Crossrail/Elizabeth Line. From construction to operation - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[James]

For goodness sake, health and safety gone mad, they need to have radio communication equipment instead of consistently sounding horns or someone standing with a bright flag to notify the train drivers there are in the area.

[Electric train]

For goodness sake, health and safety gone mad, they need to have radio communication equipment instead of consistently sounding horns or someone standing with a bright flag to notify the train drivers there are in the area.

There are a lot of protective measures put in place to protect the workforce in possessions especially at night.  Radios are used between a machine operator and the machine controller (almost similar to a banksman in a construction site), worksites a when ever possible fenced from the operational railway (have you ever wondered want those blue rails are that are supported from the running rails) and workers not involved in the process a machine or train is doing are where ever possible are kept out of where machines or trains are operating, however there are times when a works train or machine moves and it needs to sound a warning.

Track work is a hostile environment at the best of time at night with 20 Tonne 360 machines operating it can be leathal

[James]

Ah fair enough, i do wonder what those machines looked like to be honest, it always interested me.
However whilst i agree the train or machines have to sound their horns, they don't need to do this every 20 seconds and send a loud echo across the Boyn Hill and Larchfield Areas of Maidenhead, although to be fair it only happened twice...

[Network SouthEast]

Ah fair enough, i do wonder what those machines looked like to be honest, it always interested me.
However whilst i agree the train or machines have to sound their horns, they don't need to do this every 20 seconds and send a loud echo across the Boyn Hill and Larchfield Areas of Maidenhead, although to be fair it only happened twice...

Do you seriously think train drivers sound their horn in the middle of the night for fun?

Whilst British railway safety is strong, injuries, fatalities and near misses with track workers are still unfortunately a regular occurrence.

When there are open running lines, (and don't forget that one pair has a 90mph speed limit, and the other pair has a 125mph limit), poor lighting, noisy equipment, trains sounding their horns is inevitable. Don't forget that two trains approaching from opposite directions probably will be sounding their horns in close proximity, there may also be several worksites in close proximity to each other.

The railway does try to be a good neighbour, but

[James]

Network Southeast, its no fun for people who are trying to sleep to hear a blazing loud horn, especially late at night. If you lived near a railway you would understand. If the problem continues people will start complaining and it may mean certain compensation if there nights sleep is affected. After all it's unacceptable to sound it that frequently, but if it was less noisy then it would be ok. Just hoping Mrs Wilson won't complain...

[ellendune]

Network Southeast, its no fun for people who are trying to sleep to hear a blazing loud horn, especially late at night. If you lived near a railway you would understand. If the problem continues people will start complaining and it may mean certain compensation if there nights sleep is affected. After all it's unacceptable to sound it that frequently, but if it was less noisy then it would be ok. Just hoping Mrs Wilson won't complain...

I realise it is no fun but if you are stood next to an item of mechanical plant that is also making a lot of noise then the horn needs to be louder I am afraid. The construction industry has one of the worst records for health and safety of any industry and the railway maintenance part of that has not had a good record. I have never had to do it but I know one man who had to go and see a colleague's family to tell them their husband/father would not be coming home. I did not know him before, but he was always most particular about health and safety after then.

There is a solution to you sounding horns in the middle of the night though.  That is to shut the railway during the day to do the work at a more sociable hour.  It would be safer to do it in daylight as well.

[Electric train]

Some machines will sound a warning automatically when the driver initiates a move, a lot of work is done mechanically but there is a lot that needs a human touch in and around the machine or close by those staff need to be warned that a machine is about to move.

The staff will be briefed that its a residential area to keep the noise to a minimum, radios are now through headsets so no blearing loudspeakers, machine engine noise is muffled so all that is really left is the mechanical work and the safety warnings
 
Or we could close the railway during daylight hours and do the work

[James]

Sorry to hear that ellen, just makes life harder, when the trains blaze the horn frequently, but i can understand why it is needed. Hmm its a diffcult balancing act, and dont be silly Network Southeast, if the work needs doing at night, then it should crack on with it. However lets be sensible about this.
+ At least three staff members must have radio and flags to warn the other workers of the impeding danger thats coming towards them, if machines or other things must move around. The radio headset must be loud enough for the workers to hear of warning or danger signs. Therefore no sound horn should be used unless theres a major problem. Such as a technical problem with the communication systems. Just an idea. Just for some comfort tho, the railways have been quiet for the last 3 days so thats good news. If it stays like that then there should be no problems.

[IndustryInsider]

TBM 'Phyllis' has completed the first of the tunnels from Royal Oak to Farringdon with 'Ada' not far behind:

http://www.crossrail.co.uk/news/articles/first-crossrail-tunnelling-machine-completes-her-journey

Also, works at Acton and Airport Junction continue at a pace, with the latter's support columns for the new bridge taking the Airport line over the 'relief' lines now at an advanced state of construction.

[TonyK]

Looks like they're going ahead with Crossrail then.

[paul7575]

Some reasonably up to date photos of what's going on in Eastbourne Terrace here:

http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2013/09/29/photos-of-the-crossrail-station-at-paddington/

Paul

[Electric train]

Looks like they're going ahead with Crossrail then.

Nah all this work is a trial run ............. for Crossrail 2

[eightf48544]

I think you are right Electric train, they've still got to work out how to get rid of 14tph at Eastbourne Terrace in under 2.5 minutes each.

Heard an odd unsubstantiated rumour last night that once Crossrail is running out of the tunnel that there would be as shuttle between Reading and Maidenhead requiring a change to Crossrail   for local passengers from Reading for stations to Ealing Broadway and everyone from Twyford (of which there are considrable number of both). Originally when there were no sign of wires to Reading there was going to be diesel shuttle from Reading to Slough which was bad enough.

Crossrail are going to have problems in 2019 because TV commuters will have had 2 years of an electric commuter service which even with 319s (let alone 377s)  will be faster, cleaner and quiter than the Turbos.

Commuters from West of Maidenhead for stations to Ealing are not going to like and having to change at Maidenhead and be hearded on to 378 type cattle wagons.

As Gerry Fienes was told we don't blow whistles at commuters from Newbury!

[Electric train]

I went to an IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) event in London last month the lecture was given by the Chairman of Crossrail, Terry Morgan, he was asked at then why Crossrail was not going to Reading or indeed Ebbsfleet his answer was to maintain Crossrail construction within its budget both in terms money and time there can be no "mission creep" he did say it is highly likely that Crossrail will go to Reading but that is a matter for DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).   The cost of the sidings at Maidenhead is in grand scale of things insignificant.

There are 3 major schemes that will impact on TV services, the whole route electrification, Crossrail and Eastwest Rail the last 2 are significant for TV services at Reading Eastwest Rail show services to Reading it maks logical sence to extend Crossrail to Reading but then we are talking about DfT taking a logical decision.

Keeping Crossrail out of Reading as the Bill went through Parliament was the right decision to make at the time Reading rebuild was not on the agenda would have been prohibitively expensive for Crossrail

[eightf48544]

Good summary but we do seem to painted ourselves into a corner with Crossrail being an Act of Parliament whilst reading Rebuild and Electrification are Works Orders. Presumably DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) don't want to have to go back to parliament and get the Crossrail Bill amended even if makes sense.