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Wednesday 8 Jun 2005

£1 MILLION IMPROVEMENTS TO RAILWAY BRIDGE IN BRENT

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

| Southern

Work has started on a £1 million scheme to strengthen Neasden Lane road bridge over the railway in Brent, bringing it in line with the latest European standards for vehicle weight. The bridge will be closed to traffic for five weeks to allow engineers to undertake the mammoth task of completely reconstructing the bridge decking, in order to strengthen the structure.  Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the work and some additional refurbishment work will be carried out to one of the two footpaths over the bridge. Peter Strachan, Network Rail Route Director, said: “Network Rail is committed to investing in its assets to ensure the safety and reliability of the country’s railway.  This major investment will ensure the bridge at Neasden Lane meets the latest safety standards, securing its future reliability for both road and rail users in the area.” The core project work will take place over the weekend of 11-12 June, when the old bridge decking will be lifted out by a crane and replaced with pre-cast concrete beams.  For safety reasons, both footpaths will close for this stage of work and a complementary taxi service will be provided for pedestrians. As a safety precaution, the railway passing underneath the bridge will also be closed during this weekend, affecting passengers travelling on the Chiltern line.  Network Rail engineers will take advantage of this closure to carry out extensive engineering work at Neasden Junction, replacing essential track components to improve the performance of the railway. Network Rail has been in close contact with local residents to provide details of the work, including an information leaflet showing bus diversion routes and help line numbers. Information for road users Starting Monday 23 May for approximately five weeks, all road traffic will be diverted via Dudden Hill Lane with diversionary routes clearly marked.  Pedestrian and vehicle access to the train station will be maintained.  Information for rail users On Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June, train services will not run between London Marylebone and South Ruislip or London Marylebone and Amersham.  Passengers are advised to use London Underground services on the Central Line from West Ruislip into central London or the Metropolitan Line from Amersham to Baker Street.  Valid train tickets will be accepted on these routes. For more information, please contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.