Crossrail has completed work to restore sections of the Connaught tunnel, re-flooding the Royal Docks in time for its September deadline. Overall, it will be interesting to see how Crossrail develop the site over the coming months, and how it fits into the works currently taking place at Custom House and elsewhere. These will seal out the water of the docks each side, enabling the space between to be de-watered and kept dry. Connaught Tunnel Project Manager Linda Miller said: “Works are progressing extremely well and we are on track for turning this Victorian railway tunnel into modern infrastructure that will service London well into the next century. Built in 1878, the Connaught Tunnel was part of the railway between Stratford and North Woolwich, and passed along Silvertown, beneath the passage … Scanning in this way, as the boat travels along, gives the data to build up a complete picture of the underwater zone surveyed. It is a contender for the title of biggest soft launch of a transport upgrade, certainly in recent times. SPECIALIST AREAS
Crossrail has consulted about this with the Royal Docks Management Authority and other stakeholders, and has agreed not to start these works until after the 2013 London Boat Show and to complete the work and remove the cofferdams within 6 months of commencing. The Watling Street bridge, on the A5 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, has the unenviable title of Britain’s most-bashed bridge after being struck 25... You have entered an incorrect email address! His BR experience covered track and structures, design and maintenance, followed by a move into infrastructure management. At track level, sporadic remains of the permanent way and other infrastructure can be found both without and within the tunnel. Required fields are marked *. It hasn’t been publicised. During the rail privatisation process he was a project manager setting up the Midlands Zone of Railtrack, becoming Zone Civil Engineer before moving into Railtrack HQ in London. The Iron work is still impressive. The Connaught Tunnel was built in 1878 under the Royal Docks for the North London Railway. If you are very very lucky you might just get on one of these if they have them. In between, he worked in various locations including Nottingham, Swindon, Derby and York. More likely, if such things happen, they will offer trips for professional transport bodies and family and friends. A Roman road ran through the area of the railway route, and that is believed to have been constructed on the line of a prehistoric pathway. The first photo below looks back from the beginnings of the Connaught Tunnel towards Custom House, showing the alignment of the former line. Obviously the cofferdams will preclude any boat movements between the Victoria and Royal Albert docks. The tunnel features two identical circular air vents, which can be seen on the surface as brick structures either side of the Connaught passage (photos of these can be found in the “On the Surface” section below). Given the complexity of the task as it is now understood, it would be interesting to see how the costs work out in the end compared with the likely cost of a new tunnel. These are round, brick-built structures. The identical tops to the tunnel’s vents can be seen either side of Connaught Passage. It is to be refurbished to form an essential component of the Crossrail Abbey Wood branch, the re-use of existing infrastructure being rightly seen as a positive move. The probe has a 3m range of sensitivity and was deployed in a grid pattern to ensure full site coverage. Chris is active in the ICE and PWI. This was difficult because it runs under a working dock which contains 13 million litres of water. Then, having been incorporated into the North London Line in the seventies, it was finally withdrawn from service, with the DLR’s Stratford extension taking over responsibility for passenger services in the area. Utterly fascinating read – has lots of unexpectedly current detail., . Due to the number of photos we felt warranted inclusion here this post is rather lengthy, for which we apologise in advance. Thus, in the end, the tunnels will be renewed by the same cut and cover method as was used in their original construction. http://www.londonreconnections.com/2012/a-legacy-of-iron-crossrail-connaught-and-ww2/. It doesn’t involve major new works, like the other parts of this project, rather it is nearly all about the refurbishment of Victorian infrastructure dating back over 130 years. The tender for the tunnel work is now out, and Crossrail were kind enough to invite London Reconnections to accompany them on an inspection of the tunnel – a rare opportunity to see a dormant piece of London’s railway history before it is restored to action. A single, short stretch of third rail also remains in the tunnel towards its northern end. Track is still in place at various points, with uprooted rail and infrastructure scattered around. It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising. It wasn’t tunnelled under water – the dock, and therefore the water, came later. Not only has the old tracks been lifted, but the two-bore tunnels have been merged into one. You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails. As part of the Crossrail branch to Woolwich and beyond, heading from Canary Wharf via the Limmo Peninsula, part of the the old Connaught Railway Tunnel is being reused to take the new trains beneath the Royal Docks in East London. Fortunately no UXOs were discovered. The principal contractor on the team is Vinci UK’s civil engineering division, Taylor Woodrow, whose team is led by Project Manager Richard Wall-Morris. Accessibility Statement for archaeology.crossrail.co.uk.