East West Railway Company (EWR Co) has begun the first phase of ground investigations along the proposed route between Oxford and Cambridge – with fossils including sharks’ teeth from the dinosaur age unearthed in early soil samples.
The work aims to ensure the new railway is designed and built in an environmentally sustainable, safe and cost-effective way. By allowing detailed information about soil, rock, and groundwater conditions to be gathered, the ground investigations aim to reduce risk and the amount of potential land needed for the railway, and prevent delays to the project.
Soil samples taken along the planned East West Rail route have so far unearthed fossils including sharks’ teeth and ammonites – marine creatures from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods which became extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs.*
The ground investigations are expected to take several weeks to complete. As part of the work, EWR Co has been working closely with landowners to ensure a smooth and efficient way of conducting the investigations, which include returning each site to its original condition after the work has been completed.**
EWR Co is committed to minimising disruption to local communities during the investigations with contractors adhering to strict health and safety procedures. Despite only requiring access to each site for a short period of time, the teams have been implementing impact reduction measures such as laying temporary trackways to prevent mud on roads, ensuring bio-security risks are minimised, along with scheduling work during daytime hours to reduce impacts further.
Three techniques will be employed as part of the work – cable percussion boreholes, rotary boreholes and trial pits – which will be used to collect soil samples and assess ground conditions. Boreholes will be drilled to a maximum depth of 40m, although most will be between 10m and 20m below ground level.
To provide further insight into the ground investigation process, EWR Co has produced a video which aims to provide better public understanding of the work being undertaken and its importance in the development of the East West Rail project.
Neil Esslemont, Engineering Specialist – Geotechnical at EWR Co, said: “We need to understand the ground conditions to allow us to construct the railway safely and in an efficient manner. By understanding the ground conditions thoroughly, we can design the railway to be cheaper to build, so we spend less taxpayers’ money on construction. And partly it’s a risk management exercise. If we understand what’s here, then we’re reducing the risk that we need to deal with during the construction phase.”
David Bray, Programme Director at EWR Co, said: “These ground investigations are a vital early step in designing a railway that is not only safe and reliable, but also respectful of the local environment and communities it will serve. By understanding the ground conditions in detail, we can make better-informed decisions about where and how we build – helping us to reduce environmental impact, manage costs and deliver a railway that works for everyone.”
For more information about the ground investigations and to view the explanatory video, please visit: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/gi2025
Image credit: EWR
