Durham station’s £6m track replacement project is officially complete, modernising the track for more reliable passenger journeys along the East Coast Main Line.
Throughout a five-week span, from Saturday 14th to Sunday 12th February, engineering teams have worked tirelessly to replace up to 860 metres of track, accompanied by ten points, which allow the trains to seamlessly transition between one line to another.
Concurrently to this renewal work, vital signalling upgrades have been completed, accompanied by improvements made to the platform infrastructure. This package of rejuvenation works will improve the passenger experience tenfold as they traverse the network, supplying improved line capacity for decreased journey delays, whilst providing smoother and more reliable journeys.
This project has marked the first time that the tracks in and around Durham station have had any major works for around 40 years.
Paul Rutter, East Coast Route Director for Network Rail said:
“Upgrading this equipment is essential for running trains reliably, reducing delays and getting passengers to where they need to be on time, so I’m pleased to see this valuable investment complete.
“I’d like to thank passengers for planning ahead and using the rail replacement services and diversions that we worked with our train operating colleagues to provide. People travelling by train to, from or through Durham can now expect smoother, on time journeys.”
The spacing and scheduling of these works over a period of five weekends has meant that the disruptions to passenger services have been minimal, allowing the railway to remain open throughout the week to ensure commuters can travel to and from work as usual.
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER which manages Durham railway station, said:
“This important upgrade work will make journeys even smoother and more reliable for our customers and the many passengers who travel along the LNER route through Durham. It is a great example of the rail industry working together to improve journey experiences for our customers.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express said:
“We’re thrilled to see these vital upgrades complete. The modernisation of these tracks and signalling equipment will provide more reliable and smoother journeys for our customers.
“I’d like to thank our customers for being patient, checking ahead and carefully planning their journeys throughout the past five weekends of work.”
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