Monday 25 Apr 2005
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND BRINGS MAY-JOR RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS
- Region & Route:
-
|
Southern
Taking advantage of the May Day bank holiday weekend, Network Rail is investing heavily in a full programme of essential engineering work across East Anglia.
Jon Wiseman, Network Rail Route Director said:
“Network Rail is committed to rebuilding the railway and we traditionally take full advantage of bank holiday weekends, when fewer people tend to use the trains. Over the May Day weekend we will deliver an intensive programme of track improvement work, enhancing the performance of the railway in East Anglia and bringing long-term benefits to passengers.”
One of the biggest engineering tasks over the May Day bank holiday will be the £2.5 million strengthening and painting work to Mortons Leam bridge near Peterborough, increasing the line speed betweeen March and Peterborough. Buses will replace trains between Ely and Peterborough from 10am on Friday 29 April until the early hours of Wednesday 4 May.
Over the same period, a further investment of £1.3 million will see more than 5,000 yards of track replaced between Ely and Cambridge on the West Anglia main line. Replacement bus services will be provided between Cambridge and Ely, with additional express services between Cambridge and Peterborough.
On the Great Eastern main line, the massive programme of track renewals which is ongoing between Shenfield and Witham will continue over the bank holiday weekend. Around 1,000 yards of track will be replaced over the Chelmsford viaduct, with replacement bus services running between Shenfield and Witham on Sunday 1 May and Monday 2 May.
On the East Coast Main Line, track improvement work will take place in the Stevenage area from 3pm on Saturday 30 April until the close of service on Sunday 1 May. A bus replacement service will operate from Stevenage to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North.
Jon Wiseman continued:
“Large scale engineering work is essential to the future of the railway in East Anglia. While most of the region enjoys an extended weekend break, hundreds of dedicated railway staff will be out on the track, helping to deliver a better and more reliable railway for passengers.”
This engineering work has been specifically programmed around the May Day bank holiday weekend to minimise disruption to commuters and other passengers travelling at peak times. Half as many people use trains over the holidays compared to normal travel times, on average.
The work has been planned in close consultation with train operating companies to ensure passengers can complete their journeys using alternative travel arrangements. For travel advice, passengers are advised to consult individual train operators or National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk
