Monday 11 Aug 2014
Latest phase of Lincolnshire rail upgrade completed
- Region & Route:
The latest work to upgrade the Great Northern Great Eastern (GNGE) line successfully finished early this morning (Monday, 11 August).
Network Rail engineers worked round-the-clock to bring fifteen modernised level crossings and fifteen miles of new signalling into service, in the latest phase of investment to transform the GNGE line between Peterborough and Doncaster via Spalding. This means the line is open again, and train services can run as normal.
During a 16-day temporary closure of the railway, 1930s mechanical technology was replaced with modern electronic systems now controlled from Network Rail’s Lincoln Signalling Control Centre.
The upgrading of the fifteen level crossings with the latest technology is the most so far delivered in a single block of work.
Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “We thank the local community, particularly businesses, for their patience and understanding during these works.
“The GNGE line is an important route for both freight and passenger trains. Demand for rail services continues to grow, and the upgrade of this line is an important project to help meet that demand.”
The level crossings modernised were:
- Blotoft (Old Forty Foot Drain, Helpringham/Donington)
- Maltings Lane (Ing Drove, Donington)
- Golden High Hedges (Bull’s Bank/Cowdale Drove, Donington)
- Church Lane (Church End Drove, Quadring)
- Quadring (Town Drove, Quadring)
- Brewery Lane (North Gate, Gosberton)
- Gosberton (B1397 – Station Road, Gosberton)
- Cheal Road (Cheal Road, Gosberton Risegate)
- Water Drove (Gubbole’s Drove, Surfleet)
- Burtey Fen (Burtey Fen Lane, Pinchbeck)
- Flax Mill (Langhole Drove, Pinchbeck)
- Cherry Holt (Mill Green Road/Cherry Holt Lane, Pinchbeck)
- Blue Gowt (Blue Gowt Lane, Pinchbeck)
- Mill Green (Woolham Wygate, Spalding)
- Park Road (Park Road, Spalding)
The engineering works finished today were ‘phase four’ of the GNGE project – a £280 million Government-funded programme to transform the line into a modern railway.
Phases one and three of the work between Sleaford and Gainsborough were completed earlier in 2014. Phase two – between Gainsborough and Doncaster – is about to get underway. This work will run from 16 August until 1 September.
Phase five – between Spalding and Peterborough - will take place in late October, and Network Rail will be holding further exhibitions in Spalding and other communities to the south of the town affected by the works. Dates for these events and the work will be released in due course.
Further information is available by calling Network Rail’s community relations team on 08457 11 41 41 or by emailing CRNE@networkrail.co.uk
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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.
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