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FR Press Release

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by deetooefaress, Feb 2, 2009.

  1. ipod

    ipod Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for that, but the fact remains that the new retaining wall is also part of a bridge abutment which would of had to have been built whether the river bank had erroded or not.
    There was no point in Gwynedd Council carrying out a permanent repair as the following month the railway would have come along and dug it all out again to build a bridge abutment and trailing wall.

    If the FR can prove that the original abutment and trailing wall design changed at a late stage (to the tune of 320k) due to river bank erosion, well then they have nothing to worry about other than when will the money arrive!
     
  2. Miff

    Miff Part of the furniture Friend

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    When FR agreed to incorporate the erosion repair into the railway construction contract there must have been an agreement with TRA on what proportion of the total costs each party would pay. I do not know if this is the case but if the final bill turned out to be substantially higher than the original estimate then there might be some dispute.
     
  3. SillyBilly

    SillyBilly Member

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    Had it all gone to plan and the wall was as strong as was presumed and the railway built it wouldn't have needed all the expensive steel pile treatment and the wall re-building, the railway wouldn't be allowed to totally re-build the wall anyway as it is classified as part of the bridge which is a listed structure.
     
  4. lostlogin

    lostlogin Member

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    Maybe I have missed it, but having read this thread, the BBC news page and the FR press release I remain confused.

    I understand that the opening of the WHR has been delayed as the FR were unable to issue the final contracts as they were and are outstanding a substantial sum of funds. Well substantial in my terms. I understand that these funds remain outstanding and it would appear that there is some form of dispute.

    Presumably the FR did not issue the final contract as it requires these funds to settle. Where I am confused is, has the final contract now been placed or is it still outstanding pending the resolution and payment of the outstanding amount.

    If it has not been placed then presumably there may be a delay in completion.

    If it has been placed and the dispute rumbles on so the payment continues to be delayed or is reduced does this potentially leave a big whole in FR finances when this final contract needs paying?

    either way not the best of decisions to be left with.
     
  5. triassic

    triassic Member

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  6. Roger Dimmick

    Roger Dimmick Member

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    Totally unrelated to the work undertaken rebuilding the training wall above Britannia Bridge...
     
  7. Ben Fisher

    Ben Fisher Member

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    If you look again at the FR statement, it's final commissioning contracts (plural). What this will mean is contracts for bringing a number of crossings up to full standards for passenger operation, the complicated ones being the equipment that needs to be hooked up to the Network Rail crossing, and the road and rail signalling at the Britannia Bridge tramway section. There's also the crossing of Snowdon Street in Porthmadog, and the B4410 crossing at Pont Croesor. How these fit into "completion" is a question of definitions (the civil engineering is all but done and there's only 20m of track left to lay on the WHR main line), but they are necessary before the line from Hen Hafod to Harbour can be opened. I don't know the exact position on letting of contracts for these works, but it appears that the remaining Crossing Orders (necessary before the final contract works can start) are in the process of coming through at the moment. Plus there are factors you can expect not to find discussed with any authority on here, i.e. internal financial matters and the dispute with the Trunk Roads Agency, which (as the BBC report mentions) is in the hands of the solicitors.
     
  8. triassic

    triassic Member

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    Did I say it did?
     
  9. Roger Dimmick

    Roger Dimmick Member

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    Then what was your point..?
     
  10. triassic

    triassic Member

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    It adds some financial background info to the reconstruction of the railway does it not? I for one was totally unaware that there were any money problems with regard to completing the railway. Paul Lewin`s public statement and the link I posted show there are/were.
     
  11. SillyBilly

    SillyBilly Member

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    It's a railway, there not being enough money is inevitable!
     
  12. ipod

    ipod Well-Known Member

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    Eh? #-o
     
  13. Pesmo

    Pesmo Member

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    This for me is really disappointing. I had started to book various accomodation for a weeks holiday in Wales in July so that I could ride the new line all the way through. I was also going to visit 5 or 6 of the ther Welsh railways and visit portmerion and various other attractions but the Welsh Highland was the main reason to go.

    Because of the uncertainty I have cancelled my bookings and will now have to re-plan my holiday for a later date. What a nuisance.............. Still no doubt there are a few other tourists / enthusiasts who will postpone or cancel their visits as well so I won't be alone. ](*,)
     
  14. SpudUk

    SpudUk Well-Known Member

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    Helloooo, just jumping in at the end to ask a question!

    Does aaaaaaall this mean that the line is essentially finished and fine, but there is an issue with the signalling and therefore they are unsure whether the whole line, from Harbour to Caernarfon, will be open when they first thought? As from what I understood the line was all but completed!

    Also, will through running, from Blaenau to Caernarfon, ever happen, knowing the difference in loading gauge between the Ffestiniog and WHR, or will Harbour act as a junction? Also, will regular services use the CTRL and Cambrian Crossing or will this only be special services and will the regular trains stop further along?
     
  15. SillyBilly

    SillyBilly Member

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    No, there is still a LOT of fetteling to do along the whole of Phase 4, the Rhyd Ddu-Beddgelert section is getting there and the first HMRI inspection has taken place, but there is bound to be more jobs. Beddgelert-Porthmadog section has taken the back seat while the other section was being feteled, but there is still a small amount of track to lay, ballasting, packing, level crossings. Pont Croesor still has traffic lights on it!

    It is very likely that a through train from Blaenau to Caernarfon to take place at some point, I'd expect it would be a rake of Ffestiniog coaches with a loco change at Porthmadog, but not often. Porthmadog Harbour will be the terminus for both lines, there is a new full WHR train platform to go in when the cob has been widened (either next winter or the following winter) to remove the need for a station pilot. As you may have realised from my previous post, CTRL and Cae Pawb will be in constant use, no other route to Porthmadog Harbour!
     
  16. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    Can someone please enlighten me? I thought the planning permission said that operations must be over whole section down to Porthmadog as running to Beddgelert would cause parking problems in the village.

    John
     
  17. ipod

    ipod Well-Known Member

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    I think this has something to do with wording and a loophole. I think trains can terminate at Beddgelert once the railway is complete through to Porthmadog. The proposed operations for this season is perhaps not quite what the SNPA had in mind but as I see it the wording is a little messed up.
     
  18. Ben Fisher

    Ben Fisher Member

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    Just to clarify: the agreement with the Snowdonia National Park Authority was that the railway would not open another terminus within the National Park (meaning in addition to Rhyd Ddu) until track reached Porthmadog. So not really a loophole, it's a condition that's been fulfilled to the letter, and it means that opening to Beddgelert is now on. The railway has continued to state that Beddgelert will be promoted as a destination rather than a point for starting journeys, precisely because of the limited parking in the village at peak times (the main car park was enlarged a few years ago in anticipation of reopening, but peak demand has already caught up); no doubt we'll see how this will be communicated when the Summer timetable leaflet comes out.
     
  19. nanstallon

    nanstallon Part of the furniture

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    Thanks, friends, for that clarification. I was a bit worried that WHR could end up with nothing public beyond Rhydd Ddu this summer.

    John
     

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