East-West Rail (EWR): Consultation updates [not speculation]

[bspahh]

do you know when that was taken?

They sometimes say when they post the tweet, but not this time

 

[eMeS]

do you know when that was taken?

Could it be this morning at 09:18? From the Twitter page. (I don't use Twitter, but the date & time is there in plain sight on the page.)

 

[DarloRich]

They sometimes say when they post the tweet, but not this time

Could it be this morning at 09:18? From the Twitter page. (I don't use Twitter, but the date & time is there in plain sight on the page.)

I haven't heard the helicopter this week. it was certainly over at the end of last week ( as was the national Grid chopper)

 

[work-traveller]

Main WCML spans will come out with a larger crane. Then there are the Buckingham Road spans to come out, with a crane plonked in the middle of Buckingham Road.

 

[fishwomp]

Hi all,

I paid a visit to a number of places along the the line this weekend - from Claydon Jct to Swanbourne. So far as I could see, all track has now been lifted - a change from 2 years ago when I last visited.

At Claydon Jct, track is still in situ - but you won't reach Oxford as there's no track east of Bicester for a few miles! (looking east)

Steeple Claydon crossing formerly had gates and a signal post in place, this has now gone (looking west)


Verney Junction has been cleared and the platforms are visible now - although it's hard to imagine the four platform faces it used to have as the south-most platforms are in the old station master's gardens now (looking west).


Winslow cutting has been cleared, it's very waterlogged - in spite of the dry weather we have been having! That rickety looking structure in the mid picture is actually a footbridge and open! (looking east)


Swanbourne Station has not been demolished but will be soon, such a shame this could not be renovated instead. (looking west)

 

[fat_boy_pete]

I paid a visit to a number of places along the the line this weekend - from Claydon Jct to Swanbourne. So far as I could see, all track has now been lifted - a change from 2 years ago when I last visited.

Thank you for recording the current picture. It would be great (if possible) for you to return annually to take photos as the project develops!
Would be an excellent record.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Swanbourne Station was renovated and inhabited for several years by, I believe, two gentlemen squatters. I visited the station a few years ago, before East West Rail got the go-ahead, and both the station building and the platforms had been restored to a high standard. As I understand it, Network Rail had no idea that premises belonging to them were the undeclared home of two otherwise respectable men. It all came to light when Network Rail reconnoitred the route in preparation for East/West Rail. When I revisited the station a couple of years ago after the residents had been evicted, there was already a very marked deterioration in the building and platforms.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Swanbourne Station was renovated and inhabited for several years by, I believe, two gentlemen squatters. I visited the station a few years ago, before East West Rail got the go-ahead, and both the station building and the platforms had been restored to a high standard. As I understand it, Network Rail had no idea that premises belonging to them were the undeclared home of two otherwise respectable men. It all came to light when Network Rail reconnoitred the route in preparation for East/West Rail. When I revisited the station a couple of years ago after the residents had been evicted, there was already a very marked deterioration in the building and platforms.

Well I didn't know that. I knew it was occupied, but I assumed they had purchased it. I hope the demolition is needed for railway reasons and is not out of spite (though given that the station basically serves nothing there's no point reopening it, it's as easy to drive from Swanbourne itself to Winslow).

 

[swt_passenger]

Is the fourth photo, “Winslow Cutting”, to be the station site, or is it nearby? AIUI the station building is to be at local road level, i.e. above the cutting side, with access by footbridge, stairs and lifts.

 

[The Planner]

Is the fourth photo, “Winslow Cutting”, to be the station site, or is it nearby? AIUI the station building is to be at local road level, i.e. above the cutting side, with access by footbridge, stairs and lifts.

If that is looking East, I thought it was going to be on the other side of the bridge in the photo, or behind the photo? could be wrong though.
Edit: scrap that, looking at Google Maps, if that is taken from the A413 bridge looking towards the Furze Lane bridge then its the station site.

 

[swt_passenger]

If that is looking East, I thought it was going to be on the other side of the bridge in the photo, or behind the photo? could be wrong though.
Edit: scrap that, looking at Google Maps, if that is taken from the A413 bridge looking towards the Furze Lane bridge then its the station site.

Thanks. I suspect it’s very foreshortened in the photo, ie there’s more room between footbridge and road bridge than it seems...

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Thank you for those photos, will be interesting to so how this project progresses.

 

[DarloRich]

Lots of preperation work going on at Bletchley to prepare for the next section of flyover to be lifted out. A compound is being built seemingly iver the roundabout on buckingham road

Well I didn't know that. I knew it was occupied, but I assumed they had purchased it. I hope the demolition is needed for railway reasons and is not out of spite (though given that the station basically serves nothing there's no point reopening it, it's as easy to drive from Swanbourne itself to Winslow).

Why would network rail demolish an asset with value out of "spite"? Even dilapidated a well built property like a station house is attractive to buyers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Lots of preperation work going on at Bletchley to prepare for the next section of flyover to be lifted out. A compound is being built seemingly iver the roundabout on buckingham road

I must admit I'm surprised they've got away with the disruption caused by doing this and I do quite strongly object to it. They did need a short closure to put a crane in and lift the sections out, but that shouldn't have been more than a couple of weeks, not the several months that is being talked about.

More people use the Buckingham Road in a day than will use EWR in a month.

 

[Neen Sollars]

I paid a visit to a number of places along the the line this weekend - from Claydon Jct to Swanbourne. So far as I could see, all track has now been lifted - a change from 2 years ago when I last visited.

Thanks for the pics. Please do not visit annually, but every two or three weeks, especially when the work starts, which must be very soon, and keep posting the pics!

 

[Neen Sollars]

Thanks for the pics. Please do not visit annually, but every two or three weeks, especially when the work starts, which must be very soon, and keep posting the pics!

Not got the hang of the quote thingy

 

[fishwomp]

Swanbourne Station was renovated and inhabited for several years by, I believe, two gentlemen squatters. I visited the station a few years ago, before East West Rail got the go-ahead, and both the station building and the platforms had been restored to a high standard. As I understand it, Network Rail had no idea that premises belonging to them were the undeclared home of two otherwise respectable men. It all came to light when Network Rail reconnoitred the route in preparation for East/West Rail. When I revisited the station a couple of years ago after the residents had been evicted, there was already a very marked deterioration in the building and platforms.

The only squatters are the bats who are staging in a sit in - good for them! I spoke to the (human) resident during my visit - he has lived there since 1947 - and NR or BRB are the landlord. He was wonderfully willing to share his memories of the railway, a very nice chap, was a delight to talk to him.

 

[fishwomp]

Is the fourth photo, “Winslow Cutting”, to be the station site, or is it nearby? AIUI the station building is to be at local road level, i.e. above the cutting side, with access by footbridge, stairs and lifts.

The photo is from the western edge of Winslow (Furze Lane), west of the main road, whereas the old station is on the eastern side of the town, beyond the brick bridge in the distance.

 

[eMeS]

I visited Verney Junction, the bridge over Claydon Brook and Swanbourne Station several times in the last 5 years. I'll upload another snap of Swanbourne Station from a different angle.

 

[Energy]

Thanks for the pics. Please do not visit annually, but every two or three weeks, especially when the work starts, which must be very soon, and keep posting the pics!

Not got the hang of the quote thingy

Type after [/QUOTE] thing and there is an edit button to edit a message which you have already sent

 

[Hughby]

For those interested in progress then this thread on another forum is well worth wading through. Lots of recent stuff on the Flyover but also some very interesting historical context/photos carefully hidden within the usual dross of multiple reposts and off topic excursions etc.

East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

www.rmweb.co.uk

 

[swt_passenger]

The photo is from the western edge of Winslow (Furze Lane), west of the main road, whereas the old station is on the eastern side of the town, beyond the brick bridge in the distance.

I was asking about the NEW station though, but the question is already answered...

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Are they removing that viaduct at Bletchley?

 

[swt_passenger]

Are they removing that viaduct at Bletchley?

They’re replacing a significant proportion of it, possibly a majority but not all, after surveys found it to be in very poor condition. The WCML crossing will basically be a huge concrete box.

Post #3838 back in May has a decent drawing.

 

[Clayton]

Got to say this is really positive and exciting. I can’t wait to get the train to Cambridge, MK will have to do first .

 

[Brissle Girl]

Got to say this is really positive and exciting. I can’t wait to get the train to Cambridge, MK will have to do first .

I wouldn’t hold your breath re Cambridge if I were you. If you think how many years it has taken to get the easy bit of the line to the point where reconstruction is just starting (ie disused track still in existence on a route not blocked), then building a completely new route for much of the remainder of the way is likely to be even more glacial in terms of progress.

 

[Roger B]

I wouldn’t hold your breath re Cambridge if I were you. If you think how many years it has taken to get the easy bit of the line to the point where reconstruction is just starting (ie disused track still in existence on a route not blocked), then building a completely new route for much of the remainder of the way is likely to be even more glacial in terms of progress.

I suspect whether you hold your breath or don't is irrelevant - it still may not be in your lifetime!

 

[The Ham]

I suspect whether you hold your breath or don't is irrelevant - it still may not be in your lifetime!

I suspect, especially given that we need to decarbonise and that people are more inclined to support rail than they did even a decade ago, that the second section is likely to be quicker in coming than the first.

Having said that I would still expect a 2030's or early 2040's opening date.

 

[Neen Sollars]

For those interested in progress then this thread on another forum is well worth wading through. Lots of recent stuff on the Flyover but also some very interesting historical context/photos carefully hidden within the usual dross of multiple reposts and off topic excursions etc.

East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line

www.rmweb.co.uk

Brilliant. Thanks for the link Hughby

 

[gallafent]

I suspect, especially given that we need to decarbonise and that people are more inclined to support rail than they did even a decade ago, that the second section is likely to be quicker in coming than the first.

Hmm, let's hope the electrification happens quickly then, since taking a diesel train instead of an electric car wouldn't decarbonise much