|"Jamie Thompson" wrote in message
...
|On Mar 6, 1:10 am, Charles Ellson wrote:
On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 12:11:04 -0800 (PST), Jamie Thompson


I would've imagined that running
between Buckingham and Quainton road would've been a good line length
to operate, with little operational railway concerns.

There would be several level crossings. :-(
|
|Whilst I'm well aware that 80-odd years have passed since it was
|closed, I was of the impression that one of the first thing to Met did
|when they bought the line was to replace the level crossings with
|bridges - something NR can't even manage on it's mainlines to this
|day? Say what you want about the old Met Railway...but they knew how
|to invest through engineering
|

*All* the level crossings?

Every last one?

Even the footpath and accommodation (provided for access to property cut off
by the railway construction) crossings?

There are an incredible number of these - I live a few hundred yards the
"London" side of Ashurst New Forest station and there are at least three
footpath crossings within a mile of my house. Most people travelling
through here by train don't even know they are there unless they notice the
train horn as they approach them. There is also one old road level crossing
which has been replaced by two bridges (the "new" [c1985] A326 to the west
and a footbridge in the "new" estates to the east) - two road crossings if
you include the one in Ashurst itself which was replaced in the 1930s by the
current A35 bridge. I believe there was also a footpath crossing within 100
yards of my house which was closed about 40 years ago when the "new" part of
Peterscroft Avenue was built.

To replace all the level crossings is a nice idea but would be ruinously
expensive unless we were to accept that a number of little used public
rights of way would have to be cut. In some cases there are considerations
which make it practically impossible. There is a level crossing in the
centre of Totton which would have been replaced many years ago, but the
necessary approach embankments for a bridge would require the demolition of
nearly every property in Junction Road. No realistic alternative alignment
exists nearby so this level crossing, which is extremely inconvenient for
local traffic as well as providing an element of risk to the railway,
remains.

If I can produce all this lot for just 4 route miles of the Bournemouth main
line, imagine how many there must be over Network Rail.
--
- Yokel -

"Yokel" posts via a spam-trap account which is not read.