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Tuesday 6 Aug 2024

Giant rail vacuums poised for West Coast main line weekend upgrades in Stoke-on-Trent

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Throughout August, Network Rail engineers will deploy industrial-sized excavators on the West Coast main line to suck up track foundation stones - or ballast - to allow for vital track upgrades which will improve journeys for passengers and freight.

Starting on Saturday 10 August and taking place each weekend for the next four weeks engineers will be completing £2.5m of essential improvement work through Stoke-on-Trent.

 

Work will include:

• Replacing 3720 tonnes of ballast (the stones on the railway that keep the track in place)
• Upgrading 32 bearers, which help the track switches and crossings to stay in place

 

Ballast forms the track bed which supports railway tracks and provides water drainage. Over time the ballast stones wear down and fit together less easily reducing their effectiveness.

 

To minimise disruption to passengers, engineers will use specialist ‘Railvac’ excavation machinery to replace ballast without the need to remove tracks. The machine operates like an industrial vacuum sucking up the old stone which is replaced afterwards using rail-mounted vehicles.

The innovative method of working avoids cutting through rails and removing sleepers which means shorter closures of the railway and less impact to journeys.

Passengers are being advised about changes to journeys through Stoke-on-Trent on the following dates:

• Saturday 10 August – Sunday 11 August
• Saturday 17 August – Sunday 18 August
• Saturday 24 August – Monday 26 August (August Bank Holiday)
• Saturday 31 August – Sunday 1 September

Over the four weekends some trains will be diverted with rail replacement buses running between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent / Macclesfield.

Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s route director for West Coast South said “Over the next four weekends we are asking passengers who are travelling through Stoke-on-Trent to please check before they travel while our engineers complete a multimillion-pound upgrade to the railway.

“This vital investment on the West Coast main line will help improve train performance and give our passengers smoother and more reliable journeys. I would like to thank people for their patience while we carry out this essential work.”

Passengers are advised to plan their journeys in advance at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

For more information on how Network Rail maintains the track visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/track/