Chiltern Evergreen 3 project - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[eightf48544]

Heard something about parts of  the new embankment at Biecester has had to bulldozed away as it was acting as dam for for water.

[ChrisB]

Until I can get to see the area in daylight, I can't check....wouldn't surprise me!

There is a weekend block on 8/9 March to install the additional points on the Mainline. Plus weeks on weekday early closures afterwards for ancillary works. Ugh.

[ChrisB]

The thing is, Chiltern have to fund the improvements themselves!

It's part of their franchise payment, so effectively taxpayer money - Chiltern being forced to spend money that would otherwise come to us the taxpayers on railway investment. So its our money....

And the reason why Warwick P is so spartan is that furious local residents prevented Chiltern from putting up canopies or more substantial buildings

True, to an extent. No such problem at Bicester Town though.

[81F]

Chiltern Railways held a presentation at Islip yesterday. Apparently it was not well advertised locally. A friend who lives in the area was able to attend and reported back:

^Evergreen 3^  Oxford-Bicester Railway Improvement Project. Presentation in the Terrace Room of Islip Village Hall, 4th March 2014
 
The event, which remained open from 5.30 to 7.30 took the form of large detailed plans laid out on tables, various posters, and a few refreshments. There were probably about ten people from  Chiltern Railways and from the contractors  with whom it was possible to discuss aspects of the work, including the replacement buses. . Several people I know in Islip drifted in and one lady from Murcott . I was able to discuss (in indeed help identify) what I knew already and the areas to which the maps related with some of my acquaintances.  I was guided by one Chiltern Railways person to the Carillion contract manager with my queries.
 
I ascertained that the track is to be double throughout and the Carillion person looked blank when I mentioned the rumours that there were to be single track sections. He only said that of course one track is laid at a time, so in a sense there would be a time when only one track is in place.
 
The detailed plan of ^my^ bit of the railway (Mansmoor Road, near Charlton-on-Otmoor, https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8487452,-1.1879143,15z) shows what will happen in my ^new dog walking field^.  The farm access bridge and a concrete track will be built. However in addition to this there will be a larger section of wide road and a one hectare compound for the works (for dismantling old track etc.) and another holding area. This explains why such a large area of field has been obtained. It is not just for the farm track.  Material to construct the ramps up to bridges is apparently to come from various sources.  I knew already that a lot of material for the chord of Bicester had come by rail from deposits of old railway ballast in the North of England  For the new ramps some use will be made of surplus ballast that is already on the line and there is a lot around Wolvercote. A lot will be gathered up and will of course be replaced by new ballast. In addition there may be some material from local ^borrow pits^ . It sounds as though not too much material will have to be brought in by road.

[IndustryInsider]

I ascertained that the track is to be double throughout and the Carillion person looked blank when I mentioned the rumours that there were to be single track sections. He only said that of course one track is laid at a time, so in a sense there would be a time when only one track is in place.

Not sure where those rumours came from, unless they're a remnant of the original design which was in two phases, the first of which (to get the Chiltern service up and running) had single track for part of the route.  Phase two (for EWR etc.) always involved double track, and would need to given the aspired frequency of trains planned.  The delay in Chiltern's original construction timetable, thanks to all the objections, meant that they're progressing straight to phase 2 - which of course is beneficial in the sense that a further lengthy closure is not required in a couple of years time.

The only single track section will be the chord linking the line to the Chiltern main lines at Bicester, and I'm not quite sure of the exact layout (is anyone!) between Wolvercote Tunnel and Oxford.

[paul7575]

The only single track section will be the chord linking the line to the Chiltern main lines at Bicester, and I'm not quite sure of the exact layout (is anyone!) between Wolvercote Tunnel and Oxford.

The chord itself is however shown as a double track route in the TWA order drawings.  Gavray Junction was to be incomplete on opening, while the line towards Claydon remained single, but space would allow it to be altered to a double junction later.

I think part of the single/double debate about the overall route is that the most detailed drawings in the public domain, (i.e. those on the TWA inquiry site), must all have been overtaken by the decision to go straight to phase 2.

Paul

[Southern Stag]

The only single track section will be the chord linking the line to the Chiltern main lines at Bicester, and I'm not quite sure of the exact layout (is anyone!) between Wolvercote Tunnel and Oxford.

Has the layout for the Oxford end of the line actually been decided yet? The last update I saw suggested that the plans had not been finalised yet. Presumably there is still a bit of time to decide with the Oxford Parkway-Oxford section not due to reopen until 2016.

[ChrisB]

I ascertained that the track is to be double throughout and the Carillion person looked blank when I mentioned the rumours that there were to be single track sections. He only said that of course one track is laid at a time, so in a sense there would be a time when only one track is in place.

Not sure where those rumours came from, unless they're a remnant of the original design which was in two phases, the first of which (to get the Chiltern service up and running) had single track for part of the route.  Phase two (for EWR etc.) always involved double track, and would need to given the aspired frequency of trains planned.  The delay in Chiltern's original construction timetable, thanks to all the objections, meant that they're progressing straight to phase 2

Correct - the twin track has been in plans since the TWA was finally issued.

The only single track section will be the chord linking the line to the Chiltern main lines at Bicester

That's not right - the chord is double too, up the incline to the flat (Gavray) junction on the mainline. The points for which are going in this weekend, hence the line closure from 2300 tonight thru to Monday morning.

Gavray Junction was to be incomplete on opening

This will be complete at mainline level. The junction will be double track to double track chord too, with single line left towards Claydon (not sure which line will be classed as 'up' and 'down' though....discuss)

while the line towards Claydon remained single, but space would allow it to be altered to a double junction later.

It's a double junction now, with a further up to down link towards Claydon's single line. EWR will pick this up & dual it....

Has the layout for the Oxford end of the line actually been decided yet? The last update I saw suggested that the plans had not been finalised yet. Presumably there is still a bit of time to decide with the Oxford Parkway-Oxford section not due to reopen until 2016.

There is...until Autumn 2015. I have seen the latest layout, but with this amount of time before the Oxford resignalling project (which is now in two parts I believe) in early 2016 (currently), there is time for this to change.

Railfuture Thames Valley has invited Mike Hogg, Projects Manager at FGW^▸ (First Great Western), to brief us at our AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) on May 7th in Oxford. All the latest plans will be discussed....

[paul7575]

That's not right - the chord is double too, up the incline to the flat (Gavray) junction on the mainline. The points for which are going in this weekend, hence the line closure from 2300 tonight thru to Monday morning.

I think more accurately that's to be Bicester South Junction.   It's the other end of the chord which is Gavray Jn.

Paul

[ChrisB]

Ah, ok.

Well Gavray will be twin track staggered junction so that up & down trains can use the junction at the same time.

[Lee]

From the Railway Gazette:

Contract awarded for Chiltern to Oxford

UK^▸ (United Kingdom): Network Rail announced on March 7 that it had awarded a contract worth ^87m to a joint venture of Carillion and Buckingham Group Contracting, covering the infrastructure works required to introduce direct Chiltern Railways services between London Marylebone and Oxford.

As well as the construction of a 1 km chord to connect the Chiltern main line between London and Banbury with the Oxford ^ Bicester Town route, the contract includes doubling 18 km of track between Oxford and Bicester where the line speed is to be raised to 160 km/h. The project also involves the closure of 37 level crossings, resignalling, upgrading Bicester Town and Islip stations, and the construction of a new station at Oxford Parkway.

Chiltern services are due to start running between London Marylebone and Oxford Parkway in summer 2015, and would serve Oxford station in spring 2016 once upgrading work has been completed.

[paul7575]

Network Rail version of same news here:

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/Contract-awarded-for-design-and-build-of-new-route-between-London-and-Oxford-2019.aspx

If this lot are about to start, then who is the contractor for the stuff that's already underway?

Paul

[ChrisB]

prob went ahead on heads of terms?

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Several bulldozers were working on the enormous ballast pile at Watereaton yesterday and plenty of cars and trucks in the newly constructed depot site.

[IndustryInsider]

The only single track section will be the chord linking the line to the Chiltern main lines at Bicester

That's not right - the chord is double too, up the incline to the flat (Gavray) junction on the mainline. The points for which are going in this weekend, hence the line closure from 2300 tonight thru to Monday morning.

Yes, my mistake.  The chord is double track, too.