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Monday 21 Mar 2005

NETWORK RAIL BUILDS BRIDGES IN CAMBERWELL

Region & Route:

| Southern

A four-day engineering marathon to replace a rail bridge in south London will take place over the Easter weekend. Rail engineers will work relentlessly to renew the 150-year-old steel structure which carries two of the four tracks used by Thameslink services over Sutherland Square in Camberwell. Andrew Munden, Network Rail Route Director said:  “This is a complex construction project and our engineers will be working around-the-clock to get the new bridge installed on time, bringing long term benefits to this very busy stretch of track. “ Using a 500-tonne crane, teams of engineers from Network Rail and bridge specialists Nuttalls will demolish the old bridge, install the new one and reinstate the railway in just one long weekend. After the last train on Thursday night the teams will set to work preparing the bridge for demolition.  Tracks, signalling and power supplies will be removed before the old bridge decks are cut up and removed by crane during Good Friday. A partial demolition of the brick bridge supports will make way for the modern concrete beams which will support the new steel decks.  During Sunday the decks will be craned into position and secured before the rail maintenance teams reinstall the railway in time for Tuesday morning’s rush hour. Andrew Munden continued: “Replacing rail bridges over a long bank-holiday weekend is a well-practised activity and the best way of causing the least disruption to rail passengers.”