Werrington Junction Upgrade 4th-7th June 2021

[@neilcharlton456]

Thank you for continuing your record of this work. Like the King's Cross realignment, these really big projects that are complex in planning and in on-site engineering are interesting as a historical record and useful for students and others wanting to see how Project Management is carried out..people on site, supervision of staff and allocation of tasks, equipment, tools, , errors and unexpected things on site and of course THE WEATHER ! Sea wall work at Dawlish ( Devon) has also been recorded carefully, even during 2020 lockdown.

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Neil for the positive comments. It has been really interesting recording this project although the two star players, the dive under and box jack have been inaccesible from public viewing.

[@neilcharlton456]

Network Rail need to put more video up to show the dive-under in more detail, how the jacking works etc as this is a very unusual job.

[@mikehindson-evans159]

Thank you for the patience (in all weathers) to record this for posterity. I could definitely bear to come back to watch more of this work. Thanks once again.

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Mike. I am not sure how many more videos of this project there will be as it is coming to an end, completion is due by the 1st November. Track is being laid thoughout this month but most of the visible parts are hidden away in the dive under. I unfortunately missed the start of the track laying but my good friend manage to capture part of it on the Sunday morning. It is well worth viewing his video at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5bdnYx3hrplbpI

[@douglasirons1350]

Thank you for doing this video. Great to see the track changes. Will be interesting to see the next installment. Cheers Doug

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you for watching Douglas, hope you can follow the progress ok from these Upgrade videos.

[@johnlaw3323]

Great video giving us chance to see this huge project. Many thanks for making and sharing these videos.

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you John, it is always nice to have positive comments.

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

Excellent video - I did something similar for the Stevenage Turnback last year and know how much waiting around there is between events, and most of the events are in the early hours too. Subscribed for the next up date :)

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you for watching Malcolm. Very true about waiting for something to happen. I try to create a story of the whole event but it is not always possible to be there all day which happened this time, luckily my friend did the ballasting clips which helped out.

[@alangildersleve2185]

Thanks for these it's interesting to see the developments when you can't get there yourself. 😀

[@werringtonjunction]

Hope it gives a feel for what goes on.

[@reggiesmith3866]

This is v interesting, please keep up the good work showing us what`s happening at Werrington Junction`s upgrade!

[@werringtonjunction]

I'll try Reggie. It has not been a kind period to be out and about for the last year or so with the covid restrictions, then a cold winter/spring this year tends to keep us oldies inside.😢

[@reggiesmith3866]

@@werringtonjunction I know exactly how you feel!!

[@geoffandsuejackson9926]

Very good record of a big rail project to alleviate an ECML bottleneck. The cost is millions which may well have been avoided if Maggie T hadn't allowed the freight line from March to Spalding to close in 1983. I wonder what Mr Portillo''s view of this is. He certainly influenced saving the Settle to Carlisle at this time but what about March - Spalding?

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you both for your interest and watching my video. It was indeed a poor descision to close the March to Spalding route as was the East Lincs line to Grimsby. I think Mr Portillo would be hard pressed to be enthusiastic about opening up a former piece of railway across the Fens to transport the ever growing imports of Chinese junk.😮

[@westyham1]

Thanks for the update, great videos

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Alexander.

[@georgesteam]

Great video. I was surprised they didn’t install the new pointwork on the Down Stamford at the same time

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you George. All of us locals were surprised the Down Stamford wasn't done at the same time considering the swiftness of installing the Up Stamford switches. There was obviously a good reason for not doing it but we are not privy to that informtion.

[@johndean4998]

Presumably the new Up Stamford (southbound) alignment is open to traffic (the temporary 20 mph speed limit sign at 24:19 suggests that it is)? - otherwise Peterborough-bound trains would have to be diverted on to the ECML, adding pressure to the already busy lines....?

[@werringtonjunction]

It was opened early Monday morning John. When the temporary Stamford lines to the west were put in the speed limit was 50mph for two weeks so it was a bit surprising this new Up Stamford was only 20mph. There is quite a bit of flange squeal on the straight section just before Cock Lane footbridge, perhaps the guage is a bit tight there.

[@johndean4998]

@@werringtonjunction Thanks for your prompt reply. I understood that it was quite normal for newly-laid track to have an initial 20 mph restriction on it whilst it bedded down, particularly as this stretch will carry heavy freight trains and has an uncambered S-bend at each end. What we need now is someone local with a video camera to capture the new line being used (hint, hint).....

[@werringtonjunction]

@@johndean4998 I'll be out as soon as I recover from being a bit under the weather. Keep a lookout on my friends channel Trackside ECML, he was out yesterday doing some video so expect something shortly kzbin.info/door/Oe_03zJEFYDNdBu56HfKeQvideos

[@johndean4998]

@@werringtonjunction Thanks, and hope you feel better soon.

[@georgesteam]

You couldn’t divert Up Stamford trains on to the ECML - no junction between Helpston and Werrington

[@markneilson6380]

Excellent footage! The Orange Army strikes again

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Mark. The Orange Army were certainly out in force this time.

[@gerrynewnham9932]

Excellent video and eager to see the next episode! Do you know if the Down Stamford is being moved closer to the new dive-under or whether it will remain on the present alignment (and avoid shifting the OHLE).

[@werringtonjunction]

The Down Stamford will stay where it is. There would be no gain for the cost involved with straightening it out, it still has to go over the maintenance tunnel at the north end and then sweep back in towards the southern ramp to clear Cock Lane footbridge.

[@arthursogaugelioneltrains5744]

Cool railroad operation 🚂🚞🚞🚞🚞🚞

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Arthurs, glad you enjoyed it.

[@paulchallenor8675]

I was assistant dayshift Signalling Tester in Charge, it was very hard work, and long weekend.

[@werringtonjunction]

I hope you have had a good rest since then Paul. I noticed there was a lot of signalling work going on all over the site. You must also do a fair amount of walking which can't be easy.

[@paulchallenor8675]

I was based in the Control Centre for the commissioning, which was at the Peterborough West Holiday Inn, so not much walking there. My next job in Anglesey will involve a lot of walking though. As a Tester in Charge we're mainly office based, planning the job in the first instance, managing the job (we had 20 Test Teams per shift out over last weekend), reviewing the testing carried out and making sure that it's complete, ensuring that the Testing Staff complete the certification etc. I'm 59 in 2 months, walking the ballast is a young person's game, though I will be doing a bit in late June and through July renewing signals in Anglesey. It's a much smaller job but it has its challenges.

[@werringtonjunction]

@@paulchallenor8675 Sounds interesting work, Anglesey is nice, and the North Wales Coast, all a bit different to the flat landscape around here.

[@ianlaw7968]

Can someone please tell me is there going to be single track or double track in under pass ? . By the way do love the vlogs

[@werringtonjunction]

Double, watch the animation in the description above.

[@akrills]

Great video and I can't wait to see more. Just one thing (as an ex teacher) it's not 'bare to watch' which means you would be naked to watch it, it's 'bear to watch' which means you can bear doing it! Sorry!

[@richardhancock2771]

What's with all the spare tyers by the trucks

[@werringtonjunction]

Those trucks have been removing spoil for months, perhaps 10+ loads each per day so I guess they go through quite a lot of tyres hauling on those roughish site roads.

[@12crepello]

Class 180 stopping out of course? Didn't think this was allowed without a valid reason?

[@werringtonjunction]

I don't know what was going on. It slowed to a stop at Werrington Junction, was stationary for a couple of minutes then started off again. There didn't appear to be anything wrong when it passed me.

[@KoziTV007]

Super 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@werringtonjunction]

Only twelve thumbs! I'll try to do better next time.😄

[@MrBook123456]

good work

[@werringtonjunction]

Thank you Darren.

[@carolinebarnes2009]

Why is the other not electrified?

[@werringtonjunction]

The electrified Down Stamford also acts as the Down ECML Slow line from Peterborough to Helpston Junction, where the Stamford Lines continue un-electrified and the ECML becomes four track going north as far as Stoke Tunnel.

[@andyc3088]

Still using the bailey bridge designed during the second world war

[@werringtonjunction]

It has certainly stood the test of time and served a useful purpose at this site during construction of the new Lincoln Road bridge.

[@VespaT5]

I didn't realise I was supposed to be naked to watch this video, perhaps you should put the instruction 'bare to watch' at the beginning of the video. 🤣

[@librarian16]

I don't bare to watch - I keep my clothes on. :-)

[@werringtonjunction]

Shhhhh! I didn't want to upset the bears. 🐻🐻🐻 we like trains, and porridge.

[@librarian16]

@@werringtonjunction I have heard that there are videos that encourage viewers to bare before or while they watch - but they don't show Werrington Junction. 😊