20.02.20
Southend Victoria line disruption following a landslip at Billericay
Railway tracks on the Southend Victoria line, between Billericay and Wickford, have been damaged following a landslip. Ballast, the stones that help keep the track securely in place, have fallen away under a section of track.
As a safety precaution, the Southend-bound line at this location has been closed, with trains able to run in both direction on the adjacent line. Although this has meant a reduction in the number of trains Greater Anglia are able to run.
With inspections ongoing, the line is expected to be disrupted on Thursday (Feb 20th) and Friday (Feb 21st), with the line already planned to close this weekend for overhead line upgrade work. An update on when the line will be opened fully again will be issued later this week. Passengers are asked to check before they travel and plan ahead for longer journeys.
Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, Ellie Burrows, said: “Our first priority is the safety of passengers and staff working on the trains. We have our engineering teams on site and are assessing what damage has been done by this landslip and trying to identify how it occurred.
"We have already mobilised our supply chain to get the 500 tonnes of stone we need and will be focused on getting the embankment and tracks restored as quickly as we can. We can run trains in both directions on this line, so while I’m sorry there will be some disruption for passengers, we will be working with Greater Anglia to run as many trains as we can for passengers.”
Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Jamie Burles, said: “We are working closely with Network Rail to restore the normal service as soon as is possible. In the meantime, fewer trains are able to run. We are therefore currently operating a reduced service, which is supplemented by buses between Wickford and Shenfield.
“Customers should check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys. Travel information can be found on the Greater Anglia website, app or Twitter feed. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and would like to thank customers for their patience.”
Image: Network Rail