GWSR General Discussion and Operations

The line is contemporary with the Bicester cut off (the Chiltern line). The latter has suffered with embankment issues. This hasn't been helped by soil moisture deficits over dry summers with bands of clay being most susceptible. There is a band which runs across the Chilterns from east to west and I wouldn't be surprised if it reaches to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire line. When a railway is renewed it is unusual to replace the earthworks, (rails, ballast, signalling systems, bridges are normally what is replaced). Also the knowledge of what makes up an earthwork is not well known surveys can be taken but I am aware of instances where the material suddenly changes.

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The question that has been in my mind since Chicken Curve has been why this line has been so prone to problems

 

Hey, that's our railway you're talking about there!

I think it's accepted wisdom that the line was built quickly, and on the cheap. Combined with the particular local geology and geography, and lack of understanding at the time of construction, we are where we are. The good news is the impact is much less severe than in the past, in part I think we can put that down to the heroic efforts of our drainage team over the last decade or so.

 

Prompted by this thread, I spent some time trying to find out some details of the local geology. For anyone who has a little knowledge of soil mechanics or geology, these links might be of some interest.

https://www.researchgate.net/public...and_outcrop_patterns_from_temporary_exposures

https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/Memoirs/docs/B01641.html Ch.2 in particular.

http://www.glosgeotrust.org.uk/downloads/Cotswolds LGAP.pdf