THE PROJECT by Network Rail to construct a new tunnel beneath the East Coast Main Line (ECML) at Werrington, north of Peterborough, reached a significant point in midjuly when new trackwork was connected to the Stamford lines. The Werrington dive-under is being constructed as part of the £1.2bn East Coast Upgrade project, designed to increase capacity along the ECML and address some of the bottlenecks affecting services using the busy corridor.
The Werrington project will allow slower-moving freight services, travelling between Peterborough and Lincoln on the Great North Great Eastern (GNGE) line to pass beneath the ECML, rather than needing to cross it, which can cause delays to passenger services when trains need to be held at signals while the freight trains clear the section of line. The project will help to improve capacity on the ECML, allowing additional services to be scheduled.
In January, the world’s longest single underground jacked structure – an 11,000-tonne curved concrete box – was slid into place over a nine-day period.
Since then, work has been progressing on the installation of trackwork and signalling on the new section of line, without causing major disruptions to services on the ECML.
On the weekend of July 17/18 engineers connected the new trackwork to the existing Stamford lines as the project nears completion. Work on the Werrington dive-under route is expected to be completed over the summer and should be brought into use later this year.
The work at Werrington follows the earlier project to improve capacity around London King's Cross station, which was another part of the East Coast Upgrade project.
Heavy engineering works – including track replacement, signalling upgrades and station modernisation – are being carried out in the Horsham area, resulting in the closure of the entire Arun Valley line from Arundel Junction to Three Bridges and from Horsham to Dorking. In addition to three weekend complete line closures there will be no train services on the route for nine days between August 14-22.
This view, north of Horsham, shows the sidings that accommodate various track machines and in the background the Thameslink stock sidings.
Above that is the line from Horsham to Dorking (and beyond) and taking that route is a Class 377 12-car formation forming the 10.04 Horsham to London Victoria. On the right the lines to Three Bridges pass in front of the disused 1938-built Grade II listed Southern Railway art-deco signalbox. John Vaughan
The use of drone photography to capture new angles on our railway is growing in popularity, providing a bird's-eye view of our rail network. An unidentified Hull Trains Class 802 ‘Paragon’ works 1A94 12:33 Hull to King's Cross service having emerged from Peascliffe Tunnel, near Grantham on July 1. Paul Clark
Freightliner’s 66557 hauls a London Gateway to Leeds FLT service, passing the new Werrington Grade Separation on the Great North Great Eastern route on July 2. The Werrington dive-under project has been built to allow these slowermoving freight services to be diverted underneath the East Coast Main Line, rather than needing to cross it. Hayden Sheppard
On July 11, engineers were installing the concrete sleepers to the south ramp, leading to the central section of the ‘dive-under’. As work is carried out an LNER Azuma passes the worksite. Hayden Sheppard