29.08.18
Network Rail completes major upgrades on Norwich to London mainline
Engineers at Network Rail have completed improvements on the Norwich to London mainline over the three-day bank holiday as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.
Amongst the improvements are the completion of the 120m track, one set of points, one new buffer stop, and 1,200 tons of ballast that were replaced at Colchester.
Installations were made of almost 3km of track between Manningtree and Ardleigh, whilst five structures that carry overhead wires were replaced between Marks Tey and Colchester.
Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “We have made some major improvements over the bank holiday weekend, which will prevent delays and cancellations on the busy main line as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.
“Hundreds of services use this line every day which causes wear on the track, bridges and other parts of the railway. That is why work like this is essential to keep services on the move. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work was carried out.”
Further work on the Felixstowe branch line as part of a £60.4m programme to install a 1.4km track loop near Trimley station was also completed. Further closures will take place between Colchester and Chelmsford after the August bank holiday to renew the track.
Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said: “We are very grateful to customers for their patience and understanding while this work was carried out. We booked 300 buses so everyone could complete their journeys, and extra staff were on hand to make sure customers caught the right bus.
“These engineering works are vital to improve the railway in East Anglia for everyone, making it more reliable for generations to come.”
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