02.01.18
Southampton track gets £8m upgrade
Southampton has seen the completion of an £8m track upgrade over the Christmas period.
The track renewal work, which was carried out between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, saw over 6,000 metres of cabling and 200 metres of track replaced by Network Rail.
The company has said that the upgrade will mean more reliable journeys for passengers in and out of Southampton, as well as reduced track noise for residents living close to the railway near Northam Junction.
Over 100 engineers worked around the clock to complete the work, which formed part of Network Rail’s £160m Christmas investment.
Network Rail’s route managing director for its Wessex Route, Becky Lumlock, said: “This upgrade work was essential to replace worn out kit and means we can now provide a more reliable service to passengers through a critical part of our busy network; around 164,000 trains have passed over these tracks in the last year alone.”
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