VarsityJim
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East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Are these articles online somewhere? Please could you provide a link to them if yes? Many thanks! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Is that where the ‘join up’ took place? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Well, yes and no. I hear and accept that the government’s remit was to sell everything off, but I guess my question was hypothetical, particularly for the Bedford to Cambridge route: if it was mothballed, would the cost of mothballing match the cost of building a totally new alignment for this route, as is touted to happen? With the proposed route in mind and its enormous viaducts etc., I just can’t see how that is comparable to using a route where all the bridges by Priory Marina still remain along with a lot of other infrastructure, and if it was properly mothballed then the A421 wouldn’t have been allowed to slice through it, along with other buildings etc. Yes it’s hypothetical, I know, but could be a lesson for any future closures! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Lots of development along the former route, the telescope facility being a good example ☹️ -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
And in doing so, all of the bridges were kept, many of which are being re-used, which must surely be a major factor over a new alignment. Of course the original Bedford - Cambridge alignment is no longer viable due to housing, industrial estates etc but many of the bridges are still there too, so mothballing this section as per Bicester - Bletchley may have been a better option? I note from another post the political issues surrounding the closure and mothballing, but surely the same arguments stand for the B - C route? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Ah, so that’s why taking a decision 60 odd years ago to ‘mothball’ the whole Bedford to Cambridge route would probably not have been such a good idea either! Three evils in play then, closure in the first place (which wasn’t part of Beeching’s report), mothballing, or do as has been done. Tricky without a crystal ball! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Is there a separate thread somewhere for the Bedford to Cambridge section? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Whereabouts is it proposed to go from once double track to single track on the Oxford to Cambridge route? Thanks -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
I wonder how much the reinstatement (and brand new alignment) cost of the whole Oxford to Cambridge line will be, compared to how much it would have cost to ‘properly’ mothball it all and reopen everything on the same alignment? (New high level station at Bletchley excluded) 🤔 -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Is there a map somewhere showing the route of HS2 versus the old GCR route? I assume any old GCR bridges / viaducts still dotted around won’t be used and will therefore remain? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
And continue to use the same Calvert landfill, taking the rubbish there by truck? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Thanks. Does that mean the landfill is no more? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
And there will still be a line running to the Calvert land fill somewhere? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Great pics. Any chance of marking up this one so I can tell what’s what? Many thanks! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Excellent Dave, keep it coming! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Thanks. Big shame! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
I take it that the original line used to run under that lovely old brick bridge (in the middle of those HS2 photos) which will become obsolete and therefore demolished? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Couldn’t agree more! -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Is the chord between the old Calvert landfill on the old GC (which per previous comments will be reinstated) and EWR to be reinstated? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Surely a new PM will appoint a new transport secretary, so it’s all up in the air anyway? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Many thanks indeed, very useful as I’m sure I’d read elsewhere that the landfill would still be in use alongside HS2 (!) I wonder where all those tons of London waste are going now..... -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Great video. Has the yellow overhead gantry crane for the Calvert Landfill been removed, along with the railway tracks that led to it? Has the landfill been shut down? -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
That’s right and the new WONKA film is under way there now -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
Correct, but the other is in a pretty poor state and the houses are really close already, with hundreds more to go ☹️ -
East West rail, Bletchley to oxford line
VarsityJim replied to porkie's topic in UK Prototype Discussions (not questions!)
What will happen to the old bridge? Demolition? Hope not!