Chiltern Evergreen 3 project - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

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

Paul

A bit of double-announcing, maybe?

[Lee]

Transport Secretary has visited the Oxford Parkway station site before viewing construction works on the chord - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-inspects-regional-rail-and-road-links

[ellendune]

Transport Secretary has visited the Oxford Parkway station site before viewing construction works on the chord - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-inspects-regional-rail-and-road-links

Notice they are still talking about electrification all the way to Bedford

[Electric train]

Transport Secretary has visited the Oxford Parkway station site before viewing construction works on the chord - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-inspects-regional-rail-and-road-links

Notice they are still talking about electrification all the way to Bedford

There is no point in not doing the Blechley - Bedford section, one of the principle justifications for electrifying Eastwest Rail is the freight spine which will include the East Mids route electrification North of Bedford and there is the eventual aspiration to join Eastwest Rail to the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line)

[ellendune]

Thought there was talk of only going as far as Bletchley

[paul7575]

Thought there was talk of only going as far as Bletchley

There was a definite 'staging' of the work confusingly described in the most recent CP5^▸ (Control Period 5 - the five year period between 2014 and 2019) enhancements plan (draft) back in December, but wiring Bletchley to Bedford was definitely in there somewhere:

Electrification (25kv AC overhead) of the route between Oxford and Bletchley
This scheme provides electrification of this section of the upgraded and reopened railway
from Oxford to Bedford. Electrification of the route between Oxford and Bletchley will be
undertaken in conjunction with the East West Rail project.

The difference is possibly that east of Bletchley all the work is to be done on a live railway that isn't having any other major upgrade work - so if there is stuff like bridge clearance work to be done it will take a bit longer as it will have to be fitted round operating services.

But there's also the point that if the main purpose of the electric spine is to allow traffic to flow Oxford to Bletchley to Bedford then northwards from Bedford - then that requires electrification of the MML^» (Midland Main Line. - about), which will not be ready when EWR wiring gets as far as Bletchley, but of course the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line) is already wired north of Bletchley.   What I'm suggesting is that wiring Bletchley to Bedford could be a dead end for a couple of years if done at the same time.

Paul

[IndustryInsider]

I took a trip over to Bicester yesterday to get some snaps of progress with the track upgrade and new chord up to the Chiltern main line.  I thought some of you might like to see them.

Here is the view at London Road Crossing looking west to where the old Bicester Town station was located (pending its replacement being built):




And east towards Bletchley:




Here is the rather intrusive new footbridge which has replaced Tubbs Lane crossing:




Here are two views from that footbridge, a good new location for photographs, of the new Gavray Junction and the start of the chord that leads up to the new Bicester South Junction (the Chiltern line can be seen in the distance where it crosses over the Bicester to Bletchley line:

[IndustryInsider]

For those interested in the project, there's also a selection of timelapse videos that have been uploaded in the last couple of weeks and can be viewed at:

http://vimeo.com/album/3076666

[Chris from Nailsea]

Many thanks for your excellent updates on this project, IndustryInsider. 

[TonyK]

Aye-aye, I-I: splendid work! Thank you.

[IndustryInsider]

Here's some pictures of the work at Oxford Parkway taken in the lovely winter sunshine today:

Here's the entrance to the current Park and Ride, and, with some road layout alterations, the entrance to the new station as well:



Here's a view of what will be the new station building in the early phases of construction:



Here's a view looking down to where the new platforms will be located with some foundations being sunk, presumably for the new footbridge?



A view of the temporary stone terminal and work to build the replacement terminal in the distance.  The new double track formation of the route can also be clearly seen along with flattened land which will presumably be where the new London bound platform will be built:



Looking the other way towards Oxford and until the old stone terminal closes, there's little that can be done, but some track has been laid in the distance and sleepers lie ready in the cess:

[ChrisB]

Saw track installed on the chord this morning....

[IndustryInsider]

Saw track installed on the chord this morning....

Yes, the chord is nearing completion.  Here's a couple of photos taken today.  Not the best quality as they were taken from a moving Chiltern train with filthy windows (tut, tut!)...



1)  Tracks sweeping down from the Chiltern main line towards Gavray Junction:


2)  Gavray Junction in the distance (you can just see the footbridge in the distance I took the photos at the top of this page), and the two tracks that go under the Chiltern line which will become the main line to Bletchley!

[Btline]

Thanks for the photos - very interesting as it is often dark when I race past!

It's a shame that the London bound line doesn't pass under the Chiltern route and connect on the other side. I suppose the curve would be too tight. But I fear a new bottleneck will be born...

Are they going to re-name Bicester Town as Bicester Village?

[ChrisB]

Depends whether the outlet is willing to pay the sponsorship fee..:-)

Pic in the Oxford Mail of the completed Oxford Parkway building. Looks like a large warehouse