Monday 10 Sep 2018
Sidings enhancements at Hove to support Thameslink network
- Region & Route:
- | Southern
Work has been carried out at Hove sidings to support Govia Thameslink Railway’s modernisation of the Thameslink network.
The work carried out during a 52-hour possession over the weekend of 1st September is part of sidings and depot enhancements taking place across the Thameslink network.
Work at Hove included replacement and realignment of track, renewal of wooden sleepers with concrete ones, the refurbishment of the conductor rail, upgrading power cabling, the renewal of the buffer stop, and the installation of train drivers' safe walking routes.
Paul Ashman, Network Rail Thameslink Programme project sponsor, said: “The works at Hove enable us to provide better operational flexibility and offer short term stabling for the new Class 700 trains, whilst longer-term storage options are being developed.
“Future enhancement works are being scheduled at Hove sidings that will extend the life of the assets and further increase the length of the sidings, enabling improved access capability for even longer trains and reduce train service planning disruption.”
GTR Infrastructure Director Keith Jipps, said: “This work is an essential part of the stabling strategy that supports the future increase of cross-London Thameslink trains as we modernise and improve services for passengers.”
Notes to Editors
The Government-sponsored £7bn Thameslink Programme is an ambitious programme to transform north-south travel through London. It is delivering new longer and more spacious trains running every 2 to 3 minutes through central London in the peak, improved connections to more destinations on an expanded Thameslink network including Cambridge and Peterborough and more robust tracks and modern signalling using digital railway technology to make journeys more reliable. The Programme has also completely rebuilt stations at Blackfriars and London Bridge. The Thameslink Programme is being delivered in partnership between the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway, Southeastern and Siemens.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Scott Wilson
Media Manager
Network Rail
07395 389658
scott.wilson@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk