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Clapham Junction to Woking — Maintenance Work

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Dr_Paul

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The South-Western line from Clapham Junction to Woking via Surbiton has been closed each Sunday and some Saturdays for over a month, with all services either being diverted via Staines and the west curve at Weybridge or replaced by buses. Does anyone know what maintenance work is being done? The length of time taken suggests something fairly major is underway.
 
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gazr

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It's mainly work in the Wimbledon area, with a total block on all lines (Wimbledon West Junction if you have a map). They have replaced the UF to DF points that is only used by freight trains (which is probably what wrecked it). They have also replaced the points from US to UF to DF directly South of the station. I'm sure there is more, but that's what I have noticed.
 

Midmat

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I think some of the work was what they didn't finish over a year ago:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/check-before-you-travel-through-wimbledon-in-the-new-year-as-7m-investment-project-tackles-railway-reliability

Check before you travel through Wimbledon in the New Year as £7m investment project tackles railway reliability
Monday 17 Nov 2014

They didn't announce they didn't finish it :roll: but they were supposed to replace 12 points to the south of the station at the beginning of 2015 and, from memory, only about half got done.
 

swt_passenger

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Whether they are doing major infrastructure improvements or not, these closures are programmed in for a few weekends (maybe 5 or 6) every year. They'll do just the same diversions for periodic track renewals, ballast cleaning, etc etc, so the current closures on weekends shouldn't be seen as anything unusual...
 

Deepgreen

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On a slightly related topic, I noticed this morning that, in advance of the Easter blockade at Victoria, track panels have been delivered to site (the junction immediately to the south of Grosvenor Bridge) and have been stacked on top of the two stabling sidings on the west side of the line. Having done so, the track forming the sidings themselves has been crushed out of shape, with the conductor rail seemingly bent beyond further use. I'm wondering whether these sidings are to be abandoned, or, if not, why the new track panels weren't supported on something that wouldn't bend!?
 

Dr_Paul

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Thanks for that. I noticed when travelling up to Waterloo during the week fresh ballast in that area and wondered if there might have been some work done there. I also noticed last Saturday that permanent way work was being carried out at Waterloo on the main local platforms, although what precisely was being done I couldn't tell.
 

abn444

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I think some of the work was what they didn't finish over a year ago:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/check-before-you-travel-through-wimbledon-in-the-new-year-as-7m-investment-project-tackles-railway-reliability



They didn't announce they didn't finish it :roll: but they were supposed to replace 12 points to the south of the station at the beginning of 2015 and, from memory, only about half got done.

That would make sense, as I know that they did the Wimbledon points last year. Given the amount that was closed off I'm sure the work couldn't just have been there though and anyway I got a lift back from Byfleet and New Haw on Saturday (to avoid the buses) and as we were going past the cutting near Weybridge station I'm sure I saw a freight train in the cutting (presumably delivering/delivered the equipment/supplies for the work) and some people doing work by it.
 

Dr_Paul

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I also wondered, as replacement buses were going all the way to Woking, whether some work was underway further down the line.

Even if all lines were blocked at Wimbledon, resulting in suburban services being replaced by buses and Portsmouth, Southampton, Weymouth services being diverted via Staines, there could still be services running up to Surbiton from Woking or Effingham Junction. Clapham Junction to Woking by bus is a very long journey.
 

HarleyDavidson

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Not as long as you may think with an express bus.

A3 to M25, M25 to A320. Or A3 to A320 (Guildford, Stoke Interchange) & back up.
 

swt_passenger

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I also wondered, as replacement buses were going all the way to Woking, whether some work was underway further down the line.

Even if all lines were blocked at Wimbledon, resulting in suburban services being replaced by buses and Portsmouth, Southampton, Weymouth services being diverted via Staines, there could still be services running up to Surbiton from Woking or Effingham Junction. Clapham Junction to Woking by bus is a very long journey.

There was another blockade included at Weybridge according to an early version of the engineering access statement, (EAS) that I downloaded last October, it included various bits of re-railing and re-ballasting.

It is usually the case that they use possession time in that overall area for multiple purposes, i.e. once the main service is running via Staines and Byfleet curves then they 'make hay while the sun shines', as it were.

There's also sometimes problems caused by DC power having to be off in a much wider area that they are actually working in, because it isn't possible to isolate either short sections, or discrete tracks of the four track railway.
 
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