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Tuesday 29 Aug 2017

A bigger and better railway for passengers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex following key upgrades over bank holiday

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

New overhead wire was installed at Brentwood this weekend, to improve reliability on the main line between Norwich and London as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan.

Network Rail’s orange army carried out the equivalent of 3,000 hours of work on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 August to replace 1km of overhead wire at Brentwood as part of a £250m project to upgrade the wiring system on the busy mainline. The wires and structures that are currently in place were installed in the 1950s and the system is one of the oldest in the country. When the weather gets hot, the wires sag and speed restrictions have to be imposed to protect them from damage by trains. The new wires are controlled by a system of weights, to keep them taut at all times, so trains can pass at their normal speed meaning fewer delays.

A further 1,500 hours were spent installing structures at Ilford and Manor Park which will carry new overhead wires when they are installed next year.

Vital upgrades were also made between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street as part of the Crossrail programme, where over 200 metres of track was installed at Pudding Mill Lane near Stratford station to prepare for the connection of the Elizabeth line tunnel to the main line. Improvements will also be made at stations between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street. When complete, the Elizabeth Line will increase London’s rail capacity by 10% and bring 1.5 million extra people within 45 minutes of central London.

Simon Ancona, Network Rail’s chief operating officer for Anglia, said: “We have carried out a package of work this bank holiday as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. These upgrades will provide essential reliability improvements on the main line into London. We have installed new overhead wire at Brentwood which will mean fewer delays and completed key upgrades as part of the Crossrail programme, which will transform the way people travel across London. I’d like to thank passengers for their understanding while we carried out this essential work.”

Jamie Burles, managing director at Greater Anglia, said: “Engineering works are vital for ourselves and Network Rail to provide a better railway for everyone for future generations to come. New overhead wires means our trains should be able to run a speed during hot weather.”