Media centre

Monday 8 Jan 2007

GORING BRIDGE WORKS ON TRACK AFTER SUCCESSFUL CHRISTMAS

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

A major stage of the project to replace the Wallingford Road bridge in Goring, Oxfordshire was successfully completed over the Christmas period. The project is undertake essential bridge replacement work vital to ensure the safety of road and rail users on the bridge which crosses the Great Western Mainline, the main rail link from London to the West. The old bridge, which was around 100 years old, was demolished and a new structure put in place to ensure the future safety of both road users and the railway that runs beneath it. Preparatory works took place in December but the bulk of the demolition work took place from 11pm on Christmas Eve over Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with the line re-opening as usual for first services on the 27th December. Finishing works will continue overnight throughout January and February with the project due to complete at the end of February. Robbie Burns, Network Rail Route Director, said: “I’m delighted to see the conclusion of a major stage of this scheme, which will ensure the future reliability of train services for passengers using this busy main line linking London to the West of the country. “The work had to be carried out over Christmas as this is the only time of year when there are no trains running. Carrying the work out at a different time would mean closing the line and disrupting thousands of rail passengers. I must also pay tribute to the many dedicated workers who forfeited their Christmas break to deliver improvements for railway users on this busy main line. Careful planning and advance preparation enabled the team to get the project wrapped up on time and to return the railway earlier than planned so services could resume on 27 December.”