Crossrail Don’t Just Dig Tunnels
This report on the BBC, gives the latest progress on the archaeology program, that runs alongside Crossrail. Similar reports have also turned up all over the world including this one from India. So perhaps Crossrail is showing the world how to dig in more ways than one!
You have to congratulate Crossrail on their attitude to the past, which seems to be much better than other projects.
I suppose you could also be cynical, and say that they see the public relations as beneficial to getting the project done on time, as it minimises objections.
But who cares, if the project comes in on or under budget? Everybody!
The Hitchin Flyover From The Cambridge Line
I went to and from Cambridge yesterday and got good views of the new Hitchin Flyover, which will take Cambridge-bound trains over the East Coast Main Line.
It is a simple, but impressive structure, that should give a lot of benefits to rail passengers.
Crossrail Gets The PR Right Again
I have been following the difficult job that Crossrail are doing, where they are upgrading the Connaught Tunnel under the Royal Victoria Dock in East London. I even had a letter published in The Times about this important part of the line, after an opinion appeared in the paper, saying there were no women in senior positions.
Emma Duncan (Opinion, Feb 25) is wrong to assume that there are no women working in senior roles on the Crossrail project. Arguably one of the most difficult tunnelling jobs is the creation of a new tunnel out of the old Connaught Tunnel between and beneath the London Docks. The project manager in charge of this section is one Linda Miller (no relation).
So yesterday, I went down to see if I could see anything.
Digging For The Connaught Tunnel
Not much, as you can see.
They are however, following their usual policy of good PR, by providing a free shuttle bus for pedestrians around the workings, which have blocked the pedestrian route across the docks to Pontoon Dock DLR station.
Is This The Way To Develop Railways?
It has been announced today that the government has fully approved the Croxley Rail Link. This report on the BBC gives full details. Here’s their summary.
An extension to the London Underground’s Metropolitan Line to serve the centre of Watford has been given the final go-ahead.
The government gave the £118m Croxley Rail Link the all-clear through the Transport and Works Act Order.
The line will be extended to Watford Junction via Watford High Street and two new stations will open, including one near the town’s football ground.
This seems to be a scheme that has a lot of merits.
Personally, it will mean that when I go to see Ipswich play football in Watford, I will avoid the long walk across the town. I think that because of this ease of access, Watford FC will be one of the bigger beneficiaries, as ease-of-access always brings in more visitors to any venue.
This fairly small scheme will have all sorts of benefits. This paragraph is lifted from Wikipedia.
When the Croxley Rail Link is built, direct services into Watford Junction from Amersham would also be possible, thus linking the commercial centre of Watford to the new developments in Aylesbury, as well as providing the Chilterns with transport connections, via the Junction, to the North and other destinations.
I’ve always thought that Watford should be more of an interchange when going north to take the pressure off Euston.
i think we can honestly say that the £118 million that this development will cost, will return an awful lot more in benefits.
But then we’ve got a bit more clever with some of the schemes we’ve started recently.
The Hitchin flyover will take a few minutes off the times for trains on the East Coast Main Line for £47 million. It will be fully open in a few weeks.
Improvements to the Felixstowe branch line and its junction with the main line north of Ipswich, aren’t the biggest of developments, but they will take significant numbers of trucks off the road.
If you go to the Network Rail web site, you’ll find lots of these smaller projects.
I think we should complete all of these before we decide on the detailed route of HS2.
The Windows Are In
I passed the new wooden frame house yesterday and took this picture.
The Windows Are In
All seems to be going well and the house is attracting a lot of curious looks from passers-by.
The Expansion Of Tate Modern
The Tate Modern is being expanded as Wikipedia says here.
A bridge is being built across turbine hall to connect the new extension to the current galleries.
Underneath East London
This article about Crossrail is worth reading.
I think the article fits the pattern where Crossrail are doing their utmost to be good neighbours.
After all, bad publicity or even protests in the middle of a projectr, is the easiest way to make it late.
Kings Cross Station
I took this picture of Kings Cross station from the balcony in front of St. Pancras station.
Kings Cross Station
It’s all coming together, with the new square, which should make Kings Cross into one of the best stations in the world.
From Poplar To Canary Wharf
I walked from Poplar Station to Canary Wharf, taking pictures of the Docklands Light Railway and the building of the Crossrail station at Canary Wharf.
It’s going to be an architectural masterpiece when it’s finished. Or I certainly hope so!
One of the great things about using the Docklands Light Railway is that on a hot day like yesterday, it is a great way to explore the Eastern parts of London. Most of the stations have lifts and give good views of what is going on. The area is steeped in history and some great architecture from the old to the very modern.
The ticketing system is effectively, hop-on and hop-off, so you just use your Oyster once or buy a paper ticket and you’re away.
Someone needs to write a proper tourist guide to the Docklands Light Railway.
Pudding Mill Lane Station – 17th July 2013
From Stratford I moved on to the area around Pudding Mill Lane station to see progress on both the new station and Crossrail.
The pictures show that things are moving on quite well.
Note.
1. According to this entry in Wikipedia, the new station should be finished in 2013.
2. The current station will have to be demolished to allow work to proceed on Crossrail.
3. There is no sign of the tunnelling machines at Pudding Mill Lane, which will drive from there to Stepney Green.
The Anonymous Widower 