Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

It's always nice to imagine the GCR being reopened throughout, but it's hard to imagine how any rational analysis could justify it and certainly not as an alternative to HS2.

Chris

 

Its nice to imagine the HS2 being opened througout but it's hard to imagine how any rational analysis could justify it, and certainly not as an alternative to an ECML upgrade...

 

"Its nice to imagine the HS2 being opened throughout" - yes, but by then I shall probably not be a taxpayer.

 

Getting back on topic, the mid-July total is now on the GCR website: £148,000.

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/

 

Heyup, does anyone here know what the deadline for raising the required £1m is?

 

I don't think there's a deadline as such. The million pounds is a project desposit to Network Rail which needs to be repaid.

Great Western

 

The cost of the bridge over the MML is a million pounds (Network Rails quoted price for the job), a £100,000 deposit had to be paid to Network Rail to set the ball rolling ie design work surveys etc, this was funded initially by loan from a GCR supporter ( I assume) before the appeal was launched. The next update on funding progress should be in the latest GCR magazine due out in a couple of weeks.

 

1st September total: £206,000.

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/

An excellent start, but a long way to go...

 

"We (the country) need to "grow a pair" and just crack on and build the whole thing. Stop paying consultants to write more reports on viability and go find some navvies and start digging!"

There is much to be said for JFDI; all the money spent on various feasibility studies on different railway projects would probably have been enough to fund a single decent sized project! But the case needs to be made that the HS2 will both increase capacity, and seriously improve journey times; I'm happy to stand corrected as regards security flapdoodle, but Spain imposes security checks on long distance trains and never underestimate the influence of the British security industry! Also, the nimby lobby in the Chilterns has a lot of clout in feudal Britain.

 

Mods,
Can you please create a new thread, as this has drifted a little from "Bridge-the -gap"!

Thanks

 

Today's total £225,000.

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/

 

Sweet, nearly a quarter of the way!

 

Will the next few gala's be dedicated to Bridge the Gap ?

 

I've just looked on here for the first time in months & I must say this is brilliant news. I was a fireman at Loughbough in the 90s. when can we expect to see some physical work start, or is it too early?

 

I believe the bridge that crosses the midland mainline will be constructed around 2015, though besides that there are at least two sections of embankments to be rebuilt, one bridge that crosses a road to be rebuilt, and finally a bridge that crosses a canal to be restored back to good order, the hope is to finally have it all completed and ready for trains by 2019.

Though of course there is also the no small matter of creating a new locomotive engineering base, as the current one is in the way of the planned link. The Workington steam shed was dismantled and transported there for this purpose, though where it will rebuilt remains to be decided.

 

As a matter of interest, is there any agreement with the Preci Spark people whose factory and/or car park intrudes into the GC embankment just south of the MML? Are they staying or moving?

 

With regard to the last two questions (the shed and the Preci Spark site) I don't think either are considered to be a problem.

GCR has always maintained that the bridge over the MML would have to be single track, and from what I remember of previous items in 'Main Line' and the railway press there is adequate room for a single track along the side of the existing shed. Yes, they would need to clear the years of accumulated rubbish to the side, but there is clearance. Obviously the long term plan is to re-locate the engineering base / shed but it doesn't look like that will happen in the short term. (When the GCR started its operations on 1973 nearly all the surrounding land was vacant or derelict. Now it's nearly all housing, so the shed and loco works is not in an ideal site from a neighbour's point of view).

Similarly, the Preci Spark site does encroach slightly on the original path, but I think that using a single track and a slight skew it is not a problem.

Worth pointing out too that for many years Charnwood Borough Council's planners have kept the whole corridor (from the existing GCR to the potential junction north of the MML) clear of any development to allow the two bits to be potentially joined up one day. Nice to see a bit of forward-thinking from our planning people.

 

I understand that Preci-Spark do some sort of high-precision engineering work (I've no idea what) and their main concern is whether any vibration from trains will affect their business. As stone trains from Mountsorrel seem to be off the agenda now, I believe they are considerably less concerned than they were. The car park issue is obviously not really the important one.

I think you could well see some initial survey work taking place before too long, though I think it will be a while before we see holes being dug. I understand that one of Network Rail's signals needs moving, so presumably that will have to happen before anyone starts building bridge pillars.

Of course, we still need to raise about three quarters of a million too... lets not get carried away, and keep the donations coming!

NB: The above is all guesswork based on what I've heard, please do not treat it as official, I am not actively involved in the 'gap' project.

 

The appeal has now raised 25% of its target: http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify/