Evergreen Moor Street

Rail News has reported that work has commenced on reconnecting terminus platforms at Birmingham Moor Street to the national network, http://rail-news.com/2010/01/08/chiltern-railways-applies-for-evergreen-3-twa/.

The works take place just under a year since an application was submitted to cover the reconnection of two of the three bay platforms at Moor Street Station and the provision of two sidings, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2009/03/camp-hill-moor-street-and-chiltern.html.

A diagram of the proposed track layout:


The plans submitted in 2009 reveal the following details regarding the reconnection:
(i) the connection of two of the three terminal platforms to the network, each of which will be capable of accommodating 8x23 metre cars
(ii) the creation of two carriage sidings over the viaduct towards Bordesley, each to be capable of accommodating 8x23 metre cars with associated staff walkways
(iii) the track, signalling and structures work required to facilitate the above – including repairs to the currently disused part of the viaduct south of the station to make it capable of carrying trains.

The reconnection will also allow for Chiltern Railways to operate commuter services to Snow Hill during peak time and services for shoppers and visitors to Moor Street for off peak times.

Chiltern is seeking to divert some of the trains to terminate at the bay platforms at Moor Street, Mondays to Fridays off peak, 10 Up and 11 Down; Saturdays 9 Up and 11 Down; and Sundays 10 Up and 10 Down, http://birminghamcentral.blogspot.com/2009/03/camp-hill-moor-street-and-chiltern.html.

Meanwhile Rail News also reports that Chiltern Railways has applied for a Transport and Works Act to undertake its Evergreen 3 project following the earlier phases which saw 18 miles of track doubled between Bicester and Aynho and the addition of 2 platforms at London Marylebone and an increase in line speed and additional signals. Evergreen 3 will see a new Oxford to Marylebone service introduced; a new station at Water Eaton and a short chord constructed to connect the main Chiltern line to London Marylebone should allow for 2 London-Oxford services each hour in each direction from 2013. If plans move ahead well and there are no delays from a likely planning inquiry it is hoped to open the route as soon as possible, ideally before 2013.

The £250m investment is part of a required package to confirm Chiltern’s right to keep operating from London Marylebone until 2021 and is the first new rail route between London and a UK city in a century, http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b8d1196e-0161-11df-8c54-00144feabdc0.html.

The Evergreen project should also reduce journey times for passengers travelling between Birmingham and London.

Chiltern, owned by Germany’s state-run Deutsche Bahn, is also working on improvements to its main line, which links Marylebone with Birmingham via High Wycombe.
The improvements, some of which will be complete in time for December’s timetable change, will see the shortest London to Birmingham journey time cut by 25 minutes to one hour 32 minutes. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b8d1196e-0161-11df-8c54-00144feabdc0.html

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