Media centre

Tuesday 2 Mar 2004

£1.5M TO BENEFIT PASSENGERS ON PRESTON – BLACKPOOL LINE

Region & Route:

 Passengers travelling on the Preston to Blackpool line are to benefit from smoother and quieter journeys thanks to a £1.5m investment from Network Rail. More than two miles of track has been replaced along this line of route including rail, sleepers and stone ballast.  Contractors completed the work on schedule at the beginning of February with the work carried out at weekends and in the evenings to avoid disruption to commuters. The project involved:- ·        2400 yards of steel sleepers have been replaced at Haslam Park (Ashton near Preston) ·        1110 yards of steel sleepers have been renewed at Maudland (near Preston) ·        4914 individual sleepers were used in total ·        4212 tonnes of ballast was used in total ·        7020 yards of new rail has been laid in total             Steel sleepers replaced the usual wooden ones as they require less ballast to support them and are better for the environment. - more - Preston to Blackpool - 2             Martin Frobisher, General Manager of Network Rail’s Preston Area said, “This has been a major project for Network Rail and careful planning has ensured that disruption has been kept to a minimum. “The new track will not only provide a more comfortable journey for passengers but will benefit the local residents as there will be a reduction in noise level.  This type of work is part of a £15m rolling programme to renew parts of the region’s rail infrastructure.”