11.01.13
Swindon to Kemble re-doubling works begin
Work has begun on the Swindon to Kemble line, as part of the £45m project to upgrade infrastructure and improve earthworks.
The upgrade is part of a larger project between Swindon and Gloucester, via Kemble and Stroud, and will include additional signals between Kemble and Standish Junction, the upgrading of level crossings at Minety and Purtons Collins Lane and a new footbridge in Stroud.
Capacity on the line will be increased, allowing four trains per hour in each direction. The second line from Swindon to Kemble will be reinstated and an upgrade to earthworks along the route will accommodate new track and signalling equipment.
Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail’s Western route managing director, said: “Initial work has already started and during these operations where possible the railway will remain open.
“The line of route between Swindon to Kemble was double track up until the late 1960s, when a decline in passenger demand led to the singling of the line. Over the intervening years passenger demand has grown significantly and this scheme will meet the demand forecast over the next 30 years.
“The project has been programmed to open at Easter 2014 to coincide with a major signalling renewal – which will see the Swindon controls relocated to the Thames Valley signalling control centre in Didcot and this has allowed us to minimise the disruption to passengers.
Mark Hopwood First Great Western managing director, said: “This upgrade is vitally important to improve our customers’ travel experiences for the future.
“Further improvements to the network infrastructure will pave the way for faster, more reliable services and makes the most of the Government's planned investment in electrification and new trains – whoever has the honour of running the franchise beyond 2014.”
Some rail services will be affected and during weekends, trains will be replaced by road transport. The project is expected to be completed in spring 2014.
Swindon to Kemble re-doubling has long been a priority for railway campaigners in the region, and funding was finally confirmed by the Government in 2011. TravelWatch SouthWest chairman Chris Irwin said at the time: “The voice of the long-suffering passengers has finally been heard.”
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Image c. Marc Antoine L Frenette