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Monday 27 Nov 2017

Drop-in event for residents ahead of major railway work in Camden

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Residents in the London Borough of Camden are being invited to learn more about major engineering taking place overnight close to their properties between now and the New Year – including over Christmas.

Essential repairs to the slab which supports the track in the area around Caversham Road and Gaisford Street in Kentish Town are needed to keep the large volume of passenger trains which pass through the area running safely and reliably.

The nature of the work – which involves breaking-up the existing concrete slab using drilling equipment – means some noise disturbance is inevitable and Network Rail is inviting residents to a meeting on Thursday, 7 December at Kentish Town Church of England Primary School to find out more about the planned work.

The first period of overnight work will take place between 11 November and 24 November between 22:00 and 06:00. Four further nights of engineering will take place between 28 November and 1 December (also between 22:00 and 06:00), before 24-hour working starts on the site on December 23 through to 2 January 2018.

The engineering work between December 23 and 2 January will mean a revised train service in and out of St Pancras Station, with those who wish to travel during this time strongly advised to plan their journeys in advance. Thameslink trains will continue to serve Kentish Town, however there will be no service south of St Pancras International.

Rob McIntosh, managing director for Network Rail’s London North Eastern and East Midlands route, said: “The track through Kentish Town sees thousands of trains and millions of passengers travel over it every year which places incredible strain on the infrastructure that supports it, particularly the concrete slab on which the rails sit. The slab was laid in the late 1970s and while our routine maintenance programme has preserved it until now, major work is needed to allow it to cope with the demands of the modern railway.

“The nature of the drilling into and removing the concrete combined with the location of the site means noise is inevitable and I apologise in advance for any disturbance caused to those living or working close to the railway.”