Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

As I said above
"A lot of it is down to commercial positions, but I've yet to see the paying party do better..."
In that circumstance, why would a cost-plus contract be any better for the Employer?

 

If the choice is fixed price vs. cost plus, then I agree. But other models exist as well - in the IT world, time and materials is common.

I'm far from convinced that, where information is incomplete, fixed price does get the best value as too much risk needs to be added in - and where it isn't, it comes through as the contractor's inability to deliver.

 

Fortunately for the GCR the fire was on the side of the building furthest away from the railway. I hope no airborne burning debris landed on the rolling stock in the sidings.

 

Sad about the Shepshed Lace factory, a prominent backdrop to the railway from the Great Central Road bridge. There's online speculation someone wants the site for housing... probably best not to discuss beyond that one-liner here. I hope the facade survives at least.

Going back to the 'gap' and drawing parallels, most of the big projects I've worked on have been on time and on budget. The only slight complication is that the programmes and budgets keep shifting as the projects go along...

 

I'm fully aware of different models, and in lots of years of doing this lark, I've come accross precisely one client who was prepared to invest properly in anything other than fixed price. Incomplete information is a sign you shouldn't be building it.
Anyway, let's hope the GCR get it built.

 

That's not automatically a bad thing, any well-organised project should have contingency, it's when it's uncontrolled that it's an issue.

 

Indeed. Civils seems a lot more mature in this regard than IT...

 

We have plenty of our own ways to foul it up, and we share a belief that cheaper is always better and wonder why it doesn't work...

 

Could this provide an opportunity to acquire sufficient land for a new shed?

Too expensive I would imagine! Plus, providing rail access really problematic.

Think I've just answered my own question.

 

Latest update.......

 

Thanks for posting Johann.
Great news to see that the ground investigation work has started. Very ironic given that the Midland Main Line electrification has again been "paused" /stopped at "nearly" Leicester! There will be steam locomotives going over the MML before electric trains go along at Loughborough...

 

If you really want to turn the knife, get some 1500v dc overhead and run electric trains over the MML whilst running a steam train along it...[1]

[1] this may not be entirely serious proposal...

 

A view from the end of the canal bridge yesterday morning looking towards the MML bridge with one of the soil sample rigs visible.



You can wander into that area from the canal towpath as there is a very well worn footpath leading into it, and, off the bottom of the shot, there are some people living in a tent on what will be the course of the new viaduct!

 

That rig is where the Severn Trent Combined Sewer outflow is situated (the grey railings fencing it off) This is to have a short bridge which is to allow maintenance vehicles to go under the railway I believe.

 

Another video update.........

 

Thanks for posting Johann - these up to date videos are really informative and show how our money is being spent...and why it is such a complex project. Far more than I, and I suspect most other people, have realised.

 

Well the drilling rigs etc have left the site but there are various long term measuring devices (Those short blue capped tubes) along the route to monitor the water levels and any gas discharges I believe. This process and the analysis will have cost about £250,000. Next is the detailed design of the foundations and structures.

 

Nobody seems to have spotted this..... https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/news/great-central-railway-reunification-so-what-next/

I only found out this morning as a photo of this handout was posted on one of the GC related Facebook pages!

 

Video update/appeal..........

 

There is good news re the "Gap" project, that the ground investigations have confirmed that there are no significant problems along the route with good ground rock 15 - 20m below the alluvial deposits.
There is a report on the GCR website.