Passengers travelling on some of the North West's most exposed rail routes are set to benefit from a £41 million investment programme designed to improve resilience and reduce weather-related disruption this winter.
Over the past 12 months, Network Rail has delivered a series of preventative earthworks projects stretching from the Peak District to Cumbria, aimed at protecting railway infrastructure from increasingly severe weather events.
The works have included extensive drainage improvements, the installation of rock netting, land regrading and the use of specialist engineering techniques such as soil nails and rock anchors to stabilise embankments and cuttings and prevent ground movement alongside railway lines.
Among the largest schemes completed are:
- Shale Cutting on the Settle to Carlisle line, where £11.5 million has been invested in drainage and earth stabilisation works.
- Embankment upgrades between New Mills and Hague Bar in Derbyshire, backed by £9.5 million of investment.
- Rock netting and anchor installations at Shap on the West Coast Main Line in Cumbria, costing £2 million.
The projects have been completed ahead of the winter season, with forecasters warning that storm activity could intensify due to global weather patterns influenced by El Niño.
Alongside these high-profile engineering schemes, teams across the region have also been carrying out routine resilience work, including clearing drainage systems, managing vegetation growth and conducting comprehensive infrastructure inspections.
Rob Stephens, Network Rail North West route engineering director, said:
“We’re no stranger to storms in the North West – especially in the winter – and these multi-million-pound projects have been prioritised to prevent disruption for passengers on some of our most exposed and remote sections of railway.
“Alongside this our teams right across the network have also been out clearing drains, cutting back overgrown trees and thoroughly checking our infrastructure in recent months to pre-empt and prevent problems before they happen. By doing so we’re best prepared for weather extremes - which are becoming more frequent and ferocious – so we can react and recover quickly to keep passengers and freight moving safely.”
The investment forms part of a wider effort by Network Rail to adapt railway infrastructure to a changing climate, ensuring key passenger and freight routes remain operational during periods of extreme weather.
Image and video credits: Network Rail
