Media centre

Tuesday 12 Oct 2004

£550,000 INVESTMENT IN RAILWAY AT FELTHAM

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

The nights may be getting colder and longer, but this is not stopping railway engineers from  improving the tracks. Overnight on 14 and 15 October, 800 yards of track on the London-bound line at Feltham will be replaced.  Engineers will work throughout both nights, after the last train has passed, reopening the line in time for passenger services in the morning. David Pape, Network Rail Route Director said: “The onset of autumn is not slowing down our relentless efforts to improve the railway.  Passengers will experience benefits immediately with a smoother, quieter ride and better track reliability and performance.” Along with the track, 1080 new sleepers and 2250 tonnes of ballast will be renewed. These materials, all added together, weigh more than 4,000 tonnes.  That’s twice the weight of the London Eye (1,700 tonnes of steel)! As well as laying new track, the team will also clear scrap and debris from the railway. This work is part of the massive £1.72 billion investment programme committed to the Southern region over the next three years.