Ufton Nervet level crossing: incidents and discussions (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[stuving]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how much NR^» (Network Rail - home page) expect a bridge to cost ?

It went up from ^3m to ^9m - from BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today interview just now.

[BerkshireBugsy]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how much NR^» (Network Rail - home page) expect a bridge to cost ?

It went up from ^3m to ^9m - from BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today interview just now.

Heaven knows how much it will go up to if its reported in the daily mail tomorrow - not that they are prone to exaggerate

[stuving]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how much NR^» (Network Rail - home page) expect a bridge to cost ?

It went up from ^3m to ^9m - from BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today interview just now.

Heaven knows how much it will go up to if its reported in the daily mail tomorrow - not that they are prone to exaggerate

^3m did strike me as implausibly low, since I understood that the default cost of a road overbridge was ^10m.

BTW^▸ (by the way), this longer piece from the BBC contains:

Network Rail estimates that replacing level crossings with bridges costs on average ^1m.

But that must be a footbridge, surely?

[BerkshireBugsy]

Assuming the cost quoted includes all the planning etc I would have though ^1m for a footbridge is in the right ball park

[BBM]

To keep costs down, I wonder if the new bridge might have a single road lane with lights controlling alternate traffic directions?

[Thatcham Crossing]

The following update has appeared on the local BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News pages:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-30820036

Not really what I would call getting a bridge built as soon as possible, which is what recent statements from NR^» (Network Rail - home page) had suggested.

[Jason]

Plans to change the level crossing in Ufton Nervet where a collision with a car in 2004 led to a devastating train crash are to go on show later this month.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/ufton-nervet-level-crossing-network-9047931

[BerkshireBugsy]

Plans to change the level crossing in Ufton Nervet where a collision with a car in 2004 led to a devastating train crash are to go on show later this month.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/ufton-nervet-level-crossing-network-9047931

Thanks for posting this. I remember this crash as it is fairly local to me and recall the sound of many emergency vehicles attending the accident although we didn't realise what had happened at the time.

If I am free I may go and have a look.

[Jason]

Thanks for posting this. I remember this crash as it is fairly local to me and recall the sound of many emergency vehicles attending the accident although we didn't realise what had happened at the time.
If I am free I may go and have a look.

I'm only a couple of miles away from there myself and frequently pass that way. I remember seeing it unfolding on the news.
I shall be interested to see what they come up with as it very flat around there compared to Sulhamstead Hill a little further along which does have a bridge.

[Visoflex]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) has an article on the new bridge.  From the picture, it looks as if it has been designed to fit into the local environment quite well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-32380510

[a-driver]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) has an article on the new bridge.  From the picture, it looks as if it has been designed to fit into the local environment quite well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-32380510

That's the idea. This is because a number of objections were received to the plans to build a bridge because it would ruin local landowners views of the area.  There preferred option was a full with barrier level crossing.

http://lxinfo.org/2014/12/04/ufton-nervet-uk-opposition-to-grade-separation-is-unbelievable/

Some people eh!  You can't win.

[Thatcham Crossing]

Looks like a bridge will be built......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-33793385

Work will apparently start in 2016, but it's already taken 10 years so another 1 was probably to be expected.

[paul7575]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today just ran a lead story on today's commencement of work on the Ufton Nervet bridge.

Latest cost quoted as ^7 million.

No real explanation of the reasons for the time taken to get this far, but should be available on iPlayer.

Web version of the story on the Berkshire BBC site:

Work to replace a Berkshire level crossing where seven people died in a crash 12 years ago has started.
Eleven people have died at the Ufton Nervet crossing since 2004 when a motorist parked his car in the path of an oncoming train.
Construction of a bridge has now started following years of campaigners calling for the crossing's removal.
Network Rail has faced criticism in the past for not starting the work sooner.
A memorial garden dedicated to those who died has been already been moved as part of works to erect a bridge at the site.
Members of a survivors' group - 140 people were injured in the 2004 crash - have attended a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-36071026

Paul

[BerkshireBugsy]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South Today just ran a lead story on today's commencement of work on the Ufton Nervet bridge.

Latest cost quoted as ^7 million.

No real explanation of the reasons for the time taken to get this far, but should be available on iPlayer.

Paul

Just saw it - although I only live about 10 minutes to the crossing I don't think I will see much difference just yet

[Thatcham Crossing]

From what I could see (driving past on the A4, rather than on a train), earthworks started last week.