Crossrail. What can you see?

[Clip]

I have noticed that they have laid rail down by Prince Regent DLR station. I take it this must be for gauging?

*Couldn't find another thread relevant

 

[hassaanhc]

This evening GB Railfreight locmotive 66772 has been seen Custom House. It was powered down when I found it around 2145.


GB Railfreight 66772 at Custom House! by Hassaan Chaudhry, on Flickr


GB Railfreight 66772 at Custom House! by Hassaan Chaudhry, on Flickr

 

[NickBucks]

Apologies for my ignorance on this but will they still be using steel rails in the tunnel or has technology moved on to allow for another type of material ? I guess with the glut of cheap steel in the world there is no cheaper alternative ?

 

[edwin_m]

Apologies for my ignorance on this but will they still be using steel rails in the tunnel or has technology moved on to allow for another type of material ? I guess with the glut of cheap steel in the world there is no cheaper alternative ?

I don't believe any railway in the world uses rails of any material other than steel, except perhaps for miniature railways where I've seen something that looks like aluminium. There are various steel alloys used, some of which are more suitable for areas of higher wear for instance.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

The new SouthEastern platforms at Abbey Wood now appear to be complete, and Westbound and Eastbound trains are now using the new platforms. That means the footbridge bridge across the tracks that leads to what used to be the old SouthEastern down platform is now closed to the public. I guess that means we'll see work starting on converting the old Down platform into CrossRail platforms very soon.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

(Deleted)

 

[rebmcr]

This may be of interest to forum members

Except it's for DfT employees only... :roll:

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Remodelled layout at Shenfield , new (sort of - there was one there many years ago) turnback siding at Chadwell Heath , depot alterations at Ilford.

Freight diveunder at Acton.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Except it's for DfT employees only... :roll:

Thanks! AlterEgo has also just drawn my attention to the face. I thought when posting it was available to all, but clearly not - so I've deleted my post about it.

 

[itfcfan]

For anyone who is interested, here are a couple of views of the Royal Oak portal taken recently (26th May).

 

[itfcfan]

For anyone who is interested, here are a couple of views of the Royal Oak portal taken recently (26th May).

I went to the same view point yesterday and the previous tracks have been removed. New (presumably permanent) track is being laid, starting from the tunnel - it currently only extends a few metres out of the tunnel. For the most part, the rest of the work site has no track laid currently.

 

[plymothian]

You could always wander round Tottenham Court Road station and spot all the signs they're going to have to change after they've already been installed!

 

[rd749249]

The Up Electric at Stratford London End Jct will shortly be re-routed to the south of the portal entrance.

 

[nlogax]

From the infrastructure update vid at Custom House. These look like portal structures seen on HS1 or the French side of the tunnel, not Series (x) kit as per F&F or others. Are they used elsewhere in the UK?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

How long will it probably take them to get the OLE up and to a point where it can be energised?

 

[swt_passenger]

How long will it probably take them to get the OLE up and to a point where it can be energised?

AT least some has to be done by next month if testing is to start in November as planned:

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=3109894

 

[pacenotes]

I went to the same view point yesterday and the previous tracks have been removed. New (presumably permanent) track is being laid, starting from the tunnel - it currently only extends a few metres out of the tunnel. For the most part, the rest of the work site has no track laid currently.

I keep seeing them move metre by metre very slowly every day.

Does anyone know how the track will end up here? It looks like its splitting into a 4 track. Is there going to be a siding under Royal oak?

 

[swt_passenger]

I keep seeing them move metre by metre very slowly every day.

Does anyone know how the track will end up here? It looks like its splitting into a 4 track. Is there going to be a siding under Royal oak?

Westbourne Park Crossrail turnback sidings (and emergency platforms) used for reversing about half the service, will be between the Crossrail up and down lines, so they don't cause flat crossing conflicts for those trains going to/from the western leg.

Not sure exactly where or how they'll look on the ground, but it will definitely need some kind of a "fan out" and crossovers via some length of four track layout.

 

[D365]

Not sure exactly where or how they'll look on the ground, but it will definitely need some kind of a "fan out" and crossovers via some length of four track layout.

I've got a track diagram PDF saved somewhere, but this could well have changed as it's not very recent.

 

[pacenotes]

Could you put it up and I can see if they are building it to that spec.

 

[matt_world2004]

There looks to some sort of train shed just after ooc depot which appears new so I am guessing its for crossrail

There is also a new train shed at ooc at the other end when looking at the depot from the tracks

 

[Ronnie268]

I don't know if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but the up electrics on the Great Eastern have now been diverted around Pudding Mill Lane portal, so you get a good view of the tunnel from TfL Rail travelling from Stratford to Liverpool St.

 

[Dstock7080]

OHLE Pudding Mill Lane- east of Whitechapel, Stepney Green junction-Abbey Wood is due to be energised from 1 October.
Phase 2, including Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Ct Road, Farringdon, Liverpool St, Whitechapel (station) is planned for February 2018.

 

[ScotGG]

Rebuilt Abbey Wood station due to open at the end of October. Test trains to be stabled there overnight from the start

http://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk...ves-towards-completion-and-first-test-trains/

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I've been informed (by a Greenwich councillor) that the actual date for opening the new Abbey Wood station is 23 October. And I see one of the local newspapers is claiming the same date. If that's correct then there are just 9 days to go!

 

[itfcfan]

For anyone who is interested, here are a couple of views of the Royal Oak portal taken recently (26th May).
View attachment 33204
View attachment 33205

I went to the same view point yesterday and the previous tracks have been removed. New (presumably permanent) track is being laid, starting from the tunnel - it currently only extends a few metres out of the tunnel. For the most part, the rest of the work site has no track laid currently.

I went back to the same point above the Royal Oak portal today - a lot of the permanent track has been laid now, the points and connection to the mainline (now separated by temporary barriers) is starting to take place and many of the electrification masts are installed.

The final track layout is also starting to become clearer, with two lines on the left/South appearing to head towards the mainline and a single line on the right/North heading towards the reversing siding.

Here are some photos:

 

[swt_passenger]

I think the single line on the north side of the formation (RH in second image) will be the up Crossrail. Drawings previously shown online have the reversing sidings between the running lines. To achieve the frequencies east of the reversing sidings I expect that they really have to be in the middle.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Confirmed that the new Abbey Wood station will be opening this Sunday, 22 October! They are handing out leaflets about it at the station.

The lifts outside the station won't be operational yet though, which presumably means that step-free access requires walking to the station along Harrow Manorway.

 

[Trailfinder]

Thanks for the photos itfcfan. I videoed the work from an up train on Line 6 last week, but it was difficult to ascertain what was being put on the ground compared to the track layout plan that I had.

From the first photo, it can be seen that the 3 left side tracks will join the 3 right side tracks in photo 2. The fourth track becoming the Down Crossrail, not yet laid, being in the space between the existing line 6 and the laid track. This track will then take over the formation of line 6 until it joins Line 5. Line 6, of course being split in 2 by this work. Line 6 at Westbourne Park, after the connection to the Marcon concrete plant sidings (now also being laid), will become the Up Crossrail (right side line in photo 2). On the Paddington side, Line 6 will rejoin Line 5 shortly after Royal Oak.

Looking into the distance in photo 2, you can see the start of the turnback facility consisting of a single loop, which reconnects with the Down Crossrail prior to it joining Line 5, and 2 sidings.

I assume the work will all be connected up at Christmas, when there is another blockade and Paddington will be shut.

Has the connections at Pudding Mill Lane/Stratford been made yet? As they intend to start testing between Abbey Wood and east of Whitechapel soon, they will need some way of getting a Class 345 into the area, without dragging it round London.

For those interested I found the following PDF by Googleing 'ETCS' and 'CROSSRAIL', which has track and signalling layouts, and an explanation of the transitions between signalling systems.
https://www.networkrailconsulting.c...cbtc-interfaces-crossrail-signalling/download

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I went through the new Abbey Wood station today. Couple of photos attached. Looks very large and shiny and new inside, and I love the wooden ceiling - very pleasant-looking design. There are also some very nice views from the station building across Abbey Wood - since the building is quite high up. I must admit to being a bit puzzled as to why they opened it today though, as it doesn't really look ready. Lifts not working - even inside the station, and loads of building works still going on outside, and the Felixstowe Road entrance is still sealed off.

One not-so-good thing that struck me is that the windows that overlook the platforms (straight ahead in the first photo) don't actually go up to ceiling level: There's what looks like a permanent gap above them. And since the building is quite high up, the result was that it felt to me very cold and windy inside the entrance.

On the upside, a nice touch is that there are very prominent departure boards outside the station, which hopefully will mean people will easily be able to see train departure info even as they are approaching the station.