East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[corneliuslundie]

Does this mean that we now have to issue redundancy notices to our intrepid reporters?

Serious, an enormous thank you to all the regulars who have kept up up to date on the project.

Should there be an RMWeb award of some kind for such achievements?

Jonathan

[Shed]

2 hours ago, Richard E said:

Official press release.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/werrington-tunnel-opens-unlocking-faster-journeys-on-the-east-coast-main-line?fbclid=IwAR2vtLgKMquiLmP5AlCuswBC8qvMDt8axRYmFcZpLUTkFVVEZkebQOPlNWY

 

1 hour ago, ess1uk said:

https://railuk.com/industry-news/werrington-tunnel-opens-unlocking-faster-journeys-on-the-east-coast-main-line/

 

 

52 minutes ago, Crun said:

Werrington Tunnel opens unlocking faster journeys on the East Coast Main Line - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/werrington-tunnel-opens-unlocking-faster-journeys-on-the-east-coast-main-line?fbclid=IwAR2vtLgKMquiLmP5AlCuswBC8qvMDt8axRYmFcZpLUTkFVVEZkebQOPlNWY

This mean it is open then?

[Crun]

https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/transport/the-extraordinary-rail-engineering-feat-underneath-peterborough-set-to-open-today-3487994

[Shed]

The same press release word for word but with their own pictures 

[rodent279]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

The unit being used for the opening is 800107

 

Is there going to be a ribbon across the entrance that the train will break?

Will the ribbon break the train?

[Crun]

A YouTube film by Don Coffey. Peterborough to Birmingham cab camera, passes by the Werrington Junction dive-under and mentions it:

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Crun

[Crun]

11 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Does this mean that we now have to issue redundancy notices to our intrepid reporters?

Serious, an enormous thank you to all the regulars who have kept up up to date on the project.

Should there be an RMWeb award of some kind for such achievements?

Jonathan

I'm still hoping to photograph trains exiting the dive-under from the southern ramp. One or two goals to achieve yet... What do others think?

Edited December 9, 2021 by Crun

[melmerby]

4 hours ago, Crun said:

Peterborough to Birmingham cab camera, passes by the Werrington Junction dive-under and mentions it:

 

That's a really good video.

It was well presented, with good information captions at interesting places along the route.

I particularly like the fact that the old MR lower quadrant near Ketton was commented on.

 

Considering the line's importance as a freight route with a regularly passenger service, the signalling is a right mish mash.

IMHO It really needs a full re-signal rather than the piecemeal replacements it's had in the last 100 years.

Edited December 9, 2021 by melmerby

[Trackside ECML]

2 hours ago, Crun said:

I'm still hoping to catch photographs of trains exiting the dive-under from the southern ramp. One or two goals to achieve yet... What do others think?

watch this space

 

[Crun]

Twitter photographs from the cab of LNER Azuma journey through the Werrington Junction dive-under today:

Edited December 9, 2021 by Crun

[Crun]

Collection of photographs of the LNER Azuma involved in the journey from King's Cross to Spalding:

 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXec61E

[Donington Road]

13 hours ago, Shed said:

 

 

This mean it is open then?

 

It is officially open for business as of 9th December 2021.

[Donington Road]

It might not be the best video in the world but it was taking part in the event that counted.
I, along with Richard Elms and Trackside ECML were privilaged to be invited by LNER to be on the first official passenger train to traverse the Werrington dive under in both directions.
We had known about this event for awhile and LNER explicitly asked all invitees not to reveal any details on social media until after the event had taken place.  As you can image it has been hard to resist joining in with all the speculation that has abounded in recent posts.

 

 

[Donington Road]

14 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Does this mean that we now have to issue redundancy notices to our intrepid reporters?

Serious, an enormous thank you to all the regulars who have kept up up to date on the project.

Should there be an RMWeb award of some kind for such achievements?

Jonathan

 

Perhaps we will be put out to grass like those horses at Hurn Road before going off to the knackers yard.

Meanwhile, I'll take the redundancy money for a better video camera.

Thank you for the recognition Jonathan.  I must say from my point of view it has been a pleasure being out and about to keep everyone up to date with what has been an excellent project in our back yard.  Thanks also go to everyone here who has followed this thread, joined in numerous conversations with expert knowledge and observations, humorous anecdotes and other trivia.  I must say I have learned a lot more about railway workings and operations and above all constructional engineering from following this thread and engaging with those contractors around the site.  As they say, you are never to old to learn.

[KingEdwardII]

5 hours ago, Donington Road said:

It might not be the best video in the world

It's still very good - thank you. Proves that the Fens north of Peterborough are some of the flattest land in the UK :-)

[Richard E]

21 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Does this mean that we now have to issue redundancy notices to our intrepid reporters?

Serious, an enormous thank you to all the regulars who have kept up up to date on the project.

Should there be an RMWeb award of some kind for such achievements?

Jonathan

 

Thank you for the acknowledgement. I hope that I, along with the others, have been able to convey something of the magnitude of the project bearing in mind we were usually confined to public paths in the area.

 

You never know, if something else comes up locally, you might have to put up with us again

[62613]

I'm really going to miss this thread. Thank you very much Crun, RichardE and Donington Road for keeping us up tp date with what's been happening.

The special rather reminds me of what the LNER, and LMS, did when they had a new train to show off, and quite right too! No publicity is bad publicity.

 

[Crun]

Network Rail film about the Werrington Junction dive-under:

 

[KingEdwardII]

3 hours ago, 62613 said:

No publicity is bad publicity.

But as far as I can tell, there is no plan to run LNER Azuma services from Spalding, not even commuter-oriented services at start and end of the day. 

[Richard E]

And a special treat - a cab view of the run under the ECML yesterday courtesy of LNER.

 

 

[melmerby]

Seeing the video shows you just how gentle the convergence with the Werrington Jn. line actually is compared to how it looks when photographed from way back.

[melmerby]

4 hours ago, Richard E said:

 

 

You never know, if something else comes up locally, you might have to put up with us again

Re-instatement of the M&GN line?

[Donington Road]

51 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Seeing the video shows you just how gentle the convergence with the Werrington Jn. line actually is compared to how it looks when photographed from way back.

 

Coming back the other way over the ladder at Glinton Junction was so smooth you couldn't feel any movement.  The only indication it is there are all the lineside boxes.

The only way to avoid the squished up view of telephoto lenses would be to allow us me access to that nice tarmaced area adjacent to Glinton Junction.

[Donington Road]

56 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Re-instatement of the M&GN line?

 

Dream scenario.

[Donington Road]

1 hour ago, Richard E said:

And a special treat - a cab view of the run under the ECML yesterday courtesy of LNER.

 

Thank you for posting that Richard.  Lot of heads on the A15, brave souls.  Caught Mrs Trackside ECML videoing us from Lincoln Road.