East Coast Mainline Blockade for Werrington Junction diveunder

[Donington Road]

2 hours ago, Shed said:

Any news how this is going?

 

AFAIK it is on schedule as of yesterday 24 August.

 

The cutting and roadbed (dark clay area) being constructed looking from Hurn Road towards the eventual underpass.

 

 

The roadbed still being prepared on the west side for moving the Stamford lines across then a start can be made on the dive under between those and the down main around December.

 

 

 

[Richard E]

Oddly I've got almost identical pictures taken yesterday morning!

 

I'm booked to go on a site visit on 19th September, it's about 3 hours there, 2 of which are actually on the construction site itself. Hopefully pictures and some info will follow after then.

[Donington Road]

4 hours ago, Richard E said:

Oddly I've got almost identical pictures taken yesterday morning!

 

I'm booked to go on a site visit on 19th September, it's about 3 hours there, 2 of which are actually on the construction site itself. Hopefully pictures and some info will follow after then.

 

Perhaps that is because the footbridge is the best vantage point.  It shouldn't be long before the new bridge is in place as most of the foundations are done.

I wanted to get some photos from the top of the dual carraige way bridge over Hurn Road but the traffic and access is not very friendly.

 

What about Hurn Road, is it a bit unique in modern times where a railway will replace a road?  I know it is only a short stretch but I cannot recall another instance.

 

 

 

 

 

[ess1uk]

The bit I don’t get at the moment is when Hurn  road becomes rail how do you get to the foot bridge at the end?

that is where the current access is to the relay room at Werrington junction 

[Richard E]

22 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

The bit I don’t get at the moment is when Hurn  road becomes rail how do you get to the foot bridge at the end?

that is where the current access is to the relay room at Werrington junction 

New access paths will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists. There are no properties requiring road access post scheme apart from the relay room if that remains and is not relocated.

[Donington Road]

1 hour ago, ess1uk said:

The bit I don’t get at the moment is when Hurn  road becomes rail how do you get to the foot bridge at the end?

that is where the current access is to the relay room at Werrington junction 

 

57 minutes ago, Richard E said:

New access paths will be provided for pedestrians and cyclists. There are no properties requiring road access post scheme apart from the relay room if that remains and is not relocated.

 

The map shows the new Hurn Road access.  There are eight properties that require access.

 

[Richard E]

52 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

 

 

The map shows the new Hurn Road access.  There are eight properties that require access.

 

 

 

Thank you, I couldn't find any reference to that at all.

[Donington Road]

A couple of photos taken from the A15 road bridge crossing Hurn Road looking towards Werrington Junction.

I didn't hang around very long, too many boy racers ignoring the 40mph speed limit

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone know what this sign means?

 

 

Shown in the centre of this photo

[russ p]

That sign I believe is pan down for those IEP things,  I noticed it last week when I was over there. 

Suppose its really for all bimode stuff

[Donington Road]

3 minutes ago, russ p said:

That sign I believe is pan down for those IEP things,  I noticed it last week when I was over there. 

Suppose its really for all bimode stuff

 

I kind of thought that maybe what it was but was unsure as the Azumas were running from Peterborough station on diesel power when working over the Joint a couple of weeks ago.

[russ p]

I've been over there a couple of times in last couple of weeks,  took an Anglia 156 over it to Doncaster then last Tuesday brought the RHTT sets from York 

[Donington Road]

5 hours ago, russ p said:

I've been over there a couple of times in last couple of weeks,  took an Anglia 156 over it to Doncaster then last Tuesday brought the RHTT sets from York 

 

I looked at this useful website http://www.railsigns.uk/sect18page2/sect18page2.html before asking about the sign question here and couldn't find anything.

Then I later discovered there was more than one page on the electrification signs section thanks to the webmaster at http://www.railsigns.uk/

Edited September 8, 2019 by Donington Road
added web links

[Fat Controller]

It's defined as 'Execute Sign for Lower Pantograph (s)

Source:- http://www.railsigns.uk/sect18page1/sect18page1.html

[Donington Road]

Last chance this week to get some photos from the old bridge.

 

[Richard E]

Had a guided trip round the work last Thursday. Unfortunately no photographs as there is an embargo on publishing pictures unless they have been approved by Network Rail. The works are due to be completed in 2021.

 

Very interesting especially the way the box for the section under the ECML will be built and moved into place. There will be a 9 day possession, expected to be in September 2020, when the box is moved into place with the ECML closed completely as there is minimal headspace between the roof of the box and the bottom of the formation. A reduced service with diversionary routes will ensue but it was noted that the bi-modes will alleviate a lot of the problems that would otherwise have arisen.

 

I hadn't realised the scale of the works, they cover 2km of the main line, the northern limit is the footbridge at Hurn Road. The southern limit is the footbridge at Marholm Road across to Bretton Way. Total project cost is over £200m making it the largest infrastructure project in Peterborough for a very long time, if not the largest.

 

This is my version of the overview of the site from Cock Lane footbridge, taken the same day (I think) as Donington Roads, the pile drivers were imported specifically for this project and were brand new. The western wall of the dive under is being piled alongside the existing Stamford lines which lie on the alignment of the new dive under. The piling is very close to the line of the OLE masts! A further item of interest is that the 132KV line in the background has the lowest line nearest the railway isolated and grounded back to the pylons. The footbridge in the distance is the Hurn Road footbridge mentioned above.

 

 

The Hurn Road spur off Lincoln Road is now closed to road traffic as a new road has been put in to the west of the A15 along with a temporary haul road for construction traffic. It is open as a footpath for now but the new trackbed through the old road bridge will soon eliminate even that. The pictures Donington Road posted of the cutting on the eastern side do not do the size of the hole justice, it is massive especially beyond the section of natural left in place for now where the dump truck is. That has been retained as there is a spring in the middle of the site and the pipework carrying the water from it lies in that section of ground. Ultimately it will be replaced with a siphon under the new trackbed. A lot of the existing S&T cabling alongside the ECML has also been diverted and now runs in temporary cable ducts over the cutting.

 

Finally the OHLE in the area of the dive under will also be replaced as it cannot be retained during the possession. The existing headspans will be replaced with portals.

[Donington Road]

5 hours ago, Richard E said:

Had a guided trip round the work last Thursday. Unfortunately no photographs as there is an embargo on publishing pictures unless they have been approved by Network Rail. The works are due to be completed in 2021.

 

 

Glad you enjoyed your tour Richard.  From your photo it looks like your were on the footbridge before lunchtime, a few hours before me.

Thanks for the very informative notes.  It doesn't always look as though much has happened at times, but when I go home and look at previous photos it is quite astonishing what seems to have been acheived from one week to the next.

 

Will I be getting a visit from the Network Rail police posting my lurid pictures here.

[chris p bacon]

This is just to say 'thanks' to Mick & Richard for the posts & pictures, this is a very interesting project to follow. 

[Richard E]

7 hours ago, Donington Road said:

 

Glad you enjoyed your tour Richard.  From your photo it looks like your were on the footbridge before lunchtime, a few hours before me.

Thanks for the very informative notes.  It doesn't always look as though much has happened at times, but when I go home and look at previous photos it is quite astonishing what seems to have been acheived from one week to the next.

 

Will I be getting a visit from the Network Rail police posting my lurid pictures here.

Yes, it was a morning visit to the footbridge.

 

The site visit was an afternoon visit, it was around 3 hours in  total. We were told, in the site induction, that we could take pictures whilst on site for personal use only. We were not to publish them without permission. A reason was given but I'll not go into that. Of course if we are taking pictures from public areas there is nothing they can do about it.

 

Interestingly the Stamford lines are to be slewed across in December on top of the new culvert that is being built to take the brook. There is substantial over capacity in the culvert. The site has already been flooded twice this year and if the rain this morning continues I wonder if it will be again. Once slewed there is space between the Stamford lines and the ECML to get the pile drivers in place. I suspect the OHLE will not be reinstated until this is completed as there seems no way to get the pile drivers in and out otherwise.

 

A lot of the spoil is being re-used on site with, for example, clay from the cutting being used to stabilise the cutting sides. Having said that it certainly looks as if a lot will have to be removed from site in  due course.

[ess1uk]

lets hope the drainage in the dive under works!

wonder if it will have to have a pumped sump?

 

[Titan]

1 hour ago, ess1uk said:

lets hope the drainage in the dive under works!

wonder if it will have to have a pumped sump?

 

 

I believe it does IIRC.

[Donington Road]

I think the upcoming footbridge closure is to keep the public away during the erection of the new bridge.  With large cranes, windy conditions and possible human error I guess they don't want undue publicity should anything untoward happen, which I hope it does not.

 

I would not have thought they would be electrifying the down Stamford line once it is slewed across until the works are complete and the Stamford lines are re-instated either side of the new cut for the dive under.  In my hundreds of visits I have never seen an electric service use that line, (which is used as the ECML down slow line as far as Helpston).

 

Speaking to many people nobody has yet told me how they will get the many cubic metres of spoil out from between the Stamford & ECML when the work commences.  My theory is they will either bring it out as tunneling starts from the Hurn Road side, or use some sort of crossing over the Stamford lines which seems less likely.

 

As 'ess1uk' mentions drainage could be a concern.  The land either side of the railway at Hurn Road and opposite the junction is low lying and been prone to slight flooding in the past.  Many years ago bore holes were sunk at Hurn Road to supply New England and Spital and of course Werrington water throughs.  With all that underlying clay the water table here has always been high.

[31A]

11 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

In my hundreds of visits I have never seen an electric service use that line, (which is used as the ECML down slow line as far as Helpston).

 

 

 

Unusual, but I have been on electric trains which have used it.

[Donington Road]

2 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

Unusual, but I have been on electric trains which have used it.

 

Probably not been in the right place at the right time.  I've seen many electrics dragged on the joint but not one electric on the down slow.

[pete_mcfarlane]

23 minutes ago, Donington Road said:

In my hundreds of visits I have never seen an electric service use that line, (which is used as the ECML down slow line as far as Helpston).

 

 

10 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

Unusual, but I have been on electric trains which have used it.

 

The only time I've been on it in an electric train is when something else has failed on the down fast. The only passenger services on the slow lines on that bit of the ECML seem to be the Norwich - Liverpool services (although the last couple I times I used them, they used the fast lines). 

[melmerby]

When it's finished will the diveunder split the Stamford lines or will there be a flat junction at the southern end?