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

[AlbertBeale]

The station entrance is on the west side and has been for as long as I can remember (40 years or so). I believe there is, or certainly was a private industrial aggregates facility on the east side which runs the full length of the station.

You could access the station via the walking route from Bletchley Depot but I suspect that's not what you meant.

Indeed! Thanks for the information.

It seems - prima facie, to a non-local - to be a shame not to use the opportunity of the new platforms, with their support structure on the east of the low-level station, to add an eastern access as well.

 

[DarloRich]

Is there currently no way at all of accessing Bletchley station other than from the west of the low-level part? Is there any way from east of the low-level (albeit still west of the new high-level platforms)?

No - sadly there is no new entrance facing the town centre or bus station

It seems - prima facie, to a non-local - to be a shame not to use the opportunity of the new platforms, with their support structure on the east of the low-level station, to add an eastern access as well.

absolutely! it is very frustrating. Locals certainly expected such an entrance.

 

[BrianW]

Another short update from Aerial Musings on YouTube re Bletchley High level station

A whisper suggests tracks through Winslow by 18th Feb not withstanding any strike action.

Excellent video- great quality.

Found myself wondering about squeezing in a north- east chord between the buildings and north-south tracks moved a bit to the west, then thought why? What advantage would that provide compared with MK- Cambridge with a reversal in the high-level platforms ?

Is there currently no way at all of accessing Bletchley station other than from the west of the low-level part? Is there any way from east of the low-level (albeit still west of the new high-level platforms)?

I seem to recall (upthread?) there had been proposals for a east entrance (exit?) lost in the mists of who would pay? Maybe some Section 106 monies related to new developments?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Found myself wondering about squeezing in a north- east chord between the buildings and north-south tracks moved a bit to the west

It could be done easily by knocking down a few cheap industrial premises in Denbigh Hall.

, then thought why? What advantage would that provide compared with MK- Cambridge with a reversal in the high-level platforms ?

About five minutes. Which would improve attractiveness of the Marston Vale itself and enable the construction of ecovillages around the stations.

I seem to recall (upthread?) there had been proposals for a east entrance (exit?) lost in the mists of who would pay? Maybe some Section 106 monies related to new developments?

It's supposedly part of the area's redevelopment and there is passive provision (an emergency exit).

 

[swt_passenger]

It's supposedly part of the area's redevelopment and there is passive provision (an emergency exit).

I don’t think it can practically be considered passive provision, the escape doors are exactly where people using the stairs are going to be crossing en route from one platform to the other. The building would need a complete re-design.

 

[Neen Sollars]

There is no road level access. The only normal access is via the footbridge. The doors visible are for fire escape only. I attached a TWA drawing extract in post #273.

Thanks. Good job there is no access from the east side, too dangerous to allow passengers loose on that plant access road.

 

[DarloRich]

It could be done easily by knocking down a few cheap industrial premises in Denbigh Hall.

argh! it isn't quite that easy or cheap!

 

[TiddlyPom]

Another short update from Aerial Musings on YouTube re Bletchley High level station

A whisper suggests tracks through Winslow by 18th Feb not withstanding any strike action.

Thanks for that.

Why was the longer span removed? Other photos show it being placed at the same time as the shorter bit.

Possibly answering my own question. I presume that there needs to be an angled "docking portal" attached to the end of existing footbridge first?

 

[Trainee9]

Postings elsewhere show that track-laying work has reached the new Winslow station.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

Postings elsewhere show that track-laying work has reached the new Winslow station.

would you mind posting a link or image to where this was shown?

 

[kevin_roche]

This article from a couple of weeks ago in The Bucks Hearald doesn't say much so perhaps that's why I haven't seen it mentioned. But worth a look at the pictures.

As the new year started to take shape, so did the long-awaited new Winslow Station. An eagle-eyed reader took these pictures on New Year’s Day of the new railway station building being erected in Winslow.

 

[R Martin]

When I lived in Bletchley in the late 1960's there was a footpath that I used every day, which went from Church Green Road, near the Church, to the station entrance. Is it still there?

 

[Bletchleyite]

When I lived in Bletchley in the late 1960's there was a footpath that I used every day, which went from Church Green Road, near the Church, to the station entrance. Is it still there?

Yep, it's how I get there. Part of it (the bit past the newish flats, no doubt done as planning gain) is now a Redway (shared use cycle-pedestrian path).

 

[DarloRich]

When I lived in Bletchley in the late 1960's there was a footpath that I used every day, which went from Church Green Road, near the Church, to the station entrance. Is it still there?

Still there is IRC. It has been preserved even with all the building work in the area.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Still there is IRC. It has been preserved even with all the building work in the area.

Not just preserved but upgraded to Redway standard on the part nearer the station.

 

[DarloRich]

Not just preserved but upgraded to Redway standard on the part nearer the station.

excellent - although a bit of a redway island - i assume as part of the building work in the area

 

[Bletchleyite]

excellent - although a bit of a redway island - i assume as part of the building work in the area

Yes, suspect it was planning gain. It's fine as it is - from the other side the road is fine to cycle on to get to the Bletchley Park end of the Redway (Church Green Road/Rickley Lane are very quiet, and you cut through the park past the school), it just nicely cuts out the busy Buckingham Road and that horrible roundabout.

I've probably done it hundreds of times.

 

[R Martin]

I also think it was used for cyclists as well. Is the rose garden for the blind near the church still there? Sorry editor, just memories!

 

[Meerkat]

Those high level platforms look pretty narrow for an end access. The new footbridge looks a bit narrow to later become part of a new station access, as well as a changing trains route?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Those high level platforms look pretty narrow for an end access. The new footbridge looks a bit narrow to later become part of a new station access, as well as a changing trains route?

It'd always be a secondary entrance. Most people arrive at the station from the current entrance side, as that's where most of the housing is (people arriving from further away will tend towards MKC due to the superior service). The station is primarily a traffic source, not a traffic sink. So I think it's plenty wide enough.

Remember that the de-facto main entrance/exit of Preston is a bridge of those sorts of dimensions.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Any news on tracklaying progress from the Gavray Junction (Bicester) end? I notice side-tippers being loaded at the revived Hinksey Virtual Quarry here in Oxford.

 

[fgwrich]

Steering us back to East West, current tracklaying progress at Winslow thanks to Phil Marsh:

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1620519504953626626?s=46&t=_e3vTBEFnnf1D4FQfSbHCA

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1620520450169405440?s=46&t=_e3vTBEFnnf1D4FQfSbHCA

 

[swt_passenger]

Steering us back to East West, current tracklaying progress at Winslow thanks to Phil Marsh:

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1620519504953626626?s=46&t=_e3vTBEFnnf1D4FQfSbHCA

https://twitter.com/marshrail/status/1620520450169405440?s=46&t=_e3vTBEFnnf1D4FQfSbHCA

To confirm the location, I think the Balfour Beatty new track machine, (in the last photo), is situated about 500m east of the new station site, basically at the site of the previous closed station?

 

[Trainee9]

For tracklaying work at the new Winslow station, see Richard Crouch, 26 Jan:

https://twitter.com/RichardCrouch1

 

[DavidGrain]

Sorry to ask a simple question but from which direction has tracklaying got to Winslow?

 

[snowball]

Sorry to ask a simple question but from which direction has tracklaying got to Winslow?

From the east, from Bletchley. As I said in a post last year:

Ten pages of the April Modern Railways are devoted to two articles on E-W Rail. On page 53 it gives the order in which track is being laid:

1) 10km westwards from Bletchley to Winslow

2) 8km eastwards from Bicester to the west edge of the HS2 integration area

3) From Winslow westwards to the east edge of the HS2 integration area

4) The HS2 integration area.

Having listed the above four phases it then seemingly confuses the issue by quoting the EWR Alliance Deputy Director as saying "we have an aggressive track programme in five phases, with the last track to be laid in the HS2 box in 2023."

So how far has number 2 got?

 

[Dr A.Johnston]

A closer look at Winslow Station thanks to Aerial Musings on YouTube

Bridge going over the road at Claydon - Thanks to Simon B on the RM Web forum (www.rmweb.co.uk)

It is reported the embankments are currently being built up. The above picture is from a few days ago.

 

[Neen Sollars]

More excellent You Tube drone footage of Winslow Station from Richard Crouch.

 

[richieb1971]

Are they doubling Fenny to Bletchley high level? I thought I read something about it in the plans but all concentration so far seems to be west of the station.

 

[tspaul26]

Are they doubling Fenny to Bletchley high level? I thought I read something about it in the plans but all concentration so far seems to be west of the station.

Not as part of the current works.