East West Rail Link Secures ^2m For Next Chapter

[whole diary]

[willc]

Of course D(a)fT aren't going to allow any scheme even  Chiltern's so don't hold your breath.

If Chiltern is to qualify for its full 20-year franchise, it has to provide a number of enhancements. Involvement in East-West itself and the Aylesbury-Verney Junction link to the East-West route are other possibilities. Chiltern has so far delivered all the enhancements it has promised, so why not this one? And even DafT isn't stupid enough not to like schemes it doesn't have to pay for!

And if Chiltern's plan gets the go-ahead, I don't think FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would be too upset to be relieved of the need to operate Bicester Town branch workings from Oxford. The speed limit on the existing track makes journey times unattractive, even with the A34 being choked with traffic, so passenger numbers are small, but it ties up a Turbo and crew for much of the day.

What I meant by "killer point" was about getting a full East West Link

But it doesn't kill the entire scheme, as the phrase suggests, and the Oxford-MK^▸ (Milton Keynes)-Bedford section was always going to be the most important, and the backers of the scheme admit that.

While the idea of an Oxbridge link always looks attractive, the fact is that a recent attempt to get an air service going was dropped soon after it was launched, due to low demand. Just like the Liverpool-Norwich and Birmingham-Cambridge rail routes, there might be a number of people travelling long-distance but the majority using the train through the course of its journey will be making shorter trips, with the bulk of journeys on East-West likely to be concentrated on the sections where there are already rails in place.

Even without the rowing lake - whatever it will be used for - it was always going to be more difficult on the eastern part, because the line had been abandoned

[grahame]

Thanks for that. Can we have that added to the 'acronyms' list?

I've added what it stands for ... there's a whole big project out there for someone (any volunteers?) to provide full descriptions and / or links for all the acronyms listed!

[Lee]

Around 20 kilometres of disused railway line between Bletchley and Claydon Junction will be cleared of scrub, brambles and overgrown vegetation so that survey and investigation work can be carried out for the design development phase of the East-West Rail project (link below.)
http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=5472

Starting on 26 January, the clearance will take two to three weeks and some will be done with manual equipment, although the more densely overgrown areas will need to be cleared with chainsaws and tractor mounted flails. All of the waste materials will be left chipped and spread on the site.

The design development work is being undertaken by Atkins which was recently appointed to carry out the design work (Guidance for Railway Investment Projects - GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation) Stage 4) on the western section of the East-West Rail project.

[Btline]

Surely they will build the line now they are speding the cash / time clearing 1¹/₄ miles of track! Hopefully for 100+ mph as the alignment is dead straight.

[IndustryInsider]

Surely they will build the line now they are speding the cash / time clearing 1¹/₄ miles of track! Hopefully for 100+ mph as the alignment is dead straight.

Well, it's the next necessary step in the long ladder from 'what a good idea' to the Mayor of Bicester cutting a bit of red tape when the service is launched. Many a project has failed at a much more advanced stage than this though.

[Electric train]

Surely they will build the line now they are speding the cash / time clearing 1¹/₄ miles of track! Hopefully for 100+ mph as the alignment is dead straight.

Well, it's the next necessary step in the long ladder from 'what a good idea' to the Mayor of Bicester cutting a bit of red tape when the service is launched. Many a project has failed at a much more advanced stage than this though.

I agree.  The survey will, I guess, accurately map the route and want to look at cuttings, embankments, culverts, bridges etc to see if any will need further more invasive investigation, too many of these with major defects requiring major works could scupper the concept after all the route has not been maintained or monitored for how long?.

It is a positive step it this project

[Electric train]

The plans to create a new rail route between Oxford and London Marylebone have taken another step forward with the advertisement of a tender for a design and build contract for Project Evergreen 3.

http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/story.php?id=5797