Not a rail in sight!

[The Real 4778]

Not to mention why would you spend money on materials earlier than you need to, that would inflate the cost of the job.

But would it also inflate the cost of the job to have to dig up the road twice?

It's treated as a completely separate task.  Moving utilities requires repeated excavations to a variety of depths, different angles and lengths of run.  Putting the rails in is a much more standard process: linear, fairly regular depth and almost a seamless process.

[RW]

Surely it will be necessary to resurface the route before track laying. The route is a mass of reinstatements of various quality following the ongoing utilities work. I assume a consistent road surface will be necessary to lay tack minus the inevitable dips and bumps?

[The Real 4778]

Surely it will be necessary to resurface the route before track laying. The route is a mass of reinstatements of various quality following the ongoing utilities work. I assume a consistent road surface will be necessary to lay tack minus the inevitable dips and bumps?

That's what I was referring to really.  The entire surface will be re-made including the track elements, as a separate enterprise from the utility relocations. 

Having been involved with moving utilities on several occasions I can assure readers it is by no means a straightfoward task, with many unforeseen issues cropping up, for example things not as drawn, or being encountered when not even shown on the drawings provided.

[Gareth]

Looking at one of the timescales involved for the Metro extension, a lot of the work won't even start until 2014 anyway, so there is still a way to go before we see any track work.
I'm led to believe its all running on time and as planned.

[Kevin]

Taking far too long for a short extension, if this was Manchester or Rotterdam (not entirely sure why I picked those two examples) we'd have a reasonable network by now

[RW]

Looking again at the publically available construction phases map the section from where the extension diverges from the existing line just beyond St Paul's to the beginning of Bull St and the curve at the junction of Bull St and Corporation St is still shown as work starting in April 2013. So now into a 3rd planned construction month and still apparently waiting on street works to be completed. Might help if some of the street works actually had personnel working on them. The new terminus in Stephenson street is the only section that seems to be making progress on the ground. Elsewhere it's materials and the odd, apparently 'abandoned', excavation. You heard it here first. Delayed completion date!

[RW]

So there has at last been some activity even if it is only work on a rather innocuous boundary fence parallel to the existing tramway approach to Snow Hill. Now we have to wait and see what goes on inside the fence!

[RW]

Balfour Beatty flag now flying at track level at Snow Hill and some 'inspection' activity on the Great Charles Street bridge today. Scaffolding also now erected providing access from the BB compound to track level. Things starting to happen!

[RW]

FYI - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1502849&page=46

Excellent site for news and photos of work on the extension. Unfortunately someone used 'photo bucket', whatever that is, for the latest photos and all an ipad will show is a list of icons. No actual photos. Very disappointing/frustrating. Stick with flicker or similar.

[Stuharris 6360]

Saw on BBC text earlier that the first of the new rails have been laid, anybody any idea where this was?

[John]

Saw on BBC text earlier that the first of the new rails have been laid, anybody any idea where this was?

They are at the top of Upper Bull Street, behind the white fences

[RW]

Just back from 3 weeks holiday and surprise, surprise still 'not a rail in sight'! Given that according to the project timeline some 'extension' work was scheduled to commence in May, which now looks unlikely, how long before there are 'whispers' about  the completion date being put back?
Any thoughts?

".....,,completion date being put back?" Not just rumours any more. You heard it here first months ago. Was inevitable given the slow rate of progress at various stages and the frequent lack of personnel on site.

[Kevin]

".....,,completion date being put back?" Not just rumours any more. You heard it here first months ago. Was inevitable given the slow rate of progress at various stages and the frequent lack of personnel on site.

Apparently they're blaming Grand Central works

[Adam 404]

If this kind of extension happened in Manchester, it would have been done ages ago!

[Stuharris 6360]

So when is the extension opening, 2016, 17, 18?