HS2

[jamie92208]

8 hours ago, lmsforever said:

A very interesting film  why he moaned about the buildings above the air vents they will be hidden by the woods and will cause no problems ,but why a tunnel  is being built alongside Wendover a cutting will suffice .When you see the work to the right as you descend into the town you realise just what is happening how big a project this is.Its a shame that the diversion road will not be staying as its a pleasent way to drive into town.

Yes he does seem to moan about everything.  I suspect because his main audience is The Chiltern Society.  Also his comments about the Colne Valley Viaduct are rather negative.  Things will look very different when the temporary works and haul roads are removed.  However he seems to have good access to people working on the scheme. 

 

Jamie

[GordonC]

12 hours ago, Northmoor said:

I think it was Virgin Trains who did a passenger survey when they first gained the WCML & XC (so over a quarter century ago) and found that only a small proportion of passengers stated that they spent more than a tiny amount of their journey time looking out of the window.  Which is why the BR Networker was probably the last train design where any effort was made to align seats with windows.

 

Was that the answer from passengers sat in seats next to wall panels rather than windows?

[Ron Ron Ron]

Ian Visits has posted some detail of ongoing work at the Greenford tunnel vents, in West London.

 

The 4 TBM's tunnelling the Northolt tunnels (Northolt West - coming in from West Ruislip and Northolt East - coming in from Victoria Rd at OOC) will emerge and be removed here.

 

 

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/engineering-marvel-how-hs2-is-using-giant-metal-cans-to-overcome-groundwater-hurdles-73801/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

A new bridge to carry Edgcott Rd, near Quainton, over HS2.

The original brick bridge carrying Edgcott Rd over the old GCR trace, can be seen just beyond the new structure.

 

Greatmoor EfW power station can be seen in the distance, looking towards Calvert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[jamie92208]

Another video of the Kenilworth area.  There are signs of ptogress and the first bit of cutting is already greening into the surroundings.  Obviously the A46   is the next big bridge slide.  Perhaps at Christmas. 

 

Jamie

[The Stationmaster]

27 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Another video of the Kenilworth area.  There are signs of ptogress and the first bit of cutting is already greening into the surroundings.  Obviously the A46   is the next big bridge slide.  Perhaps at Christmas. 

 

Jamie

Why build what looks like a single track structure overbridge (Leamingoin - Coventry line) when a double track structure allowing for future growth would cost little more?

 

Compare that with the enormous length of hew road overbridge at Edgcott and I do wonder what is going on with different parts of this project?

[jamie92208]

1 minute ago, The Stationmaster said:

Why build what looks like a single track structure overbridge (Leamingoin - Coventry line) when a double track structure allowing for future growth would cost little more?

 

Compare that with the enormous length of hew road overbridge at Edgcott and I do wonder what is going on with different parts of this project?

From other videos it is a double track bridge for potential redoubling. 

 

Jamie

[Ron Ron Ron]

6 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

.....Compare that with the enormous length of hew road overbridge at Edgcott ....

 

That bridge is wider, as it will not only span HS2, but also the new parallel Aylesbury to Calvert line, with the appropriate boundary segregation, between them.

 

 

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[melmerby]

Re Cov -Leamington

This bridge?

 

Clearly a double track structure as seen also in this Google Earth picture:

Edited July 17 by melmerby

[jamie92208]

HS2 Have just uploaded this informative video about the Northolt tunnels. 

Jamie 

[melmerby]

A Panorama of Curzon St today:

seems to be some work going on over most of the site

[big jim]

The approach bridges look impressive now from the train when you head in from grand jn, I’ll try and get a pic later today 

[jamie92208]

Nicholas Sunshine has done one if his regular flyovers of the Old Oak and Willesden work sites.  Much progress evident. 

 

 

Jamie

[Ron Ron Ron]

4 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Nicholas Sunshine has done one if his regular flyovers of the Old Oak and Willesden work sites.  Much progress evident. ….,,

As with his previous videos, he doesn’t seem to know much about what he’s filming.

 

Again, no mention of the construction of the GWML platforms. The foundations of the first 2 island platforms can clearly be seen.

Is he even aware of them?

 

With regard to him talking about the uncertainty of what will happen at the eastern end of the OOC station box, he talks of a possible access or maintenance tunnel?

Doh!

That tunnel has been built and is currently being fitted out !

 

Over to the Willesden site, fine, but again he seems to be unaware of the other logistics site at Atlas Road.

 

All the same, some drone footage is very welcome, so I’ll thank him for that.

 

 

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[jamie92208]

HS2 Have just uploaded this video about the Colne Valley Viaduct. It has some interesting shots of the interior of the structure and the tensioning cables. 

 

I think they are already at least two spans further towards the end than when this was filmed. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

I've not seen much evidence of this viaduct at Edgecote before but this video shows that it is quite a substantial structure. 

 

I suspect, from the design of the pier bases, that it will use the same pre fabricated piers that have been seen on other viaducts. 

 

Jamie

[woodenhead]

Little present from the previous Government.

No wonder so many companies are eager to run more services down the WCML.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c725k6ynw7go

 

Edited July 23 by woodenhead

[Ron Ron Ron]

Drone footage from inside the OOC station box.

The awful and pointless, arty farty production and editing ruins it quite a bit, but you can get some sense of scale in parts, as the drone videos different sections of the station.

Hopefully, we’ll eventually get a sensible, stable video from a drone flying from end to end, rather than this sort of nonsense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Re6/6]

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/hs2-waste-new-birmingham-station-unused-3184804?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=i_eveningheadlines 2024-07-23&utm_term=editorial_evening_newsletter

[corneliuslundie]

Is the statement that the Labour government had said it will not reinstate Phase 2 correct? The reports I have read suggested simply that the Labour party was carefully not committing itself one way or other. But I may have misinterpreted them.

Jonathan

[Pete the Elaner]

9 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

Is the statement that the Labour government had said it will not reinstate Phase 2 correct? The reports I have read suggested simply that the Labour party was carefully not committing itself one way or other. But I may have misinterpreted them.

Jonathan

 

Was phase 2 actually the Leeds bit?

Wasn't the Manchester section called something like Phase 1.2?

Pulling much of the Manchester, Liverpool & Glasgow traffic off the WCML will make a huge difference.

 

As a slight aside, I saw a news article last week claiming that an 'alternative to HS2' is to run more stopping services on the existing route. That would be like trying to pour a litre of beer into a pint glass.

HS2 was so badly mis-sold to much of the public & many believe the rubbish they read.

[jamie92208]

23 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

Was phase 2 actually the Leeds bit?

Wasn't the Manchester section called something like Phase 1.2?

Pulling much of the Manchester, Liverpool & Glasgow traffic off the WCML will make a huge difference.

 

As a slight aside, I saw a news article last week claiming that an 'alternative to HS2' is to run more stopping services on the existing route. That would be like trying to pour a litre of beer into a pint glass.

HS2 was so badly mis-sold to much of the public & many believe the rubbish they read.

I'd have to check but you may be right, Pase 2 was the two Northern legs to Leeds plus Crewe and Manchester. 

 

Jamie

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

Sorry, I wasn't being specific enough. The news item merely said "HS2 north of Birmingham" so could refer to any of the unbuilt parts.

Jonathan

[Ron Ron Ron]

14 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

Was phase 2 actually the Leeds bit?

Wasn't the Manchester section called something like Phase 1.2?

 

 

Originally there were no phases.

In 2013 it was decided to build in 2 phases - 

Phase 1 - London to Birmingham (as detailed below)

Phase 2 - both the western arm (Handsacre to Manchester + Golborne WCML link) and eastern arm (Water Orton to Leeds).

 

Later on the western arm was divided into Phase 2A (Handsacre to Crewe) and Phase 2B Crewe to Manchester with the Golborne link dropped.

The Phase 2 eastern arm was cut back to a link into the MML and last year canned completely.

 

A cynic would wonder the real reason's why the Treasury and the DafT would want to split the project into such phases ?

 

Up to Rishi Sunak's cancellation decision last year, this is how it stood.....

 

Phase 1

 

London to Handsacre....

including the Delta Junction at Water Orton and the branch into Birmingham,  plus....  

the stub connections for both Phase 2A (just northwest of Lichfield) and for the now cancelled eastern leg of Phase 2A (just north of Water Orton).

Four new HS2 stations - Euston, OOC, Birmingham Interchange and Curzon St.

HS2 train depot and control centre at Washwood Heath.

HS2 infrastructure maintenance depot at Calvert.

 

 

Phase 2A

 

Handsacre to Crewe.

Connections to the WCML to provide for HS2 trains running to Manchester, Liverpool, the NW and Scotland, via the WCML.

Plus the stub eastern arm, Water Orton to the MML connection.

 

Phase 2B

 

Crewe to Manchester, including...

New HS2 stations at Manchester Airport and Piccadilly.

Plus, to be determined connections to NPR (whatever that turns out to consist of).

 

 

 

 

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Edited July 24 by Ron Ron Ron

[phil-b259]

12 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Is the statement that the Labour government had said it will not reinstate Phase 2 correct? The reports I have read suggested simply that the Labour party was carefully not committing itself one way or other. But I may have misinterpreted them.

Jonathan

 

Yes it is correct.... but I suspect there is a bit of smoke and mirrors going on with it.....

 

On the one hand we have the Mayors of Manchester and Birmingham supposedly working on a plan to create a 'substitute' for HS2 between their two cities. Plus Its abundantly clear to Network Rail that the bottlenecks of Colwich and Stafford still need fixing even if HS2 stays officially cancelled.

 

On the other hand we have a freshly elected Labour Government who are desperate to prove that they won't 'revert to type' when in office and blow loads of cash the nation hasn't got.

 

Then there is the commitment in the Kings Speech to invest further in rail enhancements....

 

So my take on it is although in practical terms Labour have technically ruled out reinstating the cancelled bits of "HS2" - that doesn't preclude them building something which looks remarkably similar to HS2 in future. I suspect much will depend on what happens to both the land and the act of parliament which allows for the construction of phase 2A. If that act is repealed and / or the land is sold then we will know for sure its been canned. If however both the act stays on the statute book and the land doesn't get sold off then HS2 may well come back with a new name in the years to come.

 

 

Edited July 24 by phil-b259