Media centre

Tuesday 30 Aug 2016

Network Rail to rebuild embankment at site of Surrey railway landslip

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Network Rail will start work to implement a permanent repair to the railway embankment between Farnham and Alton on 5 September, following the landslip at Wrecclesham that closed the railway for nearly three weeks in April this year.

Network Rail will build a wall on the north side of the slope to hold the embankment in place, and will replace the slipped earth with compacted stone which will incorporate drainage to help with the removal of water from the track and the embankment.

Hector Kidds, senior asset engineer for Network Rail said, “Following the temporary works earlier this year to get the line re-opened as quickly as possible for passengers, we’ve spent the last few months designing a permanent solution that will improve the drainage and will stabilise the whole embankment. This will minimise the risk of any future landslips from happening at this location.

“The vast majority of our work will be carried out during weekdays but there may be some need to carry out works at weekends and overnight, though these will be kept to a minimum and I’d like to thank our neighbours for their patience while we carry out the upgrades.”

The line between Alton and Farnham was closed on 13 April after engineers found the track was starting to dip, and South West Trains immediately implemented a bus replacement service for passengers. Network Rail engineers investigated the landslip further and began work to stabilise the 250m stretch of track by drilling reinforcing ‘piles’ eight metres into the ground beneath, allowing train services to resume on 3 May.

The permanent solution is set to complete by the start of 2017.

ENDS