New development

Yesterday, several lorry loads of site fencing were seen heading on to the Bury Mead Springs conservation area.  As I suspected, workmen in orange jackets have started fencing off the Bedford line embankment so I guess that access will be limited now.  I am pleased I was able to photograph the area before this happened.  I will visit the site again at the weekend.

Saturday 19th November

Very little change from last week.  The works compound is a little more advanced but apart from that everything is pretty much as it was.   I spoke with a contact from the Countryside Management Services who look after the Bury Mead Springs conservation area which includes Gerry's Hole.  They were told that they were not allowed to enter the area after the 1st October for up to two years.  They will have a lot of catching up to do afterwards.    They (Network Rail) are apparently going to create a settlement lagoon to take the run-off from the viaduct to prevent any contamination entering the marshes and subsequently the River Hiz.  Whilst there I took a few more photos of Grove Road and Bury Mead Road.

This one is for a now and then comparison of the one I posted earlier.  The trees on the right are  bigger now and obscure the arch that the River Hiz runs under.  A recent addition which is hard to make out are railings across the bridge.   Strangely there have always been railings on the other side but these ones have only appeared in the last year.  Sadly there is graffiti on the right which Network Rail have removed more than once.  This bridge is much larger than the next one South in Cambridge Road because it once carried the four main lines and the two Bedford branch lines.  Interestingly there are only two arches this side but four on the other former Great Northern side.  I am guessing the Midland added their bit to the existing bridge and were more cost conscious by only building what was necessary. 

This is a shot looking North from Grove Road along the embankment.  I expect that tree clearance will commence here soon.  The fence on the right is also relatively new possibly in anticipation of the forthcoming works.  It extends as far as the Sewage Treatment Works which can be seen top left.

This was taken further along Bury Mead Road and looks across the Shanks waste transfer station in the foreground with the sewage works behind.

Gerry's Hole

Where the former Bedford branch crossed the Icknield Way, one finds the curiously named Gerry's Hole.  This was actually a borrow where material was taken to create the adjacent embankment.  Last Saturday it was virtually dry which is quite unusual.  Pity it wasn't dry the night Gerry returned that way from the pub!

More photos from 12th November

 Photo taken from the Icknield Way bridge looking towards the field behind the hedgerow in the centre  where the viaduct will cross towards the main line.  The line of trees to the right is the solum of the former Bedford branch.

 Shot of the main line.  The viaduct will cross somewhere behind the fourth set of staunchions.  This will be a good vantage point as work progresses.

Field to the South of the Icknield Way with a row of blue markers denoting what will be the embankment that will follow the viaduct.  Running across the picture in the distance is the existing Cambridge line.

The same field but further to the right.  The orange markers are the edge of the works.  In the distance a digger and cabin can be seen.  This is the main work site compound under construction.

Back at the start, I took this photo from where I think the photo on my earlier post was taken.  Looking back towards Hitchin along the track bed of the Bedford branch just North of bridge three at E and S metals.  Rather overgrown but still walkable up to the parapet of the bridge.  Next photo shows the view across the gap where the bridge was.  There is no access to the other side as this is well and truly fenced off.

Site survey 12th November

The weather was glorious today so I took the opportunity to visit the site of the forthcoming works.   I started my visit in Cadwell Lane by the entrance to the Gas Works.  The opportunity to do this must surely be limited as this will be a major work site and will be closed off soon.  There was a sign on the public footpath saying that it was closed between two points which were not that clear on the map.  There was evidence of the preliminary works and I took quite a few pictures.  I walked as far as the Icknield Way and crossed the main line.  I could see that the farmer's field off Stotfold Road had markers showing the route as far as the existing Cambridge line embankment.

The photo at the top shows where the viaduct will run at the extreme right of the photo as it moves off the line of the former Bedford branch.  The photo at the bottom shows the footpath closure notice.

 Looking back towards the scrap yard there is a blue marker on the bottom of the embankment and evidence of what appears to be drainage work.

Looking the other way the markers continue.  I think they must mark the centre line of the viaduct.

Moving up on to the "landfill" site, there are a cluster of markers.  On closer inspection they mark the line of a gas main.  The former Bedford line runs to the left and the main line is behind the trees on the right.

The blue markers continue up to the point where the viaduct will cross the main line.

Some more older photos from 1964

Five more photos of the Bedford branch from 1964

View back towards Hitchin over the E and S Metals Bridge.  On the right are the buffers marking the end of the headshunt from the old Midland goods yard.  This was originally the down line to Bedford when the line double track

View closer to Hitchin station over the Grove Road bridge. The branch line embankment has started to descend away from the main line.  Ransom's recreation ground can be seen middle right.  Today this part of the embankment is completely overgrown by trees.  It will be interesting to see what it looks like when they are cleared.  I work opposite and should have a good view of the work as it progresses.  When I first started work the embankment was relatively clear of vegetation and the descending branch line could clearly be seen.  My father was a firefighter and said that steam trains regularly started fires on the embankment which prevented anything growing.  Forty odd years later the unchecked growth has all but blocked the view of the main line.

Stop sign on the running line to Bedford preventing any train movements in that direction.  The line between Hitchin and Shefford had been closed and lifting was imminent.

An interesting view of the Grove Road Bridge.  Note the absence of any electrification gantries and traffic lights on the junction.  After crossing this bridge, the new line will have to start ascending rather than descending to gain height to cross the main line.

Finally a view from the branch line bridge by E and S metals towards the main line bridge.  Not particularly interesting but it shows the gap between the two lines at this point.

Some older photos

First photo shows the ECML bridge furthest away and the Bedford branch line nearest to the camera.  This was taken in 1964 not long after final closure of the line.  The track was still in place.  The lines shared an embankment at this point  but the bridges were separate as the branch line was at a lower level.  Shortly after this, the Bedford line parted from the main line as it continued north west while the main line curved north .  This is the point where the viaduct that will carry the Cambridge bound line over the main line starts.
 
The second photo shows the main line bridge and the abutments of the Bedford line bridge in 2005.  The E and S Metals (Sita) scrap yard is being forced to close because of the rail works.  Where the two lines parted, there was a triangle of land cut off by the railway.  In the 1980's this was used as a "landfill" site for waste even though this was the natural level of the ground.   The triangle is level to the top of the Bedford line embankment which has effectively disappeared and a bit below the main line embankment.  The viaduct will have to cross this ground and presumably will cause them a few problems.

Opening post

I hope to follow progress of the upcoming work at Hitchin to create the flyover to take the Cambridge line over the East Coast Main Line.  I will endeavour to take photos as the work progresses.  This weekend I will take photos to show how it is now before the area is closed off.  I will post these on the blog.