A new time-lapse video has been released showing the scale of the recent upgrades to the Trent Valley line in Staffordshire.
The £85m investment has seen Network Rail replace 2,000 metres of track, 3,000 new railway sleepers and lay 2,500 tonnes of ballast at Colwich Junction.
New signalling equipment was also installed for trains in the Trent Valley area. The work was carried out over a nine-day railway closure, which began on 15 July.
A six-month closure is also taking place at Lichfield station as Network Rail demolish and rebuild Lichfield stations platform 3. During that time, a temporary footbridge has been built, keeping access by lift available for platforms 1 and 2.
Work was also carried out at the same time by HS2 on the new bridge near Lichfield, with a time-lapse video showing the work that took place.
A team of around 300 people from HS2’s contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI built the 6,200-tonne concrete bridge beside the railway over the last six months, and it was slowly driven into place on the back of a huge transporter vehicle to become a 56m long and 19m wide bridge to carry the existing railway southeast of Lichfield Trent Valley station.
Dave Penney, Network Rail passenger director for the North West and Central region, said: “We know this work has meant longer journeys for passengers travelling over the school summer holidays, so I’d like to thank everyone impacted for bearing with us while we carried essential upgrades.
“We worked closely with train operators to keep people on the move, and now work is complete on the Trent Valley line, this vital section of the West Coast main line will continue to deliver safe, reliable journeys for passenger and freight services.”
Caroline Warrington, senior project manager at HS2 Ltd. said: “This huge feat of engineering - the UK’s heaviest single span bridge drive - is our latest big milestone as we approach peak construction on Phase One of HS2. We’re making fantastic progress on this section of the route, with over 9,000 people working on the project in the Midlands and over 29,500 on the whole project, providing a vital boost for British businesses and jobs.”
Photo Credit: Network Rail
Video Credit: Network Rail and HS2
Want to know more about the opportunities to become a key supplier to the UK rail industry? Attend TransCityRail and access an exclusive marketplace of buyers from Network Rail, HS2, Train Operators, Major Contractors, and all other tiers of the supply chain. For more information and to secure your place click here.
