17 January - Abbey Wood station rises from the mud
It was a noisy evening in Coptefield Drive with Crossrail dumping and moving ballast on the adjacent North Kent line but it didn’t go on
all night as far as I am aware, however for those living in Abbey Terrace at the
western end of the station platform there would have been little sleep.
Abbey
Terrace residents faced the choice of a flood or a pump running all night after a Thames Water supply pipe was fractured at the
end of their road, presumably by the constant passage of heavy vehicles.
It’s two weeks since
the last photo feature on Crossrail
and despite the rain, progress has once again been rapid.
Since the piling rigs reappeared on the northern side of the track on 29th
December 44 piles have been driven into the ground. The southern side which is
currently about a month ahead has seen the first station support wall rise
from the concrete base laid on 30th December.
At present it is no more than the reinforcing steel shrouded by
German made shuttering.
The concrete pour is due in the week beginning 25th January.
The platform edge stones have been laid and the number of spirit levels in use
suggest that the water filled saucer that Southeastern and Connex were happy to use as a
platform for the past 30 years will not make a reappearance.
If you compare the pictures taken of the platform area on 12th January with
those from the 13th you will see that the third rail is now in place there as
well as to the west.
The new practice of uploading photographs as they are taken instead of
weekly or fortnightly in arrears has paid dividends. One of Balfour Beattie’s
senior men was able to take a Christmas and New Year holiday and monitor the
timely arrival of materials and equipment from his overseas hotel room and
avoided possibly annoying telephone enquiries.
Abbey Wood progress 4th to 17th January. (97 images. 8MB)
Recent trackside work east of Abbey Wood station. (13 images. 1MB)
The next Crossrail photo feature will make an appearance on 31st January.