• 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!

Bermondsey dive under open

Status
Not open for further replies.

FOH

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2013
Messages
712
I'm wondering if anyone has views/knowledge of the progress so far. Each morning I go past there is generally nothing happening, yesterday there were 6 guys present at track level, today none.

In terms of materials, 6 months in and the track is still in the process of being lifted. To me as a lay man it looks like all the progress so far could've been done in a weekend at high intensity and the avoidance of closure of the viaduct could've spared us the congestion for another timetable period.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,271
Forgive me as I don't know the correct viaduct names but basically, they are still in the strip out phase to remove the tracks completely over much of the New Cross Spur lines (the Southeastern lines to Charing Cross), and there is still another track slew to come so that all four Southeastern tracks are running on the north of the whole formation. (i.e. on the site of the original lines 1-4; with a temporary curve before the station to get the Charing Cross lines back over towards the south.)

The viaduct and earthworks that carried the three Southern tracks towards the high level station are track free, from what I saw the other week.

Full demolition of the two viaducts for a few hundred yards either side of Bolina Rd apparently starts in June, therefore I suspect the remaining Southeastern track slews to free up the west end of the work site will happen over the next two bank holiday weekends.

There is a new concrete ramp in position built over the site of the demolished Bricklayers Arms incline but at a higher level and steeper gradient, it runs between the LO/SLL over bridge to Bolina Rd and will eventually take the northernmost of the four lines through the dive under, the route that was provided for up direction Thameslink trains from the Southeastern area. (But won't now be used as such.)

But there are other posters here with inside knowledge who will confirm or correct that.
 
Last edited:

FOH

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2013
Messages
712
Thanks for your information, it's just that the stripping out progress looks glacial to me - like the engineers have been given far more time than they needed. There is still 1 track on the Southern lines in place with a 100m or so hole in it near the incinerator that is still in the process of being lifted it seems.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,271
Thanks for your information, it's just that the stripping out progress looks glacial to me - like the engineers have been given far more time than they needed. There is still 1 track on the Southern lines in place with a 100m or so hole in it near the incinerator that is still in the process of being lifted it seems.

Perhaps they still needed some sections of track for spoil trains? I'm not at all sure but there may be a requirement for investigation work into the viaduct structures, so that they know what materials and contaminants they have to remove.

There has obviously been a significant amount of site clearance at ground level (which will have had its own timetable), and based on what I saw at Reading there'll be piling and ground reinforcement works for a long period, much of which will seem to take ages, because there's a limit to how many piling machines and cranes etc that they can get into the worksite at one time.
 

hwl

Established Member
Joined
5 Feb 2012
Messages
7,354
It looks like the majority of the work so has focused on the future eastern ramp on the site of the old South Eastern Railway Bricklayers arms spur (for the northern most track under the diver under). The dnew ramp looks largely complete.

When the Charing Cross services have been fully swapped to lines 3+4 after the late may bank Holiday expect everything to progress rapidly on both the New Cross (CHX) spur and the Sussex Spur (OOU from Jan onwards).

Indeed it is a shame that a 4th track (effectively servicing the purpose of the future down slow) couldn't have been kept in action till the May TT change which might have helped significantly from January onwards.
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
The Civils work isn't on the critical path for the dive under, at least not yet. Finding sufficient bank holidays to do the necessary signalling is / was. As it wasn't on the critical a path, the track work has been done in a way that is the most efficient, rather than concentrating resources into one weekend.

The necessary track slueing was done at Easter, in late May there is more slueing done at the station itself.

Demolition of the main viaducts starts June 1st and progress will be rapid. It's the same guys who do the demolition at the station, and they don't mess around.
 

Hophead

Established Member
Joined
5 Apr 2013
Messages
1,192
You may be interested in a flickr collection by unravelled (there's over 400 pictures, so it may take a while to get through them all).

London Reconnections may have some photos as well (or may just be some of unravelled's).
 

Chrisgr31

Established Member
Joined
2 Aug 2011
Messages
1,675
It's an occasion where a drone taking photos would be useful, to get an impression of what is happening from the air.

From passing by every day, especially on the Southern side, you cant really see what is happening, as most of the work appears to be on the South Eastern side.
 

dysonsphere

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2013
Messages
518
It's an occasion where a drone taking photos would be useful, to get an impression of what is happening from the air.

From passing by every day, especially on the Southern side, you cant really see what is happening, as most of the work appears to be on the South Eastern side.

Drones are pretty much a no no in London uless youre police or a broadcast as youre in the London TMZ
 
Last edited:

nidave

Member
Joined
12 Jul 2011
Messages
923
I am going to ask what may seem a very stupid and obvious question but I have always wondered so here goes.

A lot of the brick arches etc are quite old now, how are they assessed and monitored? With the increase in traffic and weight going over them are they nearing the design limit? Is it like motorway bridges which have fibre through them to check for movement etc?
 

quantinghome

Established Member
Joined
1 Jun 2013
Messages
2,262
I am going to ask what may seem a very stupid and obvious question but I have always wondered so here goes.

A lot of the brick arches etc are quite old now, how are they assessed and monitored? With the increase in traffic and weight going over them are they nearing the design limit? Is it like motorway bridges which have fibre through them to check for movement etc?

It's a combination of regular inspections and engineering calculations if there is a change in loading requirements. Monitoring will be used if there are causes for concern. There's a multitude of techniques available, which will be used according to the risk posed.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,271
A lot of the brick arches etc are quite old now, how are they assessed and monitored? With the increase in traffic and weight going over them are they nearing the design limit? Is it like motorway bridges which have fibre through them to check for movement etc?

This picture from unravelled's collection on flickr (linked a few posts ago) suggests some reinforcement of existing arches is going on as well:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/unravelled/17979242022/in/dateposted/
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
It's quite interesting seeing the work progress as i pass there most days (usually on a uckfield!). Still hard to believe it's gonna be another 3 years though. Looks like platforms 5 and 6 at LBG were demolished over the weekend.
 

hwl

Established Member
Joined
5 Feb 2012
Messages
7,354
It's quite interesting seeing the work progress as i pass there most days (usually on a uckfield!). Still hard to believe it's gonna be another 3 years though. Looks like platforms 5 and 6 at LBG were demolished over the weekend.

NR timelapse video of the Bank Holiday weekend works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbzsN5TbSY&sns=em
The last bits of 5+6 went very quickly. Not much to see now as it is all behind hoardings.

Less than 3 years!
First bit of the diveunder operational in less than 2 years (Sussex Down Slow to New Cross Gate) and the new Charing Cross lines under the dive under in August '17.
 
Last edited:

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
NR timelapse video of the Bank Holiday weekend works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbzsN5TbSY&sns=em
The last bits of 5+6 went very quickly. Not much to see now as it is all behind hoardings.

Less than 3 years!
First bit of the diveunder operational in less than 2 years (Sussex Down Slow to New Cross Gate) and the new Charing Cross lines under the dive under in August '17.

thats good. ;)
 

FOH

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2013
Messages
712
Just a quick update to say that as per the message from Bald Rick, demolition is indeed in full swing and easily visible from the South.

I still think the last 6 months have been a waste of time but we are where we are and it's good to see something finally happening.
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
A lot of stuff had to be got out of the way first, not least the tracks. Also S&C some 'saddle beams' had to be constructed to bridge part of the old/ new interface. The up Charing cross runs on parts of these now. This had to be done before the old stuff could be demolished.
 

Bayum

Established Member
Joined
21 Mar 2008
Messages
2,902
Location
Leeds
I know what's happening with the fly under - but what does the video show?

From what I saw it was laying new platforms...
 

RichJF

Member
Joined
2 Nov 2012
Messages
1,099
Location
Sussex
Went past it all on my usual Southern train this morning.

Metal bridge over the old Bricklayers Arms branch has gone. Now two brick abutments facing each other. This is on the Sussex tracks.

A large section of the brick wall on the Kent viaduct has come down & some of the old trackbed gone.

Measurable progress in the last week.
 

swt_passenger

Veteran Member
Joined
7 Apr 2010
Messages
31,271
I know what's happening with the fly under - but what does the video show?

From what I saw it was laying new platforms...

The key change in the video was the movement of the boundary hoarding to the side of the track through Platform 5 - previously up Charing Cross trains were running next to the big hole in the ground using the up passenger loop. Although the up line still crosses the site of the west end of that island on a temporary alignment

So it was effectively taking the first big chunk out of the high level site to allow removal of the arches under the middle of P 5/6 in the area that will be the new concourse.
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
Starting to see some real action now. The arches between spa road jct and bricklayers arms are starting to get demolished and on the adjacent south eastern lines (sorry I don't know the name of them).
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
Starting to see some real action now. The arches between spa road jct and bricklayers arms are starting to get demolished and on the adjacent south eastern lines (sorry I don't know the name of them).

Indeed, the first ten arches will be down by tonight.
 

IanKR

Member
Joined
21 Oct 2014
Messages
90
Location
London SE9
Indeed, the first ten arches will be down by tonight.

Saw that this morning. Are they completely demolishing that section of the viaduct, or just along the top? Presumably this is to make way for the dive-under. With all the work going on around there, I can't work out exactly what they're doing, and how it's going to end up. Is it right that the Charing Cross lines will dive under the TL tracks coming in from the south?
 

Bald Rick

Veteran Member
Joined
28 Sep 2010
Messages
29,070
Saw that this morning. Are they completely demolishing that section of the viaduct, or just along the top? Presumably this is to make way for the dive-under. With all the work going on around there, I can't work out exactly what they're doing, and how it's going to end up. Is it right that the Charing Cross lines will dive under the TL tracks coming in from the south?

Complete demolition except for a few feet of support pillar. Yes the Charing cross lines will dive under the TL lines.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I would have thought that viaduct must be one of the oldest to be demolished for some time?

The oldest since yesterday, when the original part of the viaduct in the station was done.
 

physics34

Established Member
Joined
1 Dec 2013
Messages
3,681
NR timelapse video of the Bank Holiday weekend works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NbzsN5TbSY&sns=em
The last bits of 5+6 went very quickly. Not much to see now as it is all behind hoardings.

Less than 3 years!
First bit of the diveunder operational in less than 2 years (Sussex Down Slow to New Cross Gate) and the new Charing Cross lines under the dive under in August '17.

Saw that this morning. Are they completely demolishing that section of the viaduct, or just along the top? Presumably this is to make way for the dive-under. With all the work going on around there, I can't work out exactly what they're doing, and how it's going to end up. Is it right that the Charing Cross lines will dive under the TL tracks coming in from the south?
. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...oTCJ_qiN6jlsYCFWKN2wodWtcArg&biw=980&bih=1528
 

theageofthetra

On Moderation
Joined
27 May 2012
Messages
3,504
Went past the remains this morning and the core left standing does resemble some ancient Roman aquaduct!
 

Deepgreen

Established Member
Joined
12 Jun 2013
Messages
6,340
Location
Betchworth, Surrey
Yes, shows how quickly demolition can progress when the site is clear and the construction is more or less one material (i.e. bricks). Saw the new fly-under clearly for the first time this morning.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top