Media centre

Tuesday 27 Jan 2004

ENGINEERING WORK TO CONTINUE ON THE BROCKENHURST TO LYMINGTON PIER LINE

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Network Rail will be extending essential track improvement work on the railway between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier for a further two weeks.  The programme of work requires the temporary closure of the line between these stations to be extended to16 February. The extra time will be used to complete the track renewal and carry out testing work, to ensure the handback of a high quality route.  Network Rail is working closely with South West Trains to limit disruption and keep local residents and passengers fully informed during this period. South West Trains will provide replacement buses for passengers wishing to travel. The work has been specifically programmed to avoid the busy tourist season when many visitors use this single-track branch line to travel to the New Forest and the Isle of Wight Ferry service. Work will be carried out to renew over 4.7 miles of life expired track. Continuously welded rail with concrete sleepers will replace jointed rail on wooden sleepers, using a total of 20,000 tones of ballast, 11,250 sleepers and 16,500 yards or rail.  If placed end to the end the sleepers would span a distance over three times the height of Mount Everest.  Passengers can expect a smoother, quieter and more reliable journey as a result of the upgrade. Robin Gisby, Regional Director, Network Rail said, “We want to hand this route back into operational use fit for purpose. It is our view that the extra two weeks are absolutely vital to ensure we can complete and hand back the railway that our passengers expect. I would like to apologise for the extra time taken and the inconvenience caused. ”