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Tuesday 8 Aug 2017

Fewer delays for Suffolk rail passengers following installation of new track

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

Rail journeys between Ipswich, Lowestoft and Felixstowe will now be smoother and more reliable following the installation of 15km of new track over a nine-day closure.

Network Rail’s  orange army replaced  around 15,000 metres of new rail and 10,150 sleepers as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan, while the line was closed between Ipswich and Halesworth from Saturday 29 July to Sunday 6 August.

16,500  tonnes of ballast was also replaced to improve drainage and reliability. A grid was installed at Westerfield station to keep the ballast in place and the tracks aligned, making for a smoother journey and further improving reliability.

Simon Ancona, Network Rail’s chief operating officer for Anglia, said: “We have replaced the old track with new to make journeys between Ipswich, Lowestoft and Felixstowe smoother and more reliable as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. New track is less susceptible to damage, meaning fewer delays and disruption caused by damage to the track.  I’d like to thank everyone for their patience while we carried out the work.”

Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Greater Anglia, said:  "This new track will help us to run a more reliable, on-time railway and make customers' journeys better. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while this work was carried out."