HS2

[Ron Ron Ron]

OOC is ready for construction to start.

Just the HEX depot and sidings to be removed (seen on on the right).

 

[Zomboid]

Looking at the lighting and the trees, I'm going to suggest that that photograph is a few months old...

[Ron Ron Ron]

13 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

Looking at the lighting and the trees, I'm going to suggest that that photograph is a few months old...

 

Possibly late September or October, at a guess.

[scottystitch]

1 hour ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

OOC is ready for construction to start.

Just the HEX depot and sidings to be removed (seen on on the right).

 

So this is where the OOC interchange station will be, yes?  I presume they will dig a hole, insert an HS2 box and then cover?

 

All these photos of progress and engineering are great to see.  Thanks, everyone, for sharing.

 

Best

 

Scott.

[melmerby]

Doesn't look much different to this from 9 months back:

   

[pete_mcfarlane]

11 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

During the first lockdown I had to drive down the A1(M) to hospital a few times, and the traffic levels reminded me of what motorway traffic was like in the 1950s when my dad was driving on those stretches.  

I had a weird experience joining the A46 from an unfamilar slip road shortly after lockdown. After about 10 seconds of slowing down and thinking that it was really hard to see the traffic from the slip road I eventually twigged that the road was completely deserted. 

 

I'd agree with the comments about anti-HS2 campaigners not twigging that construction is well underway.  I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, given the general lack of a grasp on reality amongst these people. 

[woodenhead]

4 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

OOC is ready for construction to start.

Just the HEX depot and sidings to be removed (seen on on the right).

 

Whilst it was lovely in the 1970s I think we can all agree that Old Oak now looks like a proper modern railway location - it was all long last it's best.

[keefer]

Is this cleared area where the former New North Mainline used to come in from Greenford via North Acton?

I've read in various places that this means 'Chiltern line' trains can no longer run directly into Paddington.

(Apologies if this has been covered already, have recently got to know about these interesting old lines via videos on YouTube)

 

[big jim]

The old chiltern bound line is to the extreme right of the picture to the right of where the HEX trains are sat, the tracks do still continue round there from Paddington direction but terminate at a stop block about 100m past where the north london line crosses over it and the GWML 

 

that cleared bit is the old GWR carriage shed area 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by big jim

[woodenhead]

Nice image how it might all look when done - it's going to be all dug out and then covered:

 

If you live in the houses facing it, the view will be much improved when all finished.

[melmerby]

36 minutes ago, big jim said:

The old chiltern bound line is to the extreme right of the picture to the right of where the HEX trains are sat, the tracks do still continue round there from Paddington direction but terminate at a stop block about 100m past where the north london line crosses over it and the GWML 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by melmerby

[big jim]

That’s the fella 

 

I think it’s terrible that the direct line to the chiltern line has being abandoned, for the sake of a junction at the country end of the new station they have removed a strategic ‘extra’ route out of london, ok you can go via the GWML chord to Greenford but the line they have removed is near as dammit arrow straight from OOC to West Ruislip 

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by big jim

[melmerby]

Better view, not in 3D

[Zomboid]

13 minutes ago, big jim said:

That’s the fella 

 

I think it’s terrible that the direct line to the chiltern line has being abandoned, for the sake of a junction at the country end of the new station they have removed a strategic ‘extra’ route out of london, ok you can go via the GWML chord to Greenford but the line they have removed is near as dammit arrow straight from OOC to West Ruislip 

 

It's never pleasing when railways are closed, but if there was any anticipated traffic requirement for that route it wouldn't be up for removal.

[DK123GWR]

How many GWML trains are intended to stop at Old Oak Common? I am assuming not 100% as I doubt GWR would want the publicity that would result from adding minutes to the fastest London-Bristol journey time (and most people coming from the Bristol area are probably more interested in reaching London as fast as possible, rather than going to Birmingham).

[melmerby]

Might it be a useful connection for folks along the southern end of the old GWR line to change to Crossrail trains, giving better choices than going into Marylebone?

[Flittersnoop]

6 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

How many GWML trains are intended to stop at Old Oak Common? I am assuming not 100% as I doubt GWR would want the publicity that would result from adding minutes to the fastest London-Bristol journey time (and most people coming from the Bristol area are probably more interested in reaching London as fast as possible, rather than going to Birmingham).

They're not bothered about adverse publicity from uncomfortable seats on trains, so why not lengthened journey times? They can always say better connectivity is more important.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Nice image how it might all look when done - it's going to be all dug out and then covered:

 

If you live in the houses facing it, the view will be much improved when all finished.

 

The boxes to be dug out and constructed extend beyond the site you can see in that image.

There are crossover boxes at each end of the very long station box.

One of these, the Victoria road box, is off that view to the bottom left.

 

Google Maps for reference....

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5244804,-0.2540972,712m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

It can be made out in this rendering, on the other side of Victoria Rd. (beyond the houses adjacent to the station site).

You can also see where the eastern (London end) crossover box will be located.

All in all, a very long, below ground station footprint.

 

 

.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

38 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

How many GWML trains are intended to stop at Old Oak Common?....

......(and most people coming from the Bristol area are probably more interested in reaching London as fast as possible, rather than going to Birmingham).

 

For a large proportion of those passengers coming from the Bristol area and elsewhere, getting to London "as fast as possible" will involve changing onto Crossrail at OOC and getting quicker access to central London, the City, Canary Wharf, or to more convenient interchanges with the underground, than having to change onto the underground at Paddington.

The same goes for passengers arriving at OOC from HS2.

 

.

[Ron Ron Ron]

40 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Might it be a useful connection for folks along the southern end of the old GWR line to change to Crossrail trains, giving better choices than going into Marylebone?

 

It appears to be be a possible add-on and the option remains open for later in the project.

It would require a dedicated bay platform to be added at the western end of the OOC GWML station.

 

 

.

[Edwin_m]

I believe Chiltern are very interested in keeping the option open of terminating some of their services at OOC.  Interchange to HS2 may not be so important, as passengers doing that would be doubling back on themselves and north of a certain point would be better off heading directly for Birmingham.  But there are other connections to be made, particularly Heathrow.  It also helps get round the limited platform capacity at Marylebone.  

[Zomboid]

2 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

 

That shows a grade separated junction with the Ruislip line at the country end of the station.

 

Doesn't mean that it's the current design, or will be built like that, but clearly connecting OOC to the Chiltern line has been considered at some point, and as more than an afterthought.

[Ron Ron Ron]

1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

That shows a grade separated junction with the Ruislip line at the country end of the station.

 

Doesn't mean that it's the current design, or will be built like that, but clearly connecting OOC to the Chiltern line has been considered at some point, and as more than an afterthought.

 

I posted that image in relation to showing the location of the station crossover boxes, particularly the Victoria Rd crossover box (which is off most renders and photos of the OOC site) and nothing to do with the Chiltern line link, but I take your point about the depiction of the grade separated junction not being the current design.

 

 

.

[jamie92208]

IIRC, isn't HS2 going to run underneath the Ruislip line forvit's first few miles. I have vague memories that somevof the trackbed is going to be ysed for works access but it may well be my memory that's wrong.

 

Jamie

[RJS1977]

As Jamie says, my understanding was that removal of the North & West line was a temporary measure while HS2 was constructed underneath it and it would then be reinstated on top. As far as I'm aware there has been no statutory  closure notice for the line.