King’s Cross heads Christmas engineering upgrades

NETWORK Rail completed a major programme of engineering works between Christmas and New

Year 2020, with projects taking place across England, Wales and Scotland.

The most demanding works took place at King’s Cross where the £1.2 billion East Coast Upgrade continued. It involved reconstruction of the Camden Sewer, which runs underneath tracks near the station, allowing the removal of a speed restriction on the station approaches.

Tracks were also reinstated through the unused third portal of Gasworks Tunnel (previously used for the City Widened Line to Farringdon) to lead into Platforms 0-2. This is due to be brought back into use in the spring.

Elsewhere on NR’s Eastern Region, six sets of points were refurbished outside Liverpool Street station and four sets were replaced at Norwich. Switches and crossings were replaced at Colchester, and overhead wires and structures were replaced at Stratford.

On the Southern Region, track and switches and crossings were upgraded near Nine Elms.

Engineers also had to repair a section of viaduct which collapsed near Nine Elms, and repair a landslip near Wanborough station (see separate stories, pages 8-9).

Switches and crossings were also upgraded between Hook and Basingstoke and at Eastleigh West Junction; track and supporting structures at Cow Lane Bridge (near Cosham) were replaced; and timber structures on the bridge at Portcreek Junction (between Cosham and Hilsea) were replaced. Additionally, two bridge decks on the Brighton Main Line at Selsdon Road Bridge (near Croydon) were replaced by new and more resilient structures.

At Birmingham New Street, work on the station’s resignalling continued, while overhead line equipment was upgraded near Watford, Liverpool and Crewe.

A bridge was rebuilt near Stafford, while track renewals and upgrades were carried out at Aylesbury, Cheddington, Euston, Manchester and Preston.

In Scotland, junctions and track on the approach to Glasgow Central were renewed or refurbished, while at Cadder track was renewed and new points installed.

On the Western Region, track and signalling were renewed at West Cardiff.

BOTH: NETWORK RAIL. Above: Work continues over Christmas on the upgrade to approaches at King‘s Cross. A thousand workers were busy at the site over the holiday period. Right: An old sewer is removed as part of the work.