Progress is being made on the first direct rail link between Oxford, Bedford, Milton Keynes and Aylesbury in 50 years. Huge sections of a concrete railway flyover at Bletchley is being lifted out by some of the largest cranes in Europe to build the new railway line.
In the early 1960s ‘Bletchley flyover' was built to allow trains to go from West to East to cross over at the West Coast mainline.
However, 14 flyovers spans now need to be dismantled to be rebuilt to modern standards for the East-West Rail project.
Preparation for the removal of lineside equipment and overhead electric lines has been going on for the past year, with a lot more work being placed at Easter to drill out the concrete flyover's spans already there.
The first span was number 17, which weighed at 295 tonnes and was split in two and was removed on the 22nd of April 2020, and it was dismantled without closing the railway.
The West Coast Main Line was closed on the 2nd-3rd May and will need to be closed on the 8th-10th May and 23rd-25th May so the rest of the flyover can be removed.
Tim Shoveller, managing director for Network Rail's North West and Central region, said “This is a major milestone for East West Rail – a new railway which will transform connectivity and journey times across the heart of the country. It promises to provide a greener, low carbon transport system which will bring huge benefits to passengers and businesses – driving economic growth and creating opportunities for housing and new jobs.”
Jeff Booth, project leader for 2C, said “My thanks to the team and everyone involved in the planning and execution of this hugely significant lift for the project. As the first span to be removed, the first significant lift we have done, and as a precursor to the removal of Span 19 in a few weeks' time, the pressure was on, but we were able to completely remove the span from the structure safely and successfully as per our plan.”
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The line should have never been closed in the first place and with increase of passengers numbers 50 years later, This line is badly needed to Oxford, I’m from Hertfordshire and I travel to Oxford by using buses to Bedford and then getting the slow train to Bletchley and then the coach to Bicester before getting another train to Oxford, Took me most of the day just to get to Oxford before I have to get the train home. The Government at time didn’t have a clue how to run the Railways and Mp Barbara’ Castle was to blame for the closure of the East West line,
The really stupid thing about East West Rail is that they have abandoned all plans for electrification. Original promotional material included images of OHLE, and that’s all gone now.
I worked stone trains to Wolverton in the 70&80’s for milton Keynes construction work with class 52,37&56 diesels.loads of thrash going over flyover with 2000 tons behind you.
Due to a planning error by western & London Midland regions a Saturday night Glasgow to Bristol sleeper ran via the flyover with Swindon train crew.
When was the flyover first built and installed. And it was mostly been abandoned after the Varsity Line closed in the 1960s. Such a icon it has been. Devastated to see it being torn down. 🙁
I’m not devastated to see it go, because it is unfit for purpose. There will be a new flyover built to allow the WCML to pass under East West Rail.
Interesting to see how the new bridge will look like. The flyover has been a complete eye-saw since the Varsity Line was able to be used anymore and that’s why most of the railway line was closed except some have been retained including the Marston Vale Line (Bletchley-Bedford) and Bicester Village-Oxford.
I would say it’s quite a icon since it was first built in the 1960s and survived the weather and elements as flyovers and bridges have adapted to. But now it’s time to say goodbye to the Bletchley flyover and to be replaced by a new modern purpose built flyover bridge as part of the East West Rail link that will re-connect Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Oxford and a rebuilt & reopened railway link. Which used to be the Varsity Line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varsity_Line
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_West_Rail
When the new East-West Rail line is completed and new sections been installed. Will the existing DMU trains such as the Class 170, Class 220, Class 221, Class 222, Class 180, Class 158, Class 159, Class 185 and other diesel multiple units could be ideal to operate on the newly reopened railway line from Oxford to Cambridge.
Or will new rolling stocks could be built such as Stadler Flirt Class 7xx Bi-mode or CAF Civity Class 1xx DMU rolling stocks.