NR completes big Easter programme
A LARGE programme of repairs, renewals and upgrades were undertaken by Network Rail engineers and contractors over the Easter Holiday in mid-April.
While the work may have brought disruption for some, the projects will bring longterm reliability.
Work was spread around the country, with major works taking place on the West Coast Main Line between Milton
Keynes and Euston for track improvements around Watford Junction and outside Euston.
There was also work between Coventry and Birmingham International (HS2 enabling work at Hampton-in-Arden, drainage work at Beechwood Tunnel near Berkswell, and a bridge replacement at Coventry South Junction) which meant Avanti services from Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street were diverted via Nuneaton using two five-car ‘Super Voyager’ sets. Other services from the North terminated at Milton Keynes, with passengers put on rail replacement buses.
Around Crewe, signalling and track improvements were undertaken; further north at Carnforth, ballast renewal was carried out; and at Carstairs, track renewals were completed.
At Leamington Spa, a 175-year-old cast iron bridge with a 20mph restriction was removed and new bridge installed on Rugby Road, having been driven through streets from a nearby construction site.
Track and ballast was renewed across platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Hull, and tactile paving was installed along platforms 2 to 7. In Derbyshire, nearly
500 metres of track was renewed at Duffield.
Over in East Anglia, there was considerable work on the route to Stansted Airport and Cambridge, with 11 points replaced in and around Bishops
Stortford, where platform works were also undertaken.
With Easter out of the way, Network Rail was preparing for 550 upgrades worth £70 million, which were planned for the
May bank holiday weekend.
In preparation for service improvements on the Dartmoor Line, where an hourly service begins on May 15, work began on April 25 and will continue to May 10 to upgrade parts of the line between Crediton and Okehampton.