23.04.18
Network Rail plans flood alleviation scheme for Hele
Network Rail plans to carry out a flood resilience project in Hele, it has announced.
Flooding has been a longstanding problem in the area around Station Road, and so a scheme has been developed which is expected to reduce the risk of flooding to the railway, as well as nearby homes and businesses.
Improving the resilience of the railway will mean that fewer trains are cancelled during extreme weather and that services can be back up and running quicker.
The project, which forms part of the Department for Transport’s £26.5m Flood Resilience Programme, will see part of Station Road and the bridge leading to Devon Valley Mill replaced with new structures that will allow more water to pass through them.
It will also include changing the gradient of some of the land on the approach to the level crossing to provide better drainage.
This is expected to reduce the number of incidents of flooding and their severity, meaning less disruption for passengers.
Victoria Bradley, Network Rail’s project sponsor, said: “This is an important project for Network Rail and along with our work at Cowley Bridge will mean less disruption for passengers in the future.
“In the case of Hele, our work will also have benefits for residents and local businesses.”
Work is expected to start this summer, subject to planning consent, and will take around six months to complete.
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