01.11.12
North Doncaster Chord consent a ‘significant step’ for ECML upgrade
Network Rail has welcomed the Government go-ahead for the North Doncaster Chord, a key East Coast Main Line upgrade.
The £45m flyover at Shaftholme will take slow freight trains from the Humber ports up and over the ECML, rather than across and along it, feeing up capacity.
It is part of the wider set of CP4 ECML upgrade works, costing around £600m, such as the Hitchin Flyover (see RTM August/September 2012), the GNGE route upgrade (see RTM Feb/March 2012), and platform 0 at King’s Cross (see RTM April/May 2010).
As with the Hitchin project, Network Rail has entered into an alliance with the principal contractor to deliver the work. Morgan Sindall is the partner for the North Doncaster Chord works, which should be complete by early 2014.
Phil Verster, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “The Government’s decision to grant permission for the North Doncaster Chord is a significant step forward in improving capacity and reliability on the busy East Coast Main Line.”
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin granted consent for the North Doncaster Chord on 16 October. It underwent 12 months of consultation before being submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) on 22 June 2011.
Visit www.networkrail.co.uk/northdoncaster
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