08.05.18
OLE upgrades complete at Anglia as part of £46m transformation
Network Rail has completed the installation of 4km of overhead wire between Billericay and Wickford, meaning better railway between Southend, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
The improvements, made over the bank holiday weekend, are part of the wider £46m transformation.
The works come as part of a continued effort to replace outdated overhead wiring with a new system that can adapt to heat during hot weather. It will also allow Greater Anglia’s new fleet of trains to run from 2019.
New overhead wiring was also installed at Ilford between Norwich and London – where the wiring system currently in place is one of the oldest in the country – as part of a £250m programme.
The line previously had been closed for 10 days over the Christmas period as part of the same programme.
Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “This weekend, we concentrated our work on the Southend Victoria branch line which has some of the oldest overhead wire equipment in the country.
“This work is an essential part of our Railway Upgrade Plan to increase reliability and allow more trains to run in the future to meet growing passenger demand. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this important work took place.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, added that, with Network Rail’s upgrade plan and the operator’s brand-new trains, they are together “modernising the railways for future generations” in East Anglia.
Further work will take place over the second May bank holiday (26-28 May) on the Great Eastern Main Line at Ilford, where a further 3km over overhead wire will be installed.
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