Hitchin Grade Separation: The old and the new - Mayflower steams over the Hitchin flyover on 8th March 2015

Having learned that today would be the first opportunity to see a steam train travel over the Hitchin flyover and poppy bank, I went down to have a look. This was the Railway Touring Company's Easterling tour to Lowestoft with 61306 Mayflower in charge. On the way down I took a couple of pictures of the settlement pond with its planting of trees to replace those removed during the construction.

Looking towards the River Hiz, very little vegetation has established itself yet.

Looking back from the river bank towards the viaduct.

I then moved up on to the higher triangle of land between the East Coast mainline and the former Bedford line.to await the arrival of Mayflower. There were quite a few other people already waiting. Mayflower can be seen just approaching the viaduct.

Now Mayflower is on the viaduct with the rest of the train partially obscured by the steam.

At this point it can be seen crossing the mainline.

Now almost at the end of the viaduct about to move on to poppy bank.

Moving right on to the embankment section known as Poppy Bank because the sides were covered in poppies the week the line went in to service.

Interestingly if you zoom in here, you can actually see the quadcopter of my good friend, Marcus Dawson who was taking a video on the other side of the mainline. I have put a link to his video at the end.

Zooming in again, you can see the steam trail as Mayflower enters the deep cutting on the approach to Letchworth.

I took a few more shots while I was there. This one shows a Govia service in the latest livery crossing the mainline.

With the benefit of trees without any leaves, you can appreciate how much of a curve there is on the viaduct.

Here a Virgin East Coast service passes under the viaduct with partial Virgin livery on the locomotive.

Again the bare trees let you see the embankment of the former Bedford line quite clearly. Looking across from the side of the mainline.

Now the public footpath has been reopened, you can walk right alongside the viaduct. There has been some tree planting on the reinstated Bedford line embankment. Before the work started it was very densely covered. A couple of Govia services passed over in quick succession. The first in new livery.