29th January

Didn't have a lot of time this weekend to visit the site with the tax return deadline looming.  Tax is taxing no matter what they say!  I went via the Icknield Way and took the first shot from there looking towards the site compound. Not a lot of change as far I could see. 

This shot shows the haul road winding its way towards the existing Cambridge line with a train passing.  I was in Wilbury Way during the week and saw half a dozen lorries loaded with hardcore on this road.  Guess it will all have to be removed when the work is complete.

Turning the other way, the haul road passes through the new gates into the sewage treatment works towards the mainline and the gas works.

Moving back to the other side of the main line, I found out what the yellow pipe is for.  It is a gas main diversion that has to be done before the main work can start.  It is now in a trench.  This shows it passing over a drainage channel that emerges from under the embankment. 

This shows the other end where it meets the existing pipe that appears from under the embankments.  In an earlier picture of bridge two of the Bedford branch, the main that is being diverted can be seen passing over the River Hiz 

 A digger and dumper had been busy removing the Bedford embankment.  Sad to see this as it was only recently revealed but I guess this is progress.  The earth covering is actually quite thin as the revealed chalk shows.  It is a wonder such large trees grew and thrived there.   From the peg markings this will happen all the way back to the bridge.  The spoil from this is being stored on the triangle to the left as the bottom photo shows.

 A shot back towards the scrapyard from Bedford embankment (through the new permanent security fence)

Photo of the "landfilled" triangle with the spoil heap.  The ground is pretty well churned up now.