VarsityJim

3 hours ago, Arun Sharma said:

A few months ago Backtrack had a series of articles on the genesis of, and then closure of, the Oxford to Cambridge Railway. Essentially neither universitiy seemingly was ever in favour of it and resisted its construction. This was at a time when both of these universities actually were constituencies in their own right in the House of Commons.

Neither did either university oppose its mothballing - Cambridge especially because it wanted the trackbed for its telescope dishes!

Are these articles online somewhere?

Please could you provide a link to them if yes?

Many thanks!

2 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

This turned up on facebook.

Well done all of them.

Bernard

 

Is that where the ‘join up’ took place?

On 05/11/2023 at 15:16, phil-b259 said:

Whether or not mothballing would have been a good idea is irrelevant!

 

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!

9 hours ago, Edwin_m said:

Worth remembering that the former route from Bedford to Sandy was mostly on low-lying land close to major rivers, so not somewhere housing might be considered.  I don't know the reasons behind development further east taking place around Cambourne instead of along the former route.  

Lots of development along the former route, the telescope facility being a good example ☹️

12 hours ago, Tony Teague said:

 

The rails may have been 'borrowed' in places but the key issue is that the line from Bicester to Bletchley was mothballed and never closed, so ownership of the trackbed / formation was maintained throughout.

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?

2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

 

Rebuilding a railway formation that has been abandoned for 50 years plus is unlikely to be cheaper than creating a completely new one.

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!

Is there a separate thread somewhere for the Bedford to Cambridge section?

12 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Unfortunately it is not possible to build a single track line on the footprint of an old doube track line

Whereabouts is it proposed to go from once double track to single track on the Oxford to Cambridge route? Thanks 

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) 🤔

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?

1 minute ago, simon b said:

They are building a new unloading terminal a little closer to Aylesbury, I'm not sure when those trains will restart though. 

And continue to use the same Calvert landfill, taking the rubbish there by truck?

52 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

The line to theCalvert landfill site and the unloading facility, was removed a few years ago.

There is no track (in fact no trackbed, as it’s been ripped up) between Quainton Railway Centre and the former junction with, what is now the East - West Rail line.

Along this section, a new line will be laid, alongside the HS2 tracks, linking the existing line from Aylesbury, at Quainton, with the new E-W line.

Thanks. Does that mean the landfill is no more?

16 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

The GBRf loco is indeed near the start (base) of the red line, to the top left of the photo.

 

The Freightliner locos are off to the right of the photo, well beyond the arrow head of the red line.

The new road bridge (with the red, zig-zag), is just off to the right of the aerial photo.

 

And there will still be a line running to the Calvert land fill somewhere?

14 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

 

Great pics. Any chance of marking up this one so I can tell what’s what?

Many thanks!

10 hours ago, Davexoc said:

And finally to the Little Horwood road at the other end of Winslow. This was the extent of laid track for the Bletchley direction just over 2 weeks ago. Now preparing for S&T judging by all that ducting, which looks like plastic these days?

 

 

 

 

That concludes my short tour of the Calvert to Winslow section, which seems to be progressing quite nicely.

Excellent Dave, keep it coming!

23 minutes ago, Tony Teague said:

 

That's not too clear because, if we are looking at the same bridge, then it was a road bridge over EWR whichwould still be needed, however, there appears to be a new one being constructed just behind it. The HS2 website says (about current works in that area):

• Construction of the temporary diversion of Gawcott Road is due to commence in early 2023;
• Continued closure of Gawcott Road to demolish the existing bridge in early 2023;

So it does look like you are correct.

 

Thanks. Big shame!

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?

2 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

the A1 should be re-aligned altogether between Baldock (or South of Biggleswade) to just North of Buckden

 

Couldn’t agree more!

Is the chord between the old Calvert landfill on the old GC (which per previous comments will be reinstated) and EWR to be reinstated?

18 hours ago, lmsforever said:

Grant Shapps is doing the dirty work for the Treasury  they do not want a penny spent on projects that provide actual improvements for ordinary people , they are only interested in maybe one or two services that are needed. I must admit the Bedford  Cambridge was a project to far in that it requires green field construction and has caused a great deal of upset to local residents but so would have the quasi motorway/ dual carriageway if built but roads do not seem to have the same reactions.The Oxford Bletchley section is definitely viable especially for freight plus our section to Aylesbury if Shapps does not stop it.  With the cost of fuel and a pretty rotten journey our section is needed especially as buses are poor as well  but I think the DFT are trying to scrap it .The actual work from Bicester eastward is progressing quickly with stations appearing and track being.laid quickly  and around Calvert the crossing of HS2 and EWR is starting to be formed so it looks on time.It will be interesting as what rolling stock Shapps allows to run surely it should be of eco variety such as is being talked about in Scotland it must not be purely diesel this will put future costs upward something we do not want to happen.  But be ready for more interference from above rail is under threat from the DFT and the current strikes are playing into their hands so be carefull for any party in power,ordinary people do not count .

Surely a new PM will appoint a new transport secretary, so it’s all up in the air anyway?

2 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

From the video, it's very clear that the gantry crane(s)  have long gone and so has the railway line from Quainton, some  4.3 miles to the SE.

A big chunk of the landfill has been completed and "capped off", but the video shows a remaining area that looks to be abandoned and possibly out of use.

HS2 construction vehicles can be seen on part of the remains of the uncovered landfill site, which now appears to be cleared and laid out a storage site for construction materials and/or spoil.

The remaining section of apparently disused landfill, appears to be wasteland.

 

Have a look at the video.

 

The old Calvert Station site can be seen at 16.45  (road bridge and the site of the removed island platform).

The rail unloading area for the landfill site, where the gantry cranes stood, can be seen at 17.25 (well you can't actually see anything there now!)

 

The capped off landfill can be seen to the right of the old trackbed, between 17.50 and 18.40

At 18.45 you can see HS2 construction vehicles and the materials site, beyond which is the "disused" area of landfill.

 

As the former landfill site is passed, at 19.20 the Greatmoor "Energy from Waste" (EfW) facility comes into view.

(it can be seen until 20.05)

This is a waste incinerator used for processing Buck County Council's domestic waste, burning it to produce electricity for the national grid,

Deliveries to this site are by road.

 

At 20.40 another disused trackbed arcs off to the right, now paved as Creighton Road.

At 22.42 , just as the video ends, the old line from Verney junction can be seen sweeping in from the left.

The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton is a little way further on, behind the trees in the near distance.

 

I hope that's useful?

 

 

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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.....

5 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

A video was posted on YouTube in May just gone (2 months ago).

It was linked to and can be viewed on the HS2 thread in this section of the forum  (page 193 - 5th post down).

 

I've re-posted it below.

 

The drone camera footage follows EW rail (Oxford-Cambridge line) either side of the HS2 intersection at Calvert.

Initially heading east towards Bletchley, the drone turns back and heads west towards Calvert and Bicester.

 

Later, the video follows the path of HS2, south towards Quainton. 

The video ends about half a mile north of the railway centre.

 

Note all the rails on the old GCR north of Quainton have gone....for good...as the new HS2 formation will occupy a corridor following the old lines path through Calvert and north.

 

In the video, as the camera heads west along EW rail towards Bicester, the crossing point with HS2 comes into view before 5.15 mins.

The video then moves around the Calvert area, taking a look at the large base camp / work site.

Note: in addition to HS2 passing through here, there will be a junction to facilitate infrastructure traffic to access the HS line.

The main infrastructure depot for the HS line will also be built here.

 

At 9.45 mins,  the piers for the bridge, carrying the EW rail over the HS2 line, can be seen under construction.

 

After continuing on a brief journey along EW rail towards Bicester, the camera turns around and returns to Calvert .

The EW rail / HS2 bridge site can be seen again a 15.15

 

The camera then turns south and routes down the old  GCR formation, passing over the old Calvert station site, towards London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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?

1 hour ago, lmsforever said:

It became a film studio dontknow  if it is still functioning

That’s right and the new WONKA film is under way there now

2 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

 One of the sheds was repaired and refurbished as part of the planning permission.

 

Correct, but the other is in a pretty poor state and the houses are really close already, with hundreds more to go ☹️

26 minutes ago, Ryde-on-time said:

Out and about near Mursley today on the bike so took a few photos. The bridge over Salden Lane is progressing with the tarmac laid and joining up with the existing road. Looking west:

 

 

They are working on the safety railing and fencing . The old bridge is in the fore ground showing one of the cracks

 

 

Looking east this time. Three photos showing the old bridge on the right and the new roadway aligned with the new bridge

 

 

Then a couple of shots west of Mursley on Station Road which goes towards Swanbourne. A new footbridge is being constructed for the footpath that crosses there. Should be a good quiet spot for videoing once open!

 

 

 

What will happen to the old bridge? Demolition? Hope not!