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HS2 construction updates

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Lots of demolition work is under way at Euston, utilities diversions are ongoing in the streets in the locale (have been for a year or so,) the temporary taxi rank constructed in Euston Square Gardens is due to open soon (Oct 2018,) a new electricity substation in nearing completion in Barnby Street (due to be commissioned early 2019) and a tower crane or two should be going up soon. NR have re-jigged quite a bit of the OHLE in the approach, though you probably need to be something of a train spotter to "notice" the changes. :oops:

Read all about it here... https://hs2ineuston.commonplace.is/

Just to draw out something Mr Rick implies - note that the tunnel drives between Old Oak Common and Euston are being drilled in that direction - from Old Oak to Euston, (IIRC it eases spoil removal and similar logistics, so doing at OOC.) It seems the big civils works at Euston approaches are mostly going to be digging "top down," though interestingly it seems the Euston tunnel mouth is being moved south of Mornington Street Bridge (negating the need for it's demolition and replacement) which suggests some mined and/or cut and cover tunnels/caverns are required for the TBM reception chambers and thence the grade separated junction on the approaches.
 
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Skie

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A few months ago signs appeared inside the Euston train sheds that indicate monitoring points for various phases of work. Looks like it's being eyed up for laser monitoring during construction to make sure the roof doesn't move.
 
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Does anybody know of any webcams for us to keep an eye on what's happening?

A while ago I emailed HS2's helpdesk to ask this. From memory, (I can't find the reply,) their response was essentially non-committal. One suspects it is more in the gift of the subcontractors than HS2 themselves.

On the world famous "tube" site, I found a chap in the habit of posting up his car dash-cam footage which sometimes captures a drive by of the sites. For example, the following proceeds southbound along Hampstead Road about a minute in...


This one winds through Melton Street and the (old) Euston taxi rank from approx. 1h15...

 

snowball

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For general news on HS2 construction, go here:

https://www.hs2.org.uk/in-your-area/whats-happening-near-you/

, click on any one of the areas listed, then click on "Latest News" (or on "Find out more").

Meanwhile, the Guardian has this on HS2 archaeology:

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ological-dig-begins-in-uks-biggest-excavation

Archaeologists on the HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham have begun work on the UK’s biggest ever excavation, cutting an “unprecedented” slice through 10,000 years of British history.

The mammoth archaeological project, taking in more than 60 separate digs along the 150-mile route, is the first stage in construction of the controversial rail line ahead of main building works starting next year.

The developers have now revealed some of their early finds including a prehistoric hunter-gatherer site on the outskirts of London, a Wars of the Roses battlefield in Northamptonshire, a Romano-British town near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and an Iron Age settlement in Staffordshire.

Their discoveries include prehistoric flint tools, a Romano-British cremation urn and two late Victorian time capsules dug up close to Euston station in London, containing rolled-up newspaper tied with twine, calling cards and leaflets promoting temperance.

I've only quoted the start of a long piece.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Not sure it's been covered before, but I think I spotted last night that the land-take for the junction between HS2 (actually the spur from the future Phase 2a alignment) and the WCML north of Lichfield has been marked out on the ground with a post and wire fence - might have been there for a while, of course.
It's on the east side of the WCML on the TV4 section, between Curborough Jn and the former Armitage junction, around MP120 on the old line.
I must look more closely next time - hard to take in at 110mph or faster.
At some point in CP6 some serious realignment will be necessary here to sort out the connection for the fast lines to/from HS2.
In the future, the brakes will go on here as non-tilting HS2 stock slows for the 110mph winding section of the old WCML alignment towards Rugeley.
In addition a simple bridge will need to be constructed south of Lichfield to carry HS2 over the WCML before it curves north and connects into it.
 
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At some point in CP6 some serious realignment will be necessary here to sort out the connection for the fast lines to/from HS2.
In the future, the brakes will go on here as non-tilting HS2 stock slows for the 110mph winding section of the old WCML alignment towards Rugeley.
In addition a simple bridge will need to be constructed south of Lichfield to carry HS2 over the WCML before it curves north and connects into it.

You may be interested in the (at time of posting) recently deposited Additional Provisions 2 (AP2) for the Phase2A Bill which includes amended designs for the junction with the WCML south of Handsacre. Previously it was envisioned that the HS2 lines would "land" between the WCML fasts with requisite viaducts, S&C and realignment of the WCML southbounds. The AP2 design changes this to leave the WCML alignments pretty much as is with links to HS2 off the slows with some additional slow/fast crossovers on the WCML and a simpler single viaduct for the northbound HS2 link line.

Plans are available on the HS2 section of the Governemnt web site.

https://www.gov.uk/government/colle...ision-2-environmental-statement-february-2019
 
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LNW-GW Joint

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You may be interested in the (at time of posting) recently deposited Additional Provisions 2 (AP2) for the Phase2A Bill which includes amended designs for the junction with the WCML south of Handsacre. Previously it was envisioned that the HS2 lines would "land" between the WCML fasts with requisite viaducts, S&C and realignment of the WCML southbounds. The AP2 design changes this to leave the WCML alignments pretty much as is with links to HS2 off the slows with some additional slow/fast crossovers on the WCML and a simpler single viaduct for the northbound HS2 link line.
Plans are available on the HS2 section of the Governemnt web site.
https://www.gov.uk/government/colle...ision-2-environmental-statement-february-2019

Thanks, very interesting.
So the result will be more like today's Weaver Jn than Airport Jn on the GWML.
If I've read it right, the WCML will largely stay in situ with the HS2 spurs connecting to the WCML slows, needing only a single-track flyover to build.
The slow lines at this point are actually signed the same as the fasts (110/125EPS), so there is no loss of capability.
In fact the "down slow" forms the 90mph fast line towards Crewe at Colwich and avoids the 65mph restriction for trains that arrive on the "down fast".
There will have to be a widening of WCML embankments over an extended length to accommodate the HS2 spurs.
It will be interesting to find out what performance the junction has, as it will be one of the busiest high-speed junctions on NR (125mph in all directions, like at Rugby?).
On the other hand it will be much less used when HS2 reaches Crewe.

For reference the best map of the junction between HS2 and the WCML is CT-05-129 (Jan 2019) in this document: https://assets.publishing.service.g.../file/778831/VOL2_J15_CA01_mapbook_part_1.pdf
 

The Planner

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Up Slow is 75mph from Colwich to the old Armitage Jn so something would need to be done.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Up Slow is 75mph from Colwich to the old Armitage Jn so something would need to be done.

It is also very close to the geographical split between LNW Route North and South.
The two SAs say different things for the up slow at that point, South says 110/125, North says 75 as you say.
I think it used to be more north of Armitage before TV4 (90?).
 

Ianno87

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It is also very close to the geographical split between LNW Route North and South.
The two SAs say different things for the up slow at that point, South says 110/125, North says 75 as you say.
I think it used to be more north of Armitage before TV4 (90?).

I think the new bit of the Up Slow built by at TV4 between (former) Armitage and Lichfield is EPS 125 - the pre-existing stretch from Colwich to Armitage was left as 75.

On the Down side, the current Down Slow (west-most track) north of Armitage used to be the Down Fast throughout pre-TV4, so has always had 100+ capability.
 
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Timelapse of Nation Temperance Hospital (Camden) demolition...


(and look in the background, one can see one of the replacement buildings going up for those to be displaced from the "Dales" blocks.)
 

Jozhua

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Timelapse of Nation Temperance Hospital (Camden) demolition...


(and look in the background, one can see one of the replacement buildings going up for those to be displaced from the "Dales" blocks.)
Very interesting! They seemed to do the demolition quite slowly, is this just standard practice in dense urban areas or have they took down the building in such a way they can put it back up in a different location?
 

hwl

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Very interesting! They seemed to do the demolition quite slowly, is this just standard practice in dense urban areas or have they took down the building in such a way they can put it back up in a different location?
Pretty standard for sensitive areas and there is no great rush. Plus asbestos and limiting truck movements / day too given the number of sites.
The cost will be sensible this way too.
 

kaiser62

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Very interesting! They seemed to do the demolition quite slowly, is this just standard practice in dense urban areas or have they took down the building in such a way they can put it back up in a different location?
If you look carefully they are also stacking the old bricks onto pallets for recycling. Old bricks can sell for more than new ones.
 

DPWH

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What is the plan for the section along the old GCML? Is the GCML alignment wide enough for two parallel High speed tracks with the necessary spacing between them and access road? If not, what is going to happen to the surviving structures, particularly birdges?
 

ForTheLoveOf

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What is the plan for the section along the old GCML? Is the GCML alignment wide enough for two parallel High speed tracks with the necessary spacing between them and access road? If not, what is going to happen to the surviving structures, particularly birdges?
I can hardly imagine that HS2 will make use of any existing bridges and the like. However, embankments and cuttings might be used, even if worked on/secured.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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In general I don't think any of the original GC formation will be used for HS2.
The alignment, elevation and construction standards of the two routes will be very different, even if they are practically coincident.
The GC formation will be just another feature of the landscape being crossed, although it might make land purchase in the area simpler.
I think the significant structures on the GC route have been dismantled over the years.
 

swt_passenger

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There are strip maps available that show that even on the 11 mile section where HS2 is close to the GC alignment it isn’t exactly “superimposed”. Many curves have to be eased, so I’d be assuming hardly anything will stay the same. Here’s a pair of examples just north of Calvert:
https://assets.publishing.service.g...ta/file/378333/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000009.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.g...ta/file/378386/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000010.pdf

All the maps can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/colle...ile-maps-between-london-and-the-west-midlands

The alterations are in 3D of course, so the GC gradients aren’t necessarily right either, so there’ll be cuttings, embankments and viaducts required that weren’t needed for the GC.
 
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edwin_m

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If I recall correctly the remaining track on the GC south of Calvert will be re-built slightly to the east with HS2 being built on (but largely obliterating) the existing formation.
 

Geezertronic

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Thanks for the link. It is particularly interesting for me to see what they are doing around the Balsall Common, Hampton in Arden, and Interchange areas as I drive past there very regularly and see that work is progressing (although the way the trees have been cut down is like someone with no experience has hacked at them with a spoon :()
 

marko2

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Very interesting! They seemed to do the demolition quite slowly, is this just standard practice in dense urban areas or have they took down the building in such a way they can put it back up in a different location?

I managed t
Pretty standard for sensitive areas and there is no great rush. Plus asbestos and limiting truck movements / day too given the number of sites.
The cost will be sensible this way too.

I got on a tour of the 132 Hampstead Road site - the former UCL Bartlett School of Architecture building. That one is giving them a bit more trouble to demolish. It was apparently built as a shoe factory (or warehouse? stories vary). It is an incredibly strong cast-in-situ reinforced concrete building with half-meter thick floors, and 1 1/4" rebar.

We were told that logistics is often the limiting factor on these jobs. And this one is no different. They are unable to have a tower crane due to the proximity to the railway and lack of space. Thankfully the demolition contractor is able to drop the arisings down the building's lift-shafts into the basement - and remove it from the original loading bay.

The residential blocks across the street (the 'dales' seem to be bigger challenge.
 

kevin_roche

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There is a piece in the Guardian today by Simon Jenkins which points toward the cancellation of HS2.

Insiders talking to Channel 4’s Dispatches team were virtually agreed it might not proceed beyond Birmingham, undermining its cost-benefit value.

For (Liz) Truss, cancellation would combine fiscal prudence with serious political gain. Leaders of northern city councils – where the Tories’ plight is currently desperate – backed HS2 because it was the only transport investment in sight. Cancellation would enable Truss to press the go button on HS3, and produce instant ecstasy. She would be feted from the Humber to the Mersey.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/16/scrap-hs2-north-hs3-rail-commuter-journeys
 

takno

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There is a piece in the Guardian today by Simon Jenkins which points toward the cancellation of HS2.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/16/scrap-hs2-north-hs3-rail-commuter-journeys
Simon Jenkins alternates between predicting and demanding the demise of HS2 in the Guardian virtually monthly without ever demonstrating even the slightest grasp of what it's there for, what's already been spent, what the costs might be outside of the number he read last week on the Stop HS2 newsletter, or what might be involved generally in building a railway line.

Liz Truss's posturing may be of interest, but Jenkins' thoughts on the topic really aren't.
 

Railwaysceptic

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Simon Jenkins alternates between predicting and demanding the demise of HS2 in the Guardian virtually monthly without ever demonstrating even the slightest grasp of what it's there for, what's already been spent, what the costs might be outside of the number he read last week on the Stop HS2 newsletter, or what might be involved generally in building a railway line.

Liz Truss's posturing may be of interest, but Jenkins' thoughts on the topic really aren't.
In that piece, Simon Jenkins gives some figures for what has been spent - e.g. £ 600 million on consultants - and predicts what it's going to cost. He states very clearly what he thinks it's all about: a Cameron vanity project. He does not need to demonstrate what might be involved in building a railway line because that's irrelevant to his point.

You may not find his thoughts interesting, but that's because he does not agree with you. Other people might find his arguments very interesting.
 
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