Drainage work update 15th June

I took the opportunity today to see how the drainage work was going.  It is moving much closer to completion now.  Most of the temporary fencing on the west side of the main line has gone now allowing photo opportunities from some different vantage points.

Here a much neater looking settlement pond than two weeks ago. Smooth landscaped sides with some subsoil being spread around the perimeter on top of a membrane.  Despite earlier appearances, I think it is going to look quite good when it is finished.

A closer look reveals that the water level has been higher recently but not high enough to leave by the outfall.  It has either evaporated or seeped away.  There is some planting of what could be reeds that I guess are there to help with cleaning the run off.

 The removal of the temporary site fencing allows me to take a shot from the other end of the new pond looking towards the river.

 Here is the end of the open drainage channel where it enters the link to the new pond.  Presumably there is one coming in from the other direction.

 Looking the other way the channel follows the viaduct up to the higher ground.

 Looking back from the higher ground.  When it is raining heavily there must be a mini waterfall as the channel drops down to the lower level.

 This the start of the channel.  Sadly the low fencing has resulted in more graffiti.

 Again I am amazed at how quickly nature has reclaimed the bare ground.  Even the re-instated Bedford line embankment which was more or less bare chalk is greening over.

 It is particularly thick here with thistles.

 The higher triangle of land between the two embankments is still quite sparsely covered though.

 I took this shot because it demonstrate quite well how steep the initial gradient is on the first section of the viaduct.  In the centre between the trees you can just see the main line before Hitchin North Junction.  To the right you can see how much higher the viaduct is.

 A four car service approaches the junction.

 Then moves onto the flyover.

 Now reaching the far side about to move onto the embankment section.

Zooming in as it leaves the viaduct.  

On my way out of the Bury Mead Springs area, I took a grab shot of one of the recently refurbished class 365 units in its fairly neutral colour scheme.  This will make the re-branding easier when FCC loses the franchise to Govia in September.

Drainage work starts again

I learned that work to complete the drainage channel had finally re-started so I have taken a few pictures of this area.  A small work compound has been established by the viaduct and the sheeting has been removed.

In this first picture a three car service has just moved onto the viaduct.  Water from the viaduct will fill this pond and any contamination will settle out.  Only when the level reaches the outflow link bottom right will any water move through to the river.

A closer look reveals the outflow from the viaduct drainage system.  The sheeting that has been removed is rolled up and stored on the left.

At the other end of the settlement pond, the link to the final outflow on the River Hiz has been installed.

And this is the outfall into the River Hiz which can be seen top right.

Same location showing both ends.  Riverside footpath has become really overgrown again. Fenced section the only clear part!

Not quite sure what this trench to the side is for yet.  I guess it will become apparent in due course.

This is what it looked like before the current work started.

Nature is reclaiming the cleared embankment quite quickly.  This was bare a year ago.  Two trees cut down above the bridge are re-establishing themselves.

Here are three pictures I took from the Icknield Way footbridge in March.  First shows a FCC service crossing the viaduct as it passes over the ECML.

             Now moving onto the section that passes through the redundant sewage treatment site

               Finally zooming in, you can see it it joining the Cambridge line at Hitchin East junction.  

For anyone interested, I have started a new blog covering the East West line work including Chiltern   Railways Evergreen Three Project.  This will be a longer term project as the timescales have already slipped since I started it.  I will try to do a monthly update whenever possible.

http://east-west-rail.blogspot.co.uk/