Cotswold line suffers double landslips
THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has spent £500,000 on rectifying a landslip which occurred on an embankment slip south of Gotherington station during the winter months, before it was scheduled to reopen on March 7.
The railway is also pursuing a claim for compensation with regards to a second landslip affecting the cutting at the north end of Greet Tunnel near Winchcombe station.
The railway suffered devastating embankment slips in 2010 at Gotherington and in 2011 at Chicken Curve, north of Winchcombe, both of which closed the line for several months at those points while repairs were effected. The railway has since invested considerably in improving drainage and embankment stabilisation throughout the length of the line.
However, the latest slip first manifested itself before Christmas and a precautionary 5mph speed restriction was enacted for the rest of the running season. Since then the slip, which fortunately is on the Up formation (the running line is on the Down of the formerly doubletrack line) has worsened, exacerbated by a particularly wet winter.
The cause is thought to be the incessant rain which followed a very dry summer. Contractors have been on site repairing the slip with a combination of soil nailing, a technique used to great effect to stabilise embankments elsewhere on the route, and sheet piling.
Railway chairman Richard Johnson said:“we expect the work to take until April or early May and unfortunately, this will make a £500,000 dent in the railway’s finances although the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust has made a significant contribution towards the cost. We are very fortunate that we were able to both secure the services of specialist contractors at short notice and that an appropriate supply of soil nails could be secured.”
The slippage caused the line south of Gotherington to be closed, but as we closed for press, it was aimed to have the embankment stabilised sufficiently for trains to pass from March 7, in time for the scheduled reopening for public services, but with a speed restriction. The following week, Cheltenham Festival National Hunt services operated by Classic Hospitality were set to run, with two trains departing Toddington each day on March 10-12 and three including one from Broadway on March 13, Gold Cup day.
The second new slip, again on the Up side of the line and not affecting the running line, has seen part of the cutting side between Winchombe and the tunnel slip towards the track.
A railway spokesman said that the cause has been established as the siting of rainwater soakaways from new houses, built on the site of the former Harvest Home pub, being placed at the bottom of the house gardens, close to the top of the cutting. Due to the rain, the soakaways have become overwhelmed, saturating the embankment and causing them and part of the gardens to collapse and slide down the slope towards the line.
A temporary repair has been effected using contractors who were working on improving the River Isbourne channel, where it passes beneath the railway north of Winchcombe station.
Richard said:“the problem has been stabilised by removing all the loose spoil and installing large concrete blocks at the bottom of the slope. This will secure it for the coming year and a permanent solution will be started next winter.
“Our claim for compensation is against the householders and their insurers and we have been working with them on this.”