I’d intended this to be a rolling blog because I was out early this morning as I had a commission in Huddersfield involving the start of Better Transport Week 2025. As is my wont I headed over there from Halifax in plenty of time, with the intention of having a look at TRU upgrade work after the gig. Ha! Today was one of those days where technology throws you a curved ball. On arrival at Huddersfield I tried to download pictures from the camera into the laptop – only to find the two were going through a divorce and wouldn’t talk to each other! I tried a couple of different USB cables, all to no avail. So, that buggered things up to start with as I was on a deadline.
The camera performed faultlessly during the job, but try as I might, I couldn’t get the two machines to kiss and make-up. Eventually I had to give up and head home many hours early in order to be close to home spares. Sure enough, after trying yet another cable out of my spares cabinet the pictures transferred perfectly! There was great rejoicing (and not a little swearing).
Now the evening’s wearing on and I’m almost packed for my next series of travels. Tomorrow I return to London for a couple of days, starting with a press lunch (but more of that tomorrow as and when it happens), after which I’ll be exploring old haunts from my time as a London resident. In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from today.
I’d arrived in Huddersfield with time to spare before the gig started, so I went for a wander around Huddersfield old market. It’s a fantastic old Victorian building which is still full of colour thanks to the fruit and veg and cloth stalls.The massed ranks of folks outside Huddersfield station celebrating the start of better Transport week.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
It’s time for a day out in the metropolis, catching up with old friends and updating library shots of the capital’s railways. Right now I’m at Halifax station waiting for Grand Central’s 08:11 service to King’s Cross. I’ll be blogging throughout the day so feel free to pop back and see what I get up to…
08:30.
I’m now heading South (well, East right now) aboard one of Grand Central’s old Class 180 ‘Coradia’ diesel units built by Alstom back at the beginning of privatisation. These 5-car, 125mph cast offs from First Great Western have been the backbone of GCs West Riding services since it began in May 2010. They’re comfortable, if not always reliable and will be replaced in a few years time by a new fleet of nine brand new tri-modes built by Hitachi which are due to enter service in 2028.
180102 arrives at Halifax from Bradford, past the old flour mills that are now part of the confectionary plant which produces ‘Quality Street’ and ‘after eight’ mints. The abandoned signalbox is on the left, where the line once diverged through Halifax to Queensbury. Today’s mobile office. ‘Coradia’ saloons have always been rated for passenger comfort, either these Class 180s or their sisters, the Class 175s.
Our meander through West Yorkshires backwaters enables me to check out some of the work on the Trans-Pennine Route upgrade (TRU). The most significant change I’ve seen so far has been at Mirfield where the steelwork for the new footbridge from the carpark to the island platform has been installed. I can see that I need another trip out along the route as TRU work is really starting to gather speed. Another major change although slightly off route are the preparations for the reopening of the old Healey Mills yard, where a fan of sidings have been relaid in order to be used for engineers trains – although nothing has appeared yet.
09:05.
We’re now out in the wilds on our way to ‘Pontycarlo’ (as Pontefract is disparagingly known) having left Wakefield Kirkgate, a station which Grand Central has invested substantial sums in. As we left we passed a pair of new stabling sidings and staff accommodation which was installed by DB a few years ago but never really used. The tracks are rusty, not having seen trains for quite some time.
My trip’s been enlivened by meeting an old friend. Javid, the Train Manager is one of the original Grand Central staff who’s been with the company since the West Riding service started. It’s been lovely to catch up with him and swap news. Many of the ‘old guard’ have moved on, with several of the people I knew having moved up grades to become train drivers, either with GC or other companies like Northern. Apparently, GC are expecting to hear news about their application for a fifth Bradford – London path this afternoon. I hope they succeed.
09:20.
Having stopped at Ponty (where hardly anyone got on) we headed on past Knottingley, which was once a major railway depot that serviced the Yorkshire coalfields. The DB depot is a shadow of its former self now (I came here recently) as all the coal traffic has vanished but the shed hosted several locos – more than I’ve seen for a while. Just down the road from here was Britain’s last deep coal mine. Kellingley. It closed a decade ago – something that populist politician Nigel Farage is completely unaware of when he makes impossible promises like the idea he’s going to reopen South Wales Steelworks and coal mines, really? Sadly, he seems to have a ready supply of fools who believe everything and anything he says.
Of course, the curse of right-wing political populism isn’t just restricted to making impossible economic promises. For some time now the right-wing have been portraying London as some rundown multicultural hellhole that no-one in their right mind would want to live in or visit. Nothing to do with the fact it’s voted for a Mayor who just happens to be a Muslim (three times) of course. Here’s an example from Twitter.
As someone who was a Londoner for 25 years (when it really was rough) I can assure you that this is complete bollocks. Part of me has to laugh at English ‘patriots’ who spend so much time disparaging the country they supposedly love. ‘Benonwine’ has history. Like many of these accounts (many of whom aren’t even UK based) they’ve found a way of making money by ‘rage-farming’. Posting incendiary (often racist) stuff on Twitter and other platforms. Only it backfired on Ben. Ben worked for Waitrose in Henley-on-Thames and got found out. So they sacked him! He’s now ‘benonthedole’. Like most of these grifters he appealed for donations to fight his sacking and various dim people contributed. Just like they donate to that arch-grifter and jailbird Stephen Yaxley Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). The old adage that a fool and their money are easily parted is never more in evidence than when it comes to the far-right. These people have tapped a rich seam of mugs to dumb to realise they’re being used.
So, will I be in fear of my life when I reach London? Give over!
10:15.
A few minutes ago we sped past Grantham (the best way to visit), now we’re almost hitting our maximum speed of 125mph under clear skies – and signals! The lineside is looking fecund right now as crops and trees have benefitted from recent rains. This is Britain at its most picturesque and there’s no better way to admire it then through the window of a train.
11:45.
I’ve arrived in London and met up with the first member of our merry gang. We’ve not been mugged or stabbed yet, much to ‘Benonwine’ disappointment…
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Today’s the only dry and sunny day we’re going to have in the Pennines this week, so I’m off out with the camera. It’s rather appropriate as today the Government have announced massive investment in public transport across the region, including funding for the long hoped for Leeds tram network – amongst other things (more of which later).
Right now I’ve made it to Bradford – which will eventually be on the end of the tram line from Leeds. I’m at Bradford Forster Square heading for Shipley where I’ll take a break to update a few pictures.
12:00.
I’m still at Shipley, the UK’s last remaining triangular station. The reason being, it’s proved to be rather busy. From the May timetable change, LNER began running regular services to Bradford Forster Square, which has added more variety. Plus, charter company West Coast railways had a Carnforth to Great Yarmouth ‘Northern Belle’ dining train scheduled, which was worth hanging around for. Having had time to mooch around meant I noticed a few other things, like this.
A SPAD (Signal Passed At Danger) repeater. Easily identified by their blue hoods, these signals were once common at locations where drivers were likely to overshoot signals. Most have disappeared.
How’s this for a vintage survivor? Regional Railways Noth East ceased to exist back in the 1990s!
A train from Bradford Forster Square to Skipton calls at platform 5 at Shipley. Whilst the other sides of the triangle are double track, this is nowadays a single line as the opposite track and platform were abandoned in the 1980s.Former Virgin ‘Thunderbird’ 57314, now named ‘Conwy Castle’ hauls empty stock from Carnforth to Great Yarmouth through Shipley.
13:35.
Having made it to Leeds I’m taking a break to do some admin work whilst considering my next options – which are a little restricted due to Trans-Pennine Route upgrade ‘bustitutions’ and the fact some of the things I’d hoped to photograph haven’t happened. On the plus side, I did find this opportunity as soon as I arrived.
Former Colas but now operated by GBRf, 60047 waits for the road at Leeds whilst working an empty stone train from Hull Dairycoates to Rylstone.
16:00.
I’ve decided to curtail my travels and channel my inner-child by becoming a platform-ender at Leeds. Since I’ve lived in this neck of the woods I’ve explored all the rail lines across Yorkshire, so there’s little for me to discover. Plus, the weather hasn’t quite worked out the way I’d hoped. Instead, I’m going to enjoy a few hours watching the world go by at Yorkshire’s premier railway station (cue squeals of outrage from York). Mind you, half the fun of being here is watching people as much as trains..
I was lucky enough to capture the first of the two Class 150 variants passing each other earlier – whilst a modern Hitachi train looks on. These BR built units are reaching the end of their lives and the process of replacing them has begun.
18:45.
Homeward bound. Well, via Bradford and a stroll twixt Forster Square and Interchange! I had intended to post a few mire pictures from Leeds, but the station wifi decided not to play ball. I’ll add them when I get home. Right now, I’m aboard one of the unique bubble-fronted Class 332s built by Siemens/CAF that you can only find working the Leeds/Bradford/Ilkley/Skipton circuit. Their Class 333 cousins used to work Heathrow Express services from Paddington, but they met their end several years ago. My train’s well patronised, but then, as it’s the first post-peak fare service that’s hardly surprising.
My train and a sister unit at Forster Square.
19:40.
I arrived at Forster Square just in time to negotiate my way through the ranks of the city’s homeless and poor who were queuing up for hot drinks and second hand clothes that were being distributed by local charities. There’s a lot of money being invested in the cities infrastructure and transport, but decades of poverty, homelessness, and lack of opportunity are not so easy a nut to crack.
Now I’m aboard my last train of the day – a Class 150/2 working the Bradford – Huddersfield shuttle.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
The Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke has a saying attributed to him, which is that (and it’s paraphrased) ‘no plan survives first contact with the enemy’. It’s the same with travelling. I’d planned to leave Bangkok on the international train to Padang Besar in Malaysia on the 9th. Only it’s full. The first available berths are on the 12th. Having checked online I’d a sneaky suspicion that I was going to be frustrated, but a trip out to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (aka Bang Sue Grand Station) to book a ticket confirmed things. As station names go, it hardly trips off the tongue. But getting there was fun. I’ve no guide book for Thailand, I don’t really need one as I’ve been here so many time before, and the advent of the internet has eaten into their market. The fact ‘Lonely Planet’ guides are so crap they’re a waste of money is another issue (I’ll blog about that another time – honest!) There’s lots of ways of getting to Bang Sue (no sniggering at the back!)
The best way is the Chao Praya river taxi from nearby Phra Arthit pier which took me up river and delivered me at Bang Po. From there it’s two stops on the skytrain, but me being me – I decided to walk. That way, you get to explore and peer into Thai life. Like small businesses like this, which I spotted whilst passing. I haven’t got a Scooby Do what it is they’re making, but I find these places fascinating.
Having secured my onward train ticket at Bang Sue (now what did I say about sniggering?) I had a wander and found the new locomotive depot, which was full of old crocks like this.
I then paid the princely sum of 2 baht to catch a local train to the grand old terminal at Hualamphong, which is just as much a museum as a mainline terminal nowadays. All the long-distance trains have disappeared, along with a lot of the life. Instead, the tracks once used by trains to Chiang Mai and Malaysia are full of relics like this.
Still, there were some great pictures to be had – and as trains are now so infrequent I had time to pop over to and old restaurant opposite the station I know of old. I ordered a beer and the Papaya salad (Tom Sum). The cook asked me if I wanted it ‘spicy’ so I told him yes ‘Thai spicy’. ‘Kin hell – I’m very used to spicy food and regularly ladle the local chilli condiment onto my food, but this was weapons-grade! My tongue was on fire for a good half-hour!
Looks innocuous enough, doesn’t it? This Som Tum was nuclear!
My tastebuds re-appeared just before I caught the 16:30 train back to Bang Sue. Initially it seemed a fairly quiet train on departure. I was in for a surprise! One of the reasons Hualamphong was replaced as the main station is the number of level crossings in the way to Bang Sue. Trains stop at them all – and commuters know this, so stand in the tracks waiting for their train! Like this.
Oh, then there’s the poorer Bangkok residents who simply utilise the railway for recreation…
There’s so much that I could blog about today but the evening’s wearing on and I’m moving hotels tomorrow as well as working out a new itinerary. Hopefully, I’m meeting up with an old Thai friend in the evening, but a blog will still be in the offing…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m on my way to the annual railway Xmas carol concert in London, but as is so often the case, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. I was up before dawn (and Dawn) in order to give myself plenty of time travel, which is just as well. My walk to Halifax station was enjoyable as today’s a lovely morning, although the attraction waned once I arrived at the station to find the platforms choked with people. The information screens told a sorry tale of why. Every train was either delayed or cancelled due to one of several reasons. You could choose from lineside equipment failure, points failure or no traincrew being available. It didn’t really matter as the end result was the same.
Right now I’m on the 07:10 to Huddersfield, which is running nearly 20 mins late. To cap it all, the train thinks its running along the East coast between Middlesbrough and Newcastle via Sunderland!
Whilst the automated system is up the spout the human Conductor’s doing a sterling job of keeping people informed of their options for getting to Manchester as ticket acceptance for alternative routes is in operation.
09:20.
And relax! Having made it to Huddersfield I jumped on a TPE service to Manchester Victoria then walked across a soggy city centre to Piccadilly. The weather’s both damper and colder this side of the Pennines but as I’m not staying the fact the sky is full of threatening and broody clouds holds no dangers for me. Instead, I’m now tucked up in a warm, cosy Avanti Pendolino heading for Euston. It’s a busy train but I’ve a seat, working sockets and wifi which will allow me to be productive en-route.
As I passed through Piccadilly the station was playing host to two of the ex-West Midlands Class 323s which have been transferred to Northern. Here’s 323207 about to leave on 2K16, the 08:46 Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent.
11:10.
Having left Stafford 7 mins down we’ve clawed a couple back on our non-stop run from there to the capital. Time’s flown as I’ve been busy writing an article but we’re now passing through Kentish Town on a lovely sunny day – what a contrast to Manchester!
Not a vintage day at Euston. This service (the 11:30 to Glasgow) was cancelled due to a train failure – only to be reinstated a few minutes before it was due to depart. That’s better! No ads – just information that you need to know.
20:15.
Riiigghhht – let’s try again. The next few pictures should have loaded on my way back up North, but for reasons only known to Gremlins, they didn’t.
The carols concert drew one of the biggest audiences most of us can remember. Maggie Simpson, CEO of the Railfreight Group delivers one of the lessons.The London’s Transport choir belting out some great Xmas carolsRuth Cadbury MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee was another of the readers.
20:30.
After sherry and mince pies in the church refectory a group of us retired to a local hostelry for further refreshments and the chance to catch up. Eventually, many of us departed to head off in different directions. For me, that meant catching another Pendolino back to Manchester. This one was delayed too but for a different reason – flooding around Macclesfield. Now, having strolled across the city centre to Victoria I’m on the last leg aboard a Northern service to Halifax. Normally, this train would be really busy but this close to Xmas many people are enjoying the festive season and office/work parties so travelling’s spread out.
Me? I’ll be glad to get home as I’ll be doing this all again tomorrow. Expect another blog from my travels to and from London. This time there’ll be no lessons and no carols – but there might be food pictures…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312
*I originally wrote this as an article in RAIL magazine, where it appeared in April 2024.*
One complaint that’s levelled at the new HS2 railway is that it’s hardly going to be Britain’s most scenic rail journey! With 105km of tunnels on the section between London and Birmingham that’s no surprise. Much of the rest will be in cuttings. HS2 will be Britain’s most invisible railway. But there are a few structures that will afford views from the train (however fleeting) as well as provide iconic landmarks that can be admired from afar.
One such structure is the Wendover Dean viaduct which is being built just a few Km South of the town. In January RAIL was invited to take a look at construction progress in the week after the first 90 metre section of the deck had been pushed out onto the piers that will carry it. It’s an impressive structure which crosses above Durham Farm, a portion of Bowood Lane (which is being realingned) and parallels King’s Lane – which will allow views down over the structure.
A crane used to lift the infill panels into place. A stack of panels can be seen in the foreground. This view is looking South.
Built by EKFB with ASC (Arcadis, Setec, Cowi JV) as its design partner and Moxon as the architects the design has used as inspiration similar French structures like the Vicoin viaduct on the LGV Bretagne – Pays de la Loire high-speed line. When complete the viaduct will be 450m long, sitting on nine piers, some of which are 14 meters high, giving the structure a maximum height of 20 meters (not counting OLE masts). This method of construction is well known in Europe but it’s a first for the UK.
Traditional decks tend to use what is effectively a continuous block of concrete. A drawback of this is that concrete manufacturing is one of the most carbon-intensive parts of such structures. Instead of being constructed of concrete sections built in situ before lifted atop the piers then fixed together, at the Wendover Dean site, EKFB is using a pair of long ‘I’ beams of weathering steel sandwiched between two slabs of concrete with a hollow inner. These beams are constructed by specialists in France before being delivered to the Wendover site in 25 metre sections. They’re then welded together at ground level on the launching platform – a much safer method than having to do it in-situ at height.
This double composite structure is both super strong and lightweight. Compared to the traditional method (pre-cast concrete beams lifted into position with cranes) the overall carbon footprint gives a carbon reduction of 56% over the lifetime of the project. Most of this is in the materials themselves, with transport the next largest contributor. This method should save an estimated 7,433 tonnes of embodied carbon – the equivalent of someone taking 20,500 return flights from London to Edinburgh.
Another interesting aspect of the engineering is the nine piers that will support the deck. The foundations (piling began in June 2022) themselves aren’t unusual They consist of four piles between 38-45 meters deep. A steel cage is inserted into each borehole before being filled with concrete, then topped with a pile cap. Then, a steel cage is built above the pile cap with pre-cast concrete shells slotted over them. Finally, a hammerhead shaped shell is added as the final piece, with a steel cage dropped into it before the shell is filled with concrete. Having these pre-cast concrete shells made off-site at a facility in Northern Ireland is one of the ways that HS2 has managed to reduce disruption to the local area in Wendover as well as control the quality of the finish compared to being built on-site. It’s also a good illustration of how HS2 is generating jobs and income right across the UK, not just on the route. Northern Ireland’s contribution to the project amounts to £140 million in tier two contracts.
Looking North from atop one of the piers. The haul road can be seen to the right of the picture. The red structure on the end of the girders is there to allow the permeant bridge to be guided into place. The first section after being pushed into place, with some of the infill panels already positioned.
The deck is being assembled in three stages ranging from 90m to 180m sections, with each one pushed out from the north abutment before the next section is attached behind it. This slow and painstaking process means that the weight of the deck will increase with each push, up from an initial 590 tonnes to 3700 tonnes by the end of the year. With the deck moving at roughly 9m/hour, the process will take most of 12 months with the finish point at the South abutment approximately 1.8m higher than start point. The deck is pushed out over temporary bearings, sliding across Teflon plates which are fed across the bearings by hand. Pushing power is provided by cable winches which are anchored to the massive Northern abutment which was specially designed for this purpose – hence its size and weight.
Looking South from the Northern abutment.
When you visit the site you appreciate just how constrained the layout is. The HS2 Hybrid bill defined the limit of land that could be used to built HS2. As you’d expect at a viaduct site, this is quite narrow with most of the site to the West of the viaduct. There’s just enough room to store the concrete panels that form the top and bottom of the viaduct as well as the plant and other machinery needed for construction, plus the offices and welfare facilities which are on a temporary site nearby. One difficulty is the need for a haul-road to pass by the site. This is to allow for the movement of spoil from constructing cuttings to the South towards Wendover where it will be reused. To do this an extra strip of land had to be purchased to the East of the trace so that wagons could traverse the site without interrupting work on the viaduct. This land will be returned to its owners once work is finished.
Looking South from atop one of the piers. The wood on the horizon to the left of the pier is the (in)famous Jones’ hill woods which anti HS2 protestors occupied whilst falsely claiming it had a link to Roald Dahl. Their abandoned camp still lies there, rotting, polluting the very woods they claimed to have been trying to ‘save’.
Our visit allowed access to the top of one of the piers where we had a grandstand view of construction and an impression of how the viaduct was set in the landscape. On the edge of the rise to the South-East corner is the (in)famous Jones’ Hill ancient woodland, the edge of which (0.7 Ha) had to be felled for HS2. This privately-owned wood had been occupied by protesters who falsely claimed it was linked to author Roald Dahl. Their camp still exists, abandoned and rotting, polluting the very land they claimed to be trying to ‘save’. In mitigation, HS2’s planted 4.1 Ha of mixed woodland, some of which is adjacent to Jones’ Hill.
Seeing the red-painted launching-girder attached to the bridge deck at eye-level is quite a sight, as is knowing you’re standing atop a pier that will soon be carrying high-speed trains between London and Birmingham. Our guides also took us to the Northern abutment to see the temporary bearings and show us the Teflon plates that were used as flat rollers, allowing the weathered steel beams to be launched Southwards. Once the completed deck is in place it will rest on jacks which will gradually lower the whole structure onto the permanent bearings that will support it thereafter.
One of the temporary bearings used whilst the bridge deck is pushed out. Demonstrating how the Teflon plates are used to slide the bridge girders along the structure.
After the main viaduct deck is complete the parapets will be installed along with derailment walling and noise barriers. The parapets will be creased rather than flat. The crease will create inward and outward leaning surfaces that catch light and shade making the structure much more interesting, attractive (and photogenic). Once the civils side is finished the structure will be handed over to the rail systems teams to allow track, signalling and overheads to be installed.
Finally, the adjacent historic field boundaries and hedgerows will be recreated to provide uninterrupted access for farmers and local residents, leaving little to no trace of the construction compound and years of activity.
I suspect this viaduct will become a popular site for photography as it’ll be one of the very few locations where HS2 will be able to be seen in the context of the landscape it passes through. The sight of 400m long trains whizzing through the Chilterns atop a viaduct at speed will be one not to be missed!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
This article originally appeared in RAIL magazine back in October 2023.
Built as a single track line by the Wycombe Railway and opened in 1879, the line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury has always been a bit of a Cinderella line. Its only claim to fame was the fact it was the last place in the UK to run BR built Class 121 ‘bubble cars’ which were finally retired in May 2017, having been introduced to the line by Chiltern railways in 2003. However, thanks to the arrival of Phase 1 of High Speed 2, this sleepy backwater’s currently having a makeover. HS2 will pass under the existing line to the West of Aylesbury. To do so the EKFB Alliance and Network rail have closed the line from August 19th until the 30th October. The closure has allowed a culvert close to Aylesbury to be rebuilt and a new 1.8km long embankment and bridge to be constructed to replace the 1879 formation. To future-proof the line the new bridge can carry two tracks and the linespeed has been raised from 40 to 90mph. Unlike other bridges on or over HS2, this bridge has been built by sinking four 2.4m diameter piled piers to a depth of 57 meters, making them the biggest piers on HS2. Each pier took between 36-48 hours to pour. Atop the piers sits a 100m long double-track width steel bridge which was built in 30m sections in the North-East before being transported South and assembled on site. To complete the work Network Rail has used 3000 sleepers and 14,000 tonnes of fresh ballast on the new alignment. A high-output track laying machine installed the rails over a single weekend.
When I visited on September 25th 2023 Colas Rail had begun tamping the new track ready for the lines reopening. Once tamping is complete 200 tonnes of check-rails will be installed on the bridge to mitigate against the chance of any possible derailment on the bridge affecting HS2 services. Meanwhile EKFB had begun excavating the clay underneath the bridge to form the HS2 cutting which is exposing the top 8 meters of the piers. This bridge is unique amongst HS2 bridges in that it was constructed at ground level and then the ground’s being dug out from underneath it.
The new bridge on the Aylesbury-Princes Risborough line with excavators beginning to dig out the route of HS2. This view’s looking South towards LondonBeginning to excavate around the bridge piers.The first few meters of a pier’s exposed.
The excavation work’s being done in stages from the North to the South due to the proximity of the old railway formation which still carries fibre-optic signalling cables and has the disconnected track still in situ which will be recovered at a later date. On the South of the old formation EKFB are building the piers and deck of a road bridge over HS2 as passive provision for the South-East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) whilst another road bridge over HS2’s being built further to the North-West as part of another link road scheme.
The new bridge with track in situ looking towards Aylesbury.Check rails waiting to be installed on the bridge after the line’s been tamped and levelled. In the foreground is the old railway line. Behind it in the light coloured troughing are the signalling cables which have been lifted and protected whilst work goes on. Looking South from the new railway bridge along the trace of HS2 towards London.The Colas tamper waits to begin work. In the foreground is one of the new culverts which improve drainage on the Aylesbury-Princes Risborough line. This photo gives a better impression of the length of the new bridge over HS2.
Future work to the line will see the half-barrier level crossing at Marsh Lane near Little Kimble upgraded and replaced with full-width barriers (which will allow linespeed improvements) and resignalling.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
This morning the media – including the BBC, who really should know better – are running headlines puffing the latest Sunak con over HS2 and ‘released funding’. Here’s the BBCs uncritical advert for the Government filed under ‘business’ which is headlined thus;
‘Rishi Sunak sets out how pothole funding from HS2 savings to be used’
God, where to start? Firstly, let’s ask how the BBC can be an uncritical organ for this propaganda? Filed by ‘business reporter’ Faarea Masud it’s little more than a cut and paste job from this press release. Not once are the claims analysed, critiqued or put into perspective, never mind numbers crunched. Alarm bells should ring when a ‘business reporter’ doesn’t even point out the economic madness and illiteracy of using Capital expenditure (Capex) for Operational expenditure (Opex). There’s good explainer of the difference here.
Can you imagine the howls of outrage from the Automobile Association who’re quoted in the article if the Government had announced they were scrapping the RIS2 new roads programme to use the dosh to fill in potholes instead?
Let’s be clear about one thing. This £8.3bn doesn’t exist. It’s a back of a fag packet calculation of money that hasn’t even been borrowed yet. The money to build Phase 2b of HS2 wasn’t due to be borrowed for many years yet (the Hybrid Bill authorising construction hasn’t even passed through Parliament, never mind actual construction contracts been awarded). There’s no pot of money sat in the Treasury labelled ‘for HS2’ just waiting to be rebadged.
The pothole ‘plan’ is credited to Sunak, but it’s Transport Minister Mark Harper who’s quoted in the article. Harper lets various things slip but the BBC immediately drops the ball by not questioning anything he says. For example, this supposed £8.3bn will be spent over 11 years, so the annual amount is chicken-feed when it comes to putting right the effects of 13 years of cost-cutting by the Tories. The DfT let the cat out of the bag in the report when they explained that;
“The Department for Transport said local authorities in England would get an extra £150m for road repairs this year, and the same amount for 2024 and 2025. The rest of the funding will be allocated over the next decade”.
So, that £8.3bn becomes £150m and after 2024 nothing is guanteed for anything as the Tories will have lost the election. This is classic ‘jam tomorrow’. It’s nothing more than an election bribe in the hope it will fool the feeble-minded (and the BBC). Let’s add some perspective the BBC fails to. There are 317 councils in England), so that £150m is less than £474,000 per council! I live in Halifax in West Yorkshire, it would probably cost that much to resurface the long pothole-filled road outside my home! Yet, according to the Department for Transport, in 2021-22, only 7.5 miles of roads in Calderdale were fully resurfaced, up from three miles five years before. In 2023-24 Just £3.17m is earmarked for road maintenance in Calderdale, any extra money won’t even touch the sides of the problem.
Potholes? This is the stretch of road right outside our home. It’s been like this ever since I moved in, just before the Tories won the 2010 election. Every year it gets worse as the winter weather breaks up the surface even more. Every couple of years the deepest holes get a ‘temporary’ repair. The whole half mile and more looks like a patchwork quilt.
The BBC puff piece contains another cut and past quote from Sunak which is complete bollocks;
“This unprecedented £8.3bn investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”
The ‘blight’ of potholes is down to the Tories. They’ve underinvested in this country’s infrastructure from day 1. We’ve now had 13 years of decay where Councils estimate the cost of repairing just local roads was closer to £14bn! An imaginary £8.3bn – even if it was real – won’t fix the roads. This is desperate stuff from a Government that’s ruined the country and completely run out of ideas what to do now. It’s like the infamous ‘cones hotline’ from the John Major era. What’s depressing is the way much of the media (national and local) is regurgitating this guff and presenting it as if it’s anything other than what it really is – a damning indictment of 13 years of austerity, economic mismanagement and a crippling lack of vision and purpose.
So, Sunak’s lying – again. We’ve heard all this before. Like this tweet from 2021 which hasn’t aged well at all – just like the road outside my house!
The one thing we do need to put an end to – as soon as possible – is him and his rotten and dishonest Government. He’s putting the con back into Conservatives.
Don’t fall for the con, or the Conservatives.
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The excitement of a break in Istanbul is slowly fading as we re-establish our UK routine back at Bigland Towers. Well routine for me. Dawn’s still on holiday, so – after pottering around at home she left to join Fran and Kath for an afternoon watching the King’s coronation on catch-up TV. Having the house to myself I pottered around solo. The garden’s really burst into life during the four days we were away so I soon lost an hour or so catching up on weeding and general maintenance in-between showers. The weather’s been crap since we got back with bouts of rain and temperatures only just in double figures – a good excuse to stay indoors and catch up on emails, paperwork and picture editing.
The shots I’ve taken in Istanbul are going to take several days to sort out, but the first collection (shipping) ended up on my Zenfolio website this evening. You can find the gallery via this link. Istanbul’s on the gateway to the Black Sea so the amount and variety of maritime traffic that passes is great for anyone interested in the nautical world. Add in the cruise liners that call and the multitude of ferries, tourists boats and pleasure craft that to and fro and you’ve a fascinating collection of craft to observe.
I suspect I’ll be trapped at home for the rest of this week as I’ve a lot of stuff to catch up on, plus, we’ve rail strikes on Friday and Saturday which will cramp my style anyway. I suppose I’ll be able to get all my picture backlog cleared at least…
I’ll leave you with the picture of the day which is one of my new shipping pictures. Here’s the passenger ship Ilker Karter which was built in 1980 at the Halic Shipyard in Istanbul. At 456 gross tonnes it’s not the largest ship in the world but it and its sister vessels put in a lot of nautical miles ferrying passengers around the Bosporus strait. In the background is one of the more modern ro-ro ferries.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Hooray! The rain’s stopped here in the Chilterns. Instead (according to the forecast) we’re in for a day full of dull cloud and no sunshine. Looking out of the skylight in my room in the pub we stayed in last night that certainly seems to be the case. Even so, there’s plenty of HS2 sites to see in the area and as we travel Northwards so I’ll post a few pictures through the day as we visit places. But first, it’s time for breakfast then to find somewhere to charge up Penny’s electric car. Charging EVs is a logistical exercise in itself and adds a whole new dimension to travel planning.
As well as HS2 construction sites one thing we’ll be looking at is the ecological work and mitigation planting. If you believed the scaremongering nonsense the opponents of HS2 put out tree planting either doesn’t happen or the ones planted are all dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s a (large) site on the South edge of the West Hyde construction site that we visited yesterday. Do these look imaginary or dead to you?
I’ve many more close-up shots of the impressive growth of this recently planted (2017) wood that I’ll add to my Zenfolio gallery on HS2 construction.
11:10.
Well, we’re not doing much exploring righ now but I am learning a lot about the pros and cons of electric cars! We’re currently in the car park at Morrisons in Aylesbury, waiting for the car to charge. There was no charging point at the pub, so we couldn’t charge the car overnight so we only had 30 miles left on the battery. Not enough to get anywhere. The nearest chargers were in Aylesbury. Then it’s a question of finding a fast (50kw) charger and pray no-one else is using it. So, you spend a lot of time faffing around because the last thing you want to do is run out of juice in the middle of nowhere. You can’t exactly walk with a Jerry can to the nearest garage for a bucket of electricity! Penny’s car is currently charging at 1 mile oer minute. There’s another complication. This charger has 3 charger cables. Only two are compatible with the car and one of them (the fastest) is knackered. It’s a common problem apparently. So, if you don’t want to suffer ‘power anxiety’ – buy a hybrid. This car (a Renault Zoe) has a real maximum range of +/- 200 miles so 100 miles range out and back before you need to think about finding a charging station. Oh, and that’s without driving too fast or using stuff like heaters etc..
Time to sit and compose a few emails and blog whilst watching the miles build up.
19:30.
Another day that didn’t quite go to plan but was still an excellent one anyway. Well, until I ended up on a train full of pissed-up Stoke City fans on their way back from Coventry (but more of that later).
Having charged up the car enough to do what we wanted to do (with a margin of error) we headed back to the infamous Jones’ Hill wood, scene of some of the most dishonest anti HS2 protests. I’ve blogged before about the lie that the wood had anything to do with Roald Dahl. This area (between Wendover and Great Missenden) is ‘nimby central’, not that any of their scaremongering achieved anything but it’s very interesting to compare the reality with the hype.
Whilst a Western edge of Jones’ Hill woods has been sliced off to make way for HS2 there’s a huge amount of new tree planting to the East which is doing really well. This will link the isolated Jones’ Hill with nearby woods to create a much larger wildlife habitat.
One of two ponds on the new mitigation planting site at Jones’ Hill woods with the wood in the background and new planting in the foreground. Behind me is another wood which the planting will link to Jones’ Hill. The HS2 trace is below Jones’ hill to the left .The Southern edge of Jones’ hill wood. Part of the wood had to be taken to build HS2. This picture was taken from the middle of the haul road. A footpath crosses the road and security staff let you across when it’s safe to do so. Looking North from Bowood Lane along the route of HS2 towards Wendover. So much for the ‘outstanding natural beauty’ of the Chilterns! To the left is the noisy A413 whilst the row of ugly pylons stretches the length of the valley. In contrast, when HS2’s completed most of it will be hidden from view.
Ironically, the ‘eco-warriors’ who were supposedly ‘protecting’ Jones’ hill woods have left their abandoned camp cluttering the woods.
Moving on from Jones’ Hill we headed back to Wendover to look at HS2 construction work nearby. Quite how HS2 was meant to cause so much disturbance to the village when it’ll pass in a green tunnel with the incredibly noisy A413 and Chiltern railway in-between has always been one of life’s mysteries. At the moment work isn’t as advanced as on other parts of the route so it’s hard to make out the trace of HS2, although this will change over the course of 2023. Funny, the local Nimbys have never complained about the unsightly line of high-voltage pylons that parallel the HS2 route in these parts!
Odd how those who tell us the Chilterns AONB is pristine and stunning fail to mention this row of plyons that dominate the valley between Gt Missenden and Wendover – or mention the persistent traffic noise from the A413! Here’s the view from above Wendover (off to the left) looking South towards Great Missenden. The trace of HS2 is starting to take shape. It will pass between the two nearest pylons, having crossed over the A413 and Chiltern railway at the bottom of the valley here.
Another place we visited was the small Wendover memorial wood for people who passed away at a local hospice. You may remember HS2 antis and media opportunists exploited this place in a disgraceful attempt to smear HS2 for desecrating a “childrens memorial” when it was nothing of the sort.
To be honest, it’s a sad, neglected place that looks pretty much abandoned. The memorial trees are too densely planted and look awful as no-one ever looked after them once they were planted, which is why many have their protective sheath still wrapped around them long after they matured. The place is unkempt, overgrown and covered with litter and other detritus. There’s little sign of the work HS2 carried out there, other than what likes a narrow path through some of the trees. The place doesn’t look like many people visit.
Moving on we bypassed Aylesbury and headed towards Quainton, stopping en-route to admire another mitigation site where (on first glance) tree- planting appeared to be less successful than other sites. On closer examination this proved to be untrue as many trees had been replanted, they simply hadn’t stuck their heads above their protective tubes yet! The trace of HS2 was very evident at this point.
North of Quainton we crossed the former route of the Great Central railway which (until recently) carried waste trains and HS2 construction trains as far as Calvert. Now the sites been transformed into a construction site as the old road bridge is being replaced and the road diverted (pics later).
The view from Whitehills bridge looking towards Quainton. The Calvert binliners and HS2 materials trains used this part of the old Great Central until recently. In the foreground excavations have begun for the piles for the replacement for the bridge I’m standing on. Whitehills bridge looking North towards Calvert.
Our final visit was to Calvert itself. The place has changed a lot since my last visit with the E-W rail line embankments taking shape either side of the HS2 overbridge. Several other E-W bridges are being replaced as part of the same contract whilst roads are being diverted and the site of the HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) is being laid out. Whilst we were here we were blessed with some lovely low sunlight whic made a real change from the dull day we’d had up to that point.
The site of the old Calvert station looking South. HS2 tracks will occupy this site in a few years time. Looking North from the same bridge. This site was a major railhead for bringing HS2 construction material in by rail. The new E-W rail overbridge at Calvert under very moody skies.The site of the Calvert HS2 Infrastructure Maintenance depot is beginning to be laid out. To the right is the route of E-W rail whilst the new bridge in the background is the remodelled Addison Rd.
Both of us would’ve loved to have lingered longer but when I checked train times back home we realised we’d need to make a dash for Banbury in time for me to make a sensible connection. This got a bit fraught when we got into Banbury as their was traffic chaos because the police had the main road towards the station blocked off. Instead Penny drove back to Leamington where I made my train by the skin of my teeth – but only because it was running five minutes late.
I was breathing a sigh of relief and considering staying on this Cross-County service all the way to Manchester until we pulled into Coventry where my coach was invaded by Stoke City fans. Their behaviour was appalling. They kept up a stream of foul-mouthed, misogynistic and borderline racist chants all the way to New St, at which point I’d had enough of too much testosterone and too few brain cells (as had many others in the coach). I baled and caught my original connection, the 19:03 Cross-Country service direct to Leeds. This is much quieter and far more pleasant – and neither sight nor sound of a football bore.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 