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

[12LDA28C]

37418 and inspection saloon 'Caroline' have made several return trips between Bletchley High Level and Launton (just East of Bicester) over the last two days.

 

[Sun Chariot]

37418 and inspection saloon 'Caroline' have made several return trips between Bletchley High Level and Launton (just East of Bicester) over the last two days.

Very interesting, thanks.
I guess there's no TRUST data feeding through (e.g. to RTT)? I searched active paths since 1st Aug - for Bletchley HL and for Winslow - but nothing was showing.

 

[zwk500]

Very interesting, thanks.
I guess there's no TRUST data feeding through (e.g. to RTT)? I searched active paths since 1-Augist - for Bletchley HL and for Winslow - but nothing was showing.

Bletchley HL is presumably in the worksite, the boundary appears to be Bletchtley Summit of Flyover:

Realtime Trains | Departures from Bletchley Smt Of Flyover all day on 08/08/2024

Train information at Bletchley Smt Of Flyover all day on 08/08/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

I wouldn't expect anything to be visible from data feeds until the line is formally handed over to NR for operations.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Bletchley HL is presumably in the worksite, the boundary appears to be Bletchtley Summit of Flyover

Brilliant, thanks

 

[12LDA28C]

I wouldn't expect anything to be visible from data feeds until the line is formally handed over to NR for operations.

Indeed, which should be within the next few weeks as I understand it.

 

[midlandred]

Seen a suggestion on local FB group that rails between Bicester and Launton have had to be lifted and relaid in the last few days.

 

[zwk500]

Seen a suggestion on local FB group that rails between Bicester and Launton have had to be lifted and relaid in the last few days.

Needing to relay the rails over the boundary of the worksite would not be especially surprising, given the previous lack of passenger services.

 

[swt_passenger]

Seen a suggestion on local FB group that rails between Bicester and Launton have had to be lifted and relaid in the last few days.

Needing to relay the rails over the boundary of the worksite would not be especially surprising, given the previous lack of passenger services.

Sounds unlikely for the whole distance, but there has been earlier mentions of a temporary crossover in place just east of Bicester to allow works trains to change tracks. So perhaps they may have been removing that, and then restressing the now continuous rail?

 

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder, this thread is an infrastructure updates thread to discuss progress relating to the EWR Oxford-Bletchley construction.

To discuss anything else, please create a new thread (or use an existing one, if there is one); timetabling updates would belong in the timetabling forum, while any posts of a speculative nature would need to be posted in Speculative Discussion.

Thanks

 

[fishwomp]

Just a gentle reminder, this thread is an infrastructure updates thread to discuss progress relating to the EWR Oxford-Bletchley construction.

Isn't the line completely constructed now? End of thread?

Or is something else happening - construction wise - on the line at the moment?

 

[12LDA28C]

Isn't the line completely constructed now? End of thread?

Or is something else happening - construction wise - on the line at the moment?

It hasn't yet been handed over to NR so still a little work to be completed. Some reballasting was going on last week plus axle counter installation.

 

[DarloRich]

Whilst a touch off topic as technically part of the next phase of E-W I am hearing talk that the single track bridge over Saxon Street which forms the connection from Bletchley high level to the Marston Vale line is, erm, "life expired" ( that wasn't the terms used btw!)

Is that the case? I think track has been relayed from the point of divergence from single to double track back up to Bletchley high level but not over the bridge towards Fenny Stratford.

If it is that is going to make the next phase of E-W more expensive and reduce operational flexibility a touch. ( also I still need that track connection!)

 

[John R]

Wouldn’t replacement of a single track bridge be relatively straightforward and in the context of the overall project cost not too material?

 

[The Planner]

Whilst a touch off topic as technically part of the next phase of E-W I am hearing talk that the single track bridge over Saxon Street which forms the connection from Bletchley high level to the Marston Vale line is, erm, "life expired" ( that wasn't the terms used btw!)

Is that the case? I think track has been relayed from the point of divergence from single to double track back up to Bletchley high level but not over the bridge towards Fenny Stratford.

If it is that is going to make the next phase of E-W more expensive and reduce operational flexibility a touch. ( also I still need that track connection!)

Yes, that is the case, its got a reduced RA on it from what I hear.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2024 ==

Wouldn’t replacement of a single track bridge be relatively straightforward and in the context of the overall project cost not too material?

I would be surprised if it was the projects cost. Its also part of the overall flyover structure as well, so not an easy job I would imagine.

 

[swt_passenger]

It’s never been intended to alter anything along there as a part of the project, the single track through Fenny Stratford remains, so this would have to be 100% renewal?

 

[The Planner]

It’s never been intended to alter anything along there as a part of the project, the single track through Fenny Compton remains, so this would have to be 100% renewal?

Fenny Stratford, lets not single Fenny Compton please!

 

[swt_passenger]

Fenny Stratford, lets not single Fenny Compton please!

I’ll fix that…

 

[DarloRich]

Yes, that is the case, its got a reduced RA on it from what I hear.

reduced RA but not closed? ( as in a no for a 10000 tonne freightliner but ok for a little unit?)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2024 ==

so this would have to be 100% renewal

agreed 100% track renewal.

I was/am worried about requiring a bridge renewal and the cost and disruption that will bring ( the bridge crosses a dual carriage way which is the main access route to/through Bletchley - this is due to the location of the station and railway lines. The alternative routes are longer and through residential areas so not suitable for goods vehicles )

 

[Kingham West]

This is quite a recent bridge, the costs should fall to acquiring authority in the 1960s, not all bridges fall to NR, for responsibility. I do not know the answer to this one.

 

[The Planner]

This is quite a recent bridge, the costs should fall to acquiring authority in the 1960s, not all bridges fall to NR, for responsibility. I do not know the answer to this one.

NR will end up with the bill.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2024 ==

reduced RA but not closed? ( as in a no for a 10000 tonne freightliner but ok for a little unit?)

I believe so.

 

[DarloRich]

I believe so.

thanks - the word on the street was it was closed completely. That didn't seem quite right.

 

[12LDA28C]

thanks - the word on the street was it was closed completely. That didn't seem quite right.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2024 ==

I believe so.

The photo I've seen indicates the bridge is currently closed to rail traffic. There's a sign fixed into the fourfoot proclaiming 'STOP. Weak Bridge'.

 

[takno]

Just eyeballing it on Google Maps as a non-engineer, but it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to join the tracks out of low-level and use the other bridge. Obviously it would involve a bunch of regrading and the result would be a bit steeper than historically, but perhaps not intolerably so. Might work out cheaper than a new bridge.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Just eyeballing it on Google Maps as a non-engineer, but it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to join the tracks out of low-level and use the other bridge. Obviously it would involve a bunch of regrading and the result would be a bit steeper than historically, but perhaps not intolerably so. Might work out cheaper than a new bridge.

Yeah that's what I was thinking

 

[zwk500]

Just eyeballing it on Google Maps as a non-engineer, but it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to join the tracks out of low-level and use the other bridge. Obviously it would involve a bunch of regrading and the result would be a bit steeper than historically, but perhaps not intolerably so. Might work out cheaper than a new bridge.

Might not be technically impossible but it looks like the curve off the viaduct is fairly fixed so you'd have a big kink to get it over, and the height difference is noticeable from the dual carriageway underneath so there'd also be a stiff gradient if over a short distance.
To me, on-line replacement is most likely. Whether they go for like-for-like soonish or kick the can down the road in the hope EWR can pay for it before it gets too bad, I don't know.

 

[Verulamius]

In the 2021 consultation for the extension to Cambridge it mentioned that the junction and the single tracks would need to be changed, including replacing the relevant bridges, with further work required to determine actual proposals.

Other additional work at Bletchley stations was also proposed.

 

[Meerkat]

I would be surprised if it was the projects cost. Its also part of the overall flyover structure as well, so not an easy job I would imagine.

The single track bridge isn’t part of the viaduct is it?
If the railway is closed anyway that makes it a bit easier, but it’s quite a lot of bridge, and it’s concrete which might make removing the old one harder.

 

[Elecman]

Whilst a touch off topic as technically part of the next phase of E-W I am hearing talk that the single track bridge over Saxon Street which forms the connection from Bletchley high level to the Marston Vale line is, erm, "life expired" ( that wasn't the terms used btw!)

Is that the case? I think track has been relayed from the point of divergence from single to double track back up to Bletchley high level but not over the bridge towards Fenny Stratford.

If it is that is going to make the next phase of E-W more expensive and reduce operational flexibility a touch. ( also I still need that track connection!)

Yes the structure is “Goosed” and is subject to some deflection trials in the near future

 

[The Planner]

The single track bridge isn’t part of the viaduct is it?
If the railway is closed anyway that makes it a bit easier, but it’s quite a lot of bridge, and it’s concrete which might make removing the old one harder.

My mistake, I thought the flyover went further than it did.

 

[Nottingham59]

The single track bridge isn’t part of the viaduct is it?

So it's not surprising that it needs replacing, just like the rest of the viaduct. How much less would it have cost to do the whole job in one go?