HS2 construction updates

[Dave_Cardboard]

... I will try and find a replacement or even draw out a line that you can download and insert into google earth pro...

If you mean create an overlay of the route alignment, the Govt. has provided such (and much more besides.) Search for "HS2 GIS Data" and you should be able to find them. There's a lot of detail available so it's best not to load it all up (if you do GE takes forever to start.)

I have the following loaded:

"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_AP04" (Phase 1)
"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_AP01" (Phase 2A)
"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_CP03" (Phase 2B Manchester Leg)

I have renamed the Phase 2B East shapes, so cannot cite it's original published name - but it's there somewhere.

Some of the detail is out of date and superseded (and "detailed design" may have yielded some refinements - for example Handsacre Junction is the "old" version landing between the fast lines) but it's a good enough visual aid for flying around GE and homing in on the work sites.

 

[dosxuk]

It seems that Google does not want to update satellite imagery all at once, they are rather updating parts of the map on Google Earth Pro at certain points.

A lot of what we think of as satellite imagery is actually taken from planes - especially all the high resolution stuff. You can often see the tracks of these aircraft on websites like flightradar, flying in elongated S shapes back-and-forth over an area at a couple of thousand feet altitude. The time this takes, and the range of the aircraft suitable for this work means it takes a significant amount of time to cover an area the size of the UK - literally months - and as the demand for up-to-date imagery is not evenly spread across the country, the places with that demand (basically the cities) get updated more often than the countryside.

Basically, it's not that they don't want to update it all at once, it's more it's all-but-impossible and unfeasibly expensive to update it all at once, and for very little benefit at that.

 

[jfowkes]

A lot of what we think of as satellite imagery is actually taken from planes - especially all the high resolution stuff. You can often see the tracks of these aircraft on websites like flightradar, flying in elongated S shapes back-and-forth over an area at a couple of thousand feet altitude. The time this takes, and the range of the aircraft suitable for this work means it takes a significant amount of time to cover an area the size of the UK - literally months - and as the demand for up-to-date imagery is not evenly spread across the country, the places with that demand (basically the cities) get updated more often than the countryside.

<offtopic>About fifteen years ago my Dad was a pilot for one of these companies. As I recall, he said it was the most boring, tedious flying job he'd ever had.</offtopic>

 

[mr_jrt]

You'd think they would just automate it with swarms of high-altitude drones these days.

 

[Geezertronic]

You'd think they would just automate it with swarms of high-altitude drones these days.

Problem with drones is they still require CAA permission to fly, especially in areas which cross flighpaths. There are more stringent rules in place for commercially operated drones compared to personal drones as well

 

[TheHSRailFan]

You'd think they would just automate it with swarms of high-altitude drones these days.

We're not that dumb

If you mean create an overlay of the route alignment, the Govt. has provided such (and much more besides.) Search for "HS2 GIS Data" and you should be able to find them. There's a lot of detail available so it's best not to load it all up (if you do GE takes forever to start.)

I have the following loaded:

"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_AP04" (Phase 1)
"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_AP01" (Phase 2A)
"HS2_RE_HighSpeedRailwaysAlignment2DCentreline_Ln_CT06_CP03" (Phase 2B Manchester Leg)

I have renamed the Phase 2B East shapes, so cannot cite it's original published name - but it's there somewhere.

Some of the detail is out of date and superseded (and "detailed design" may have yielded some refinements - for example Handsacre Junction is the "old" version landing between the fast lines) but it's a good enough visual aid for flying around GE and homing in on the work sites.

I don't need "lots of data" just a simple line. Lots of data can be too much or overloading and can be a tedious and boring job during my free time. GE for me loads just fine because my PC is powerful and a simple overlaying line does the job.

A lot of what we think of as satellite imagery is actually taken from planes - especially all the high resolution stuff. You can often see the tracks of these aircraft on websites like flightradar, flying in elongated S shapes back-and-forth over an area at a couple of thousand feet altitude. The time this takes, and the range of the aircraft suitable for this work means it takes a significant amount of time to cover an area the size of the UK - literally months - and as the demand for up-to-date imagery is not evenly spread across the country, the places with that demand (basically the cities) get updated more often than the countryside.

Basically, it's not that they don't want to update it all at once, it's more it's all-but-impossible and unfeasibly expensive to update it all at once, and for very little benefit at that.

Nobody ever told me about this, not even our own education system. Despite that, Google has to go through the tedious process of finding this stuff and/or buying the rights to use the images. Google has a lot of money so funding missions to take pictures and updating imagery is as simple as throwing money at them.

 

[zwk500]

Google has a lot of money so funding missions to take pictures and updating imagery is as simple as throwing money at them.

It's only going to throw money at things if there is money to be made. The money in aerial imagery is in things like coastal erosion and urban development - things that are most effectively seen from above. Commercial usage of aerial imagery around HS2 will be limited to a 'before' and 'after' image to assess the environmental impact of construction. It's not exactly difficult to get to the HS2 sites, so anybody interested in monitoring the progress of construction for whatever reason will likely just send somebody to site.

 

[Geogregor]

It's not exactly difficult to get to the HS2 sites, so anybody interested in monitoring the progress of construction for whatever reason will likely just send somebody to site.

It is actually fairly standard to monitor sites from the air, especially when we are talking about linear infrastructure. It is quicker, easier and more cost effective than sending people to sites stretching for over 200 km. Polish road authority use subcontractors with drones to monitor progress of construction.

They often use those aerial videos for publicity reasons as well.

 

[takno]

It is actually fairly standard to monitor sites from the air, especially when we are talking about linear infrastructure. It is quicker, easier and more cost effective than sending people to sites stretching for over 200 km. Polish road authority use subcontractors with drones to monitor progress of construction.

They often use those aerial videos for publicity reasons as well.

Network Rail also make extensive use of drones for that purpose, as I suspect do HS2. The point is that you can get the overhead surveillance you need from drones far more quickly, cheaply and easily than you can by waiting for a plane-based aerial photography company of the type which sell to google.

 

[59CosG95]

Network Rail also make extensive use of drones for that purpose, as I suspect do HS2. The point is that you can get the overhead surveillance you need from drones far more quickly, cheaply and easily than you can by waiting for a plane-based aerial photography company of the type which sell to google.

Not forgetting they (NR) have a dedicated AirOps team who regularly survey the network (although some routes get surveyed more often than others).

 

[telstarbox]

Lots of work going on in Warwickshire including this massive crane on site

 

[edwin_m]

Noticed a site compound and some ground clearance when driving past on the Fosse Way today.

 

[snowball]

Six firms are to bid for two advance civils contracts for HS2 phase 2a north and south:

HS2: six invited to bid for £240m civils packages | Construction News

HS2 has invited six firms to tender for the £240m Advanced Civils Works contracts for phase 2a of the line. Works on the line – running from Birmingham to

www.constructionnews.co.uk

HS2 has invited six firms to tender for the £240m Advanced Civils Works contracts for phase 2a of the line.

Works on the line – running from Birmingham to Crewe – include land assembly; environmental mitigation; establishment of haul routes and site compounds and preparing the trace of the line – ahead of the the start of main civils works in the summer of 2024.

The six contractors are:

• Bam Construct
• Galliford Try
• John Graham
• Kier
• Laing O’Rourke
• Skanska

A statement from the megaproject’s bosses described the works as a three-year-long “base price £240m contract” that splits work along the route into two separate packages with one contractor delivering the works on the northern sections and a separate contractor delivering works for the southern sections. Work is due to begin in autumn 2022.

Given the similarity of scope for the north and south contracts, bidders must bid for both contracts but will be barred from winning both the packages “for capacity and resilience reasons”, HS2 said.

I don't think I've heard of one of the bidders (John Graham).

 

[hwl]

I don't think I've heard of one of the bidders (John Graham).

Graham is a very old originally civils firm from County Down, absolutely massive the other side of the water (both sides of the border) and with a good reputation. Still largely a family owned so keep a lower profile than many competitors.

Plenty of motorway, rail, port and nuclear experience.

They are very good at complex jobs for example cantilevering heavy bridge decks over roads / railways while they are still operating. (e.g. the new Tennison Road Bridge in Croydon (between Norwood Jn and Selhurst Depot)).
They took on the GWML Crossrail stations in 2019 after Carillion went bust (many now completing)

 

[Taunton]

I don't think I've heard of one of the bidders (John Graham).

HQ in Northern Ireland, long established, most civils work in England/Scotland. I think they are an NR framework contractor.

About us - Graham

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

"Birmingham to Crewe" sounds a much bigger job than it is: from north of Lichfield to Crewe - about 38 miles.
Includes the site for the construction and maintenance depot near Stone, and the Crewe approaches (south of the station).

 

[Bald Rick]

and the Crewe approaches (south of the station).

That in itself is a big piece of work.

 

[paok]

More images/plans on Old Oak Common site provided today: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news...c-space-outside-west-london-super-hub-station

Is the area marked "Future Development Site" where potential Chiltern platforms could be sited? https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/yoq4e-2fr25-pt9da-gsxih-0qtuh

 

[LOL The Irony]

More images/plans on Old Oak Common site provided today

Those "wetlands" by the entrance will look all tatty and manky within 5 years. I'd prefer a plaza with a nice fountain or something similar.

 

[edwin_m]

Those "wetlands" by the entrance will look all tatty and manky within 5 years. I'd prefer a plaza with a nice fountain or something similar.

It's probably there for flood alleviation.

 

[JamesT]

Is the area marked "Future Development Site" where potential Chiltern platforms could be sited? https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/yoq4e-2fr25-pt9da-gsxih-0qtuh

Going by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_O...illesden_Junction_map_with_Old_Oak_Common.png then a potential Chiltern station could go in that area. Or maybe they'll build an office block instead.

 

[The Planner]

More images/plans on Old Oak Common site provided today: https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news...c-space-outside-west-london-super-hub-station

Is the area marked "Future Development Site" where potential Chiltern platforms could be sited? https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/yoq4e-2fr25-pt9da-gsxih-0qtuh

I doubt they will make it close to the station itself now, They will probably stop at the bottom of Wells House Road.

 

[mr_jrt]

If so, that would be quite a screw up. This country really needs to learn the meaning of passive provision. I suspect the next opportunity to rectify things would be when and if North Pole depot becomes life expired, as they could build another pair of platforms and shuffle things down.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Those "wetlands" by the entrance will look all tatty and manky within 5 years. I'd prefer a plaza with a nice fountain or something similar.

No excuse if they are managed properly, but based on the state of the countries roadsides and railway embankments/cuttings at the moment, I won't be holding my breath.

 

[Ianno87]

If so, that would be quite a screw up. This country really needs to learn the meaning of passive provision. I suspect the next opportunity to rectify things would be when and if North Pole depot becomes life expired, as they could build another pair of platforms and shuffle things down.

Or the development could be above the Chiltern platforms.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

"Birmingham to Crewe" sounds a much bigger job than it is: from north of Lichfield to Crewe - about 38 miles.
Includes the site for the construction and maintenance depot near Stone, and the Crewe approaches (south of the station).

That in itself is a big piece of work.

Indeed so.

 

[Dave_Cardboard]

Is the area marked "Future Development Site" where potential Chiltern platforms could be sited? https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/resources/yoq4e-2fr25-pt9da-gsxih-0qtuh

Not without knocking down a tranche of properties in Wells House Road (and a new bridge) for the approach tracks
Time to let this go - a Chiltern line platform at Old Oak just isn't going to happen no matter how hard we might wish for it. (Though that's a statement that may not age well!)
I'd guess it's just possible they could squeeze in a platform on the site of the old "halt" to the south of Wells House Road triangle but that's about it.

 

[Mintona]

Network Rail seem to be suggesting that a station at Old Oak Common (for non HS2 services) might not even happen.

 

[takno]

Network Rail seem to be suggesting that a station at Old Oak Common (for non HS2 services) might not even happen.

Where are they suggesting that?

 

[Bald Rick]

If so, that would be quite a screw up. This country really needs to learn the meaning of passive provision. I suspect the next opportunity to rectify things would be when and if North Pole depot becomes life expired, as they could build another pair of platforms and shuffle things down.

But there has to be a limit on ‘passive provision’ based on opportunity cost vs likelihood of future benefit. You could passively* provide for all sorts of things, but if the cost of doing so is significant now, and the benefit is relatively small, in the future, and uncertain, then a decision needs to be made.

*passive provision is often a misnomer. In its truest sense passive provision means not doing anything that might in future hinder future development, so long as it doesn’t cost anything extra. In this case, it would almost certainly have to be ‘active’ provision, ie something would have to be done to allow for it in future.