Media centre

Tuesday 14 Nov 2023

Network Rail teams continue to fix complex landslip at Aycliffe as repair completion moves to Wednesday

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

Network Rail teams are continuing to work hard to repair the landslip at Aycliffe, near Darlington, but the complex nature of the fix and the landscape of the site has meant the work has taken longer to complete than expected.

Engineers are continuing to install piles into the embankment to stabilise and strengthen the land that the railway line sits on, but the complexities of the repair and difficult access to the site means that the reopening of both lines, previously anticipated today, is now expected on Wednesday.

The northbound line from Darlington towards Newcastle will remain closed today (Tuesday), but the southbound line from Newcastle towards Darlington continues to be open with LNER, Lumo, and CrossCountry able to run a limited train service safely in both directions. TransPennine Express and Northern are not able to run trains through the affected area.

When both lines reopen, a speed restriction will initially be in place, meaning some residual delays will remain. Passengers are being encouraged to continue to check their journeys over the coming days with National Rail Enquiries and train operator websites and social media channels having the latest information.

Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “Our engineers are working incredibly hard to fix the landslip at Aycliffe and return both train lines for rail services, however the work is complicated and we now expect the repair to be completed by Wednesday morning.

“I know that this is causing disruption to passengers and I am sorry for the inconvenience this is causing to their journeys. I want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding and continue to encourage them to check their journey before travelling.”

A spokesperson on behalf of train operators said: “We’re continuing to work closely with Network Rail as they carry out repair work to a landslip at Aycliffe.

“Some trains are still able to run in both directions between Darlington and Newcastle, but we are asking that passengers stay up to date with the latest information by using National Rail Enquiries or via the website or social media channel of their train operator.”