12.02.16
Carlisle and Appleby line now closed for several months
Damage from a landslip involving an estimated 500,000 tonnes of earth means the Northern Rail line between Carlisle and Appleby will be closed for several months.
The landslip, which occurred on 31 January, was initially expected to cause railway disruptions between Carlisle and Leeds until the end of February. But Network Rail closed the section, at Eden Brows on the Settle to Carlisle line on 9 February, after aerial surveys and ground monitoring revealed the embankment had moved so much it was no longer safe to run trains.
The Carlisle to Appleby line will now be closed indefinetly while Network Rail carry out the repairs, with a replacement bus service provided for passengers by Northern Rail.
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “This is a vital rail link across the north of England and I am very aware of how important the railway is to the local community and local economy.
“I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can to design a lasting solution and to reopen the railway as quickly as possible.”
Frobisher said the landslip, which affected an area of land more than 130m long and 70m wide, is still moving at an accelerating rate, causing a twist fault on the tracks.
He added the landslip was caused by severe erosion of the embankment base near the River Eden, recent repeated storms and saturated ground.
Network Rail geotechnical specialists are currently carrying out ground investigations using borehole equipment, while contractors are building access roads and compounds to allow access for heavy machinery.