Radio 4 Broadcast on Barking to Gospel Oak Freight Vibrations

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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on August 18, 2012 at 20:00

more here on the BBC website  

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Permalink Reply by Kamila on August 24, 2012 at 18:03

Fascinating - as one who has the railway at the bottom of the garden.  However, it's in a cutting and so although we have vibrations they aren't that bad.  Was shocked to visit a neighbour the other day where the railway isn't in a cutting and it does really shake her house badly.  Glad that the outcome is that some monitoring is taking place.

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Permalink Reply by 0au62mcjc4khe on August 25, 2012 at 10:26

I finally got round to listening to this piece from Beeb R4, and it is interesting listening.  The Gospel Oak - Barking line has been a 'Poor Relation' for the last 30 years.  Even now, with its first genuinely new passenger trains since 1959, as since 1970 the trains have always been operated with someone else's cast-offs.  Nevertheless the track leaves something to be desired in some places. 

Notwithstanding the 'Bad Vibrations' experienced by these good people living close to the line in Walthamstow, I am worried by the state of the track at Crouch Hill.  Stand at the bridge end of Platform 1, that's the 'to Gospel Oak' side, and look carefully at the track under the bridge when a Barking bound train pulls in; it moves!

This happens not only when heavy freights with the chunky Canadian built Class 66 freight diesel locos pass, but also when the little 2-car passenger diesel trains pull in.  The problem here is the sub-strata under the track has become wet and boggy; it's called a 'Wet Spot'.  Cause - lack of adequate maintenance and poor drainage.  But it is not a high speed line so it is not a high prority.  And it needs a Sunday posession to take up the bad section of track, dig out the soil underneath, renew the drainage, put down new ballast, etc., etc.  A lot of hassle for something that is a nuisance, but not really a danger on slow speed straight track.

I would be interested to take a closer look at the track from Blackhorse Road thhrough the cutting to Walthamstow to see what it is really like.  Some has been relaid and looks very good, but will it all stand a close inspection, like the section at Crouch Hill.

Since the railway has been there for over 100 years, Network Rail will doubless say well you knew about the railway when you bought the house, etc.  This is a difficult one as Network Rail need to be pushed for their maintenance records, and if there is a problem, evidently there appears to be one, go back to the drawing board and review the track maintenance for this section of railway.

Incidentally the number of freights rising from 12 to just 16 per day according to the chap from, that's 16 each way so 32 altogether.  But this is the minimum.  When the North London Line was blocked for the big bang upgrade, there were many more, double that number at least!  When the new London Gateway Terminal opens late next year, just east of Stanford le Hope, you can then double that figure permanently, and that was planned.  There will be very limited capacity to take any trains through Stratford, so it will come our way, and without electrification, more chunky class 66 diesels, bringing us more yet 'Good Vibrations', or rather for those affected, bad vibrations.

There is a lot more to this problem, and it will be a lot of hard work to get Network Rail to not only give us the facts, but also act to remediate the problem, and working out the best way to tackle it.

My colleague Glenn Wallis, who speaks in the Beeb piece, and I, will monitor carefully.  Most important, take a note of when the bad vibes occur so NR can identify the train, the operator, and see if there is any pattern.  Some train types apparently seem worse than others.  Gives Trainspotting a whole new meaning!

Richard P Secretary, BGOLUG.

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