Wednesday 21 Nov 2012
Chance to find out about Christmas Crossrail works in Acton
- Region & Route:
- | Wales & Western: Western
- | Wales & Western
Major engineering work will take place in Acton over Christmas as part of the construction of a new train underpass needed to improve rail services in the area. A public information session will be held this month so that local residents can find out more about the Christmas works.
Over the Christmas period Network Rail will be installing a new junction on the tracks at Acton. The works are essential to help increase capacity and improve reliability along the Great Western main line ahead of Crossrail services beginning in 2018. The Acton works must be completed when there are no trains on the affected lines so Network Rail will be working around the clock from 4pm on 24 December to 4.15am on 29 December 2012.
As a result of the work, services between London Paddington and Greenford will stop running from 8pm on Monday 24 December 2012 (Christmas Eve) and will resume on the morning of Wednesday 2 January 2013. No First Great Western services will be able to call at Acton Main Line, West Ealing, Hanwell, Drayton Green, Castle Bar Park, South Greenford and Greenford stations during this time. Alternative arrangements have been made to enable passengers to use tickets for these destinations on London Buses and London Underground.
To give residents and passengers the opportunity to find out more about the work, Crossrail and Network Rail are holding a public information session on Tuesday 27 November, from 4pm-7pm at St Martin’s Church Hall, Hale Gardens, Acton.
Jorge Mendonça, Crossrail programme director, Network Rail, said: “The works at Acton are an important part of the Crossrail project and will help bring long-term benefits to passenger services. To minimise inconvenience as much as possible, the work will be undertaken at the least busy time of the year. A drop-in session on 27 November at St Martin’s Church Hall in Acton will allow people to find out more about these essential works.”
James Adeshiyan, senior project interface manager First Great Western, said: “This upgrade is vitally important to improve our customers’ travel experiences for the future. To minimise inconvenience as much as possible, the work is being done at the least busy time of the year and arrangements have been made to enable passengers to use tickets for these services on the tube and TfL buses. However, please plan your journey as there is the potential that these services will take you a little longer.”
When Crossrail services begin in 2018, even more trains will travel along the Great Western main line so work is needed to improve capacity in the area. The new Acton underpass – known as a diveunder – will allow freight trains to access Acton Freight Yard without crossing main line passenger tracks, helping improve rail capacity and provide a more reliable service for passengers.
For more information on how this work will affect rail journeys please visit www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk or call 08457 000 125.
Notes to editors
About Crossrail
Crossrail will run from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 13-mile tunnels under central London to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east. It will bring an additional 1.5m people within 45 minutes commuting distance of London's key business districts. When it opens from 2018, Crossrail will provide new transport links with the Tube, Thameslink, National Rail, DLR and London Overground.
Network Rail delivering Crossrail
Network Rail is a key partner in Crossrail and is making significant investment in upgrading the network around London to deliver it. This complements Network Rail’s other work to increase capacity and improve performance across Britain.
Network Rail is responsible for the design, development and delivery of the parts of Crossrail that are on the existing network. Its work will integrate Crossrail with the national rail network, delivering faster, more frequent trains into central London from the east and west. The work includes upgrading 43 miles of track, redeveloping 27 stations, and renewing 20 bridges. Network Rail will do all of this on an active operational railway, delivering vital upgrade works whilst minimising disruption to train services.
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