaduct structure.
The project to turn round Bly station collided with a recession. It came off worst.

So you mean here? http://maps.google.com/?ll=51.996105,-0.734998&spn=0.00132,0.002411&t=h&z=19

That's still on viaduct structure... if it were a little further north it'd be on embankment but then it'd need extra platforms for the MK lines (plus the link to the current station would have to circumnavigate the stone plant). I also think these platforms would be a great opportunity to whack in at least a small eastern entrance with a footbridge over the V7.
 

ole man

Member
Joined
6 Jul 2011
Messages
739
Location
LEC5
You gone way to far up the flyover the OHLE terminates just after where the Shunt Neck gooe off towards the Sidings
 

DarloRich

Veteran Member
Joined
12 Oct 2010
Messages
29,178
Location
Fenny Stratford
Interesting to see how that would work, being as by my reckoning it'd have to handle 3tph each way (Oxford–Bedford, Oxford–MKC, Marylebone–MKC).

it is single track from Fenny Stratford Blethcley Flyover Junction to 1m 42ch point just before Bow Brickhill. This is single track over both the canal & the A5

Can this be re doubled or are those bridges unable to take two tracks? It could mean a long stand as a train comes off the flyover platform, through Fenny (perhaps stopping there) and then to Bow Brickhill before the westbound train can be released.
 

OliverS

Member
Joined
5 Dec 2011
Messages
108
So you mean here? http://maps.google.com/?ll=51.996105,-0.734998&spn=0.00132,0.002411&t=h&z=19

That's still on viaduct structure... if it were a little further north it'd be on embankment but then it'd need extra platforms for the MK lines (plus the link to the current station would have to circumnavigate the stone plant). I also think these platforms would be a great opportunity to whack in at least a small eastern entrance with a footbridge over the V7.

Could you relocate the junction north of the platforms? I don't know the area and I suspect that the gradients would be wrong, or at least changed. But by eliminating the centre two of the current lines you would presumably have space for an island.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top