HS2

[Ron Ron Ron]

Old Oak Common - March 2021

 

Work is progressing on the Victoria Road crossover box site, just to the west of OOC.

 

 

 

 

The ventilation shaft from above.

North Acton Central Line station is to left.

 

 

 

Looking across Victoria Road from the Crossover Box site to the Flat Iron site (OOC just beyond, off the top of the photo)

 

 

The Flat Iron site along Victoria Road (Dudding Hill Line in the foreground and NLL to the right).
The conveyors for the western tunnels spoil and the HS2 station box spoil (running parallel) will rise up and cross the DHL at its railway bridge over Victoria Road.

The OOC Crossrail depot can be seen at the top right.

 

 

 

 

.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

Birmingham Mail  -  Birmingham Live website. 21st March 2021

 

Some 26 photos of early clearance and site work in Warwickshire & Brum, etc.....

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/gallery/impact-hs2-landscape-2021-20201326

 

 

.

[Edwin_m]

23 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Old Oak Common - March 2021

 

Work is progressing on the Victoria Road crossover box site, just to the west of OOC.

 

 

 

 

The ventilation shaft from above.

North Acton Central Line station is to left.

 

 

 

Looking across Victoria Road from the Crossover Box site to the Flat Iron site (OOC just beyond, off the top of the photo)

 

 

The Flat Iron site along Victoria Road (Dudding Hill Line in the foreground and NLL to the right).
The conveyors for the western tunnels spoil and the HS2 station box spoil (running parallel) will rise up and cross the DHL at its railway bridge over Victoria Road.

The OOC Crossrail depot can be seen at the top right.

 

 

 

 

.

Thanks for these.  But why is it called the Flat Iron site?  

[Grovenor]

Check out the shape on the plan view.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Another Chilterns vent shaft site is taking shape.

Chalfont St. Giles - March 2021

 

 

 

[ardbealach]

7 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Another Chilterns vent shaft site is taking shape.

Chalfont St. Giles - March 2021

 

 

 

By any chance are those piles?  

[Ron Ron Ron]

The Little Missenden vent shaft site preparation is also progressing....

 

 

[pete_mcfarlane]

On 25/03/2021 at 08:55, corneliuslundie said:

And some ecology freaks (ie a small minority of those with an interest in the environment) are now saying we should not use hydro-electric generation because it affects the ecology of the river. Yes, it may do, but it can be managed. I have no sympathy with those who claim it takes away their water, as all that happens is that it usually misses a short stretch of the river and is then put back. But that claim is also frequent.

There are problems with this in India, as there's a tendency to horde water in the lake upstream of the dam in times of drought, to ensure a constant electricity supply. So less water is available for agricultural use further down the river, which then leads to political disputes between different states. I seem to remember a dispute a few years back, which lead to rioting and cars with the 'wrong' state numberplates being attacked. 

 

Whether that's an issue in the UK, where we aren't short of water, is debateable. 

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

The Severn has a dam (Clywedog) which was specifically built to control the flow rather than for hydro, and there is a legal requirement to make sure that there is sufficient flow at the Severn Gorge area for the industry (which used to be there!) to use.

It is not lack of water that the farmers complain of but when the dam can't pass the water downstream fast enough and their fields adjacent to the lake get flooded.

You can't win.

What I think is a good approach is small turbines buried in  the bed of the river, but even they get objected to.

Anyway enough off topic. I am rather too good at taking topics on meanders.

Jonathan

[jamie92208]

43 minutes ago, ardbealach said:

By any chance are those piles?  

They look rather large for piles, perhaps tanks for grout or something similar

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

3 hours ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

There are problems with this in India, as there's a tendency to horde water in the lake upstream of the dam in times of drought, to ensure a constant electricity supply. So less water is available for agricultural use further down the river, which then leads to political disputes between different states. I seem to remember a dispute a few years back, which lead to rioting and cars with the 'wrong' state numberplates being attacked. 

 

Whether that's an issue in the UK, where we aren't short of water, is debateable. 

 

 

Disputes over water rights are at thevheart of several regional conflicts. Israel and the Palestinians for one, Turkey, Iraq and Syria plus others.  Disputes in the UK tend to be about use of waterways these days, eg fishing or navigation.

 

Jamie

Edited March 26, 2021 by jamie92208

[billbedford]

30 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

They look rather large for piles, perhaps tanks for grout or something similar

 

 

Nar, The whole HS2 project was just an excuse to get money out of the governmint to build the Second Space Ship*.  And here you see the first stage started. 

 

 

*As in HHGTTG

[woodenhead]

1 hour ago, pete_mcfarlane said:

There are problems with this in India, as there's a tendency to horde water in the lake upstream of the dam in times of drought, to ensure a constant electricity supply. So less water is available for agricultural use further down the river, which then leads to political disputes between different states. I seem to remember a dispute a few years back, which lead to rioting and cars with the 'wrong' state numberplates being attacked. 

 

Whether that's an issue in the UK, where we aren't short of water, is debateable. 

 

 

China has a looming water problem

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/09/01/commentary/world-commentary/big-china-disaster/

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/china-three-gorges-dam-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

[lmsforever]

Traffic problems have started with a vengence here in Aylesbury traffic lights on the Oxford Rd on the way to Stone .Traffic coming into town backing up about two and a half miles all day  so look out for the complaints in the paper.Mark you looking at the vehicles parked between the lights it looked as though no work at that point so that will insence the car drivers even more.The tree removal for the bridge has started and one section near the start of the works is fenced off with materials that help the wild life.Also went over Marsh level crossing and it was surrounded by men in orange ,so maybe work to be carried out there.

[ardbealach]

3 hours ago, ardbealach said:

By any chance are those piles?  

Sorry guys -  but I was thinking rhyming slang - Piles and Chalfont St.Giles! Alisdair

[Davexoc]

The compound at Widmore Farm has progressed significantly recently, presumably readying for the A421 works where the line will cross the road near Finmere quarry. The road there was deviated some time ago, as I think the old bridge over the GCR is still there but buried.

[black and decker boy]

22 hours ago, ardbealach said:

By any chance are those piles?  

No. They are tanks.

[black and decker boy]

19 hours ago, lmsforever said:

Traffic problems have started with a vengence here in Aylesbury traffic lights on the Oxford Rd on the way to Stone .Traffic coming into town backing up about two and a half miles all day  so look out for the complaints in the paper.Mark you looking at the vehicles parked between the lights it looked as though no work at that point so that will insence the car drivers even more.The tree removal for the bridge has started and one section near the start of the works is fenced off with materials that help the wild life.Also went over Marsh level crossing and it was surrounded by men in orange ,so maybe work to be carried out there.

Traffic lights & roadworks a widespread problem in Bucks & Aylesbury, not just due to HS2. My village has had traffic lights & road closures pretty much monthly fir last 12-18 months due to housebuilders.

 

Aylesbury will be the same. The council secured planning permission in February for the South East link road (Lower Rd to Wendover Road. Work should start this Autumn.

 

Taylor Wimpey secured planning permission this month for Hampden Fields (thousands of houses) and with it the Southern Link road (Wendover Rd to A41). Work will start in 2022z

 

The council scheme for Woodlands is due before planning committee after the elections which sees more housing & industry adjacent to the Arla Dairy and the rebuilding of the A41 roundabout at Aston Clinton Road plus the new Eastern Link Road over to Bierton. Work would start in 2022/23.

 

You can see the extent of new housing and each of the various new roads planned by the council in this plan:

 

The HS2 enabling works at Risborough Road (Goats Centre) are visible now with new road accesses finished and tree / shrub clearance completed. HS2 build the Stoke Mandeville bypass as part of their works which links to the new Aylesbury orbital road.

 

Aylesbury is going to be full of roadworks for the next 5 years with and without HS2.

 

[black and decker boy]

HS2 helps UK rail freight bounce back as 100th train rolls into Bucks construction site
 

In Buckinghamshire, the first 100 trains - operated by DB Cargo and Hanson for HS2 contractor EKFB – have so far delivered 150,000 tonnes of aggregate for use around the Calvert Railhead. Transporting this material by rail instead of road has already taken the equivalent of 7,500 HGVs off local roads.

The temporary 26,200 sq/m Calvert Railhead site is being built by HS2’s main works contractor EKFB – a team made up of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial and Bam Nuttall – and will be the main construction and logistics hub during work on the central section of the HS2 project.

New temporary access roads will then be used to move people and materials from the railhead, helping to take construction traffic off local roads. Once HS2 is complete, the railhead and temporary access roads will be removed and the site landscaped, leaving only a small infrastructure maintenance depot.

 

https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/hs2-helps-uk-rail-freight-bounce-back-as-100th-train-rolls-into-bucks-construction-site

 

[Engineer]

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2021/03/22/hs2-starts-work-on-its-north-west-london-viaduct/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyemailblog

Colne Valley viaduct

 

Also West Ruislip this afternoon:

Edited March 29, 2021 by Engineer

[lmsforever]

Read a report today of an attack by thirty people on the HS2 worksite on the south side of Wendover last Friday evening at 8.30pm.Nine security guards were injured and the incident overflowed onto the A413  causing motorists to swerve and brake so as to avoid struggling people.These thugs are idiots and hopefully the police will catch them ,I hope there no further attacks like this as the workers should be able  to do there work in safety .

[eastglosmog]

On 26/03/2021 at 13:30, jamie92208 said:

Disputes over water rights are at thevheart of several regional conflicts. Israel and the Palestinians for one, Turkey, Iraq and Syria plus others.  Disputes in the UK tend to be about use of waterways these days, eg fishing or navigation.

 

Jamie

I think fishermen and navigators can usually coexist (unless the fishermen set up next to locks).  Biggest problem is between navigators and land drainage - the former want the water level up to maintain water depth for navigation and the later want the water level down to give flood storage capacity and allow field drains to empty.  Mutually exclusive!

[jamie92208]

For anyone that's interested the new issue of Modern Railways has a big set of artivles on HS2 with a lot of empasis on how the train service plans drive the design of the stations.  Interesting reading.

 

Jamie

[keefer]

3 hours ago, eastglosmog said:

I think fishermen and navigators can usually coexist (unless the fishermen set up next to locks).  Biggest problem is between navigators and land drainage - the former want the water level up to maintain water depth for navigation and the later want the water level down to give flood storage capacity and allow field drains to empty.  Mutually exclusive!

A factor in this is that a lot of inland waterways are not regularly dredged any more, thus there isn't the capacity either for navigation or land drainage.

Possibly started as cost-saving when the waterways ceased to be used for 'industry' but in recent years the Environment Agency has placed restrictions to avoid disturbing wildlife.

Even if not navigated, the proper maintenance of the waterways is vital so that drainage is available (particularly when so much new build seems to be on land that is practically/actually flood plain)

[melmerby]

On 29/03/2021 at 20:05, lmsforever said:

Read a report today of an attack by thirty people on the HS2 worksite on the south side of Wendover last Friday evening at 8.30pm.Nine security guards were injured and the incident overflowed onto the A413  causing motorists to swerve and brake so as to avoid struggling people.These thugs are idiots and hopefully the police will catch them ,I hope there no further attacks like this as the workers should be able  to do there work in safety .

It would seem that after reading up some reports  that this is escalating.

Seems like some of the antis are just another load of yobs looking to cause trouble.

Probably migrated there from some other cause.