New drainage system makes Settle-Carlisle railway line safer and more reliable for years to come: A closer view of the new drainage system at Dent, Cumbria

Friday 30 Sep 2016

New drainage system makes Settle-Carlisle railway line safer and more reliable for years to come

Region & Route:
| North West & Central

Network Rail has installed a new drainage system on the Settle to Carlisle railway line in rural Cumbria which will ensure that the line is safer and more reliable for passengers for years to come.

The section of railway line, near to Cumbria’s border with North Yorkshire has seen the foundation of the railway line deteriorate due to rainwater collecting near to the track. The new system will enable surface water to drain away into a nearby stream and away from the line.

The main elements to the work saw drainage installed to collect surface and ground water, allowing it to flow directly into the nearby Cow Ghyll Beck, a stream close to the line.

The second part of the project was to repair the embankment that approaches the tunnel, north of Dent station. This included installing a weir designed to slow the stream at the base of the earthwork during storms and heavy rainfall. In addition to this a second wall was built to support the repaired slope above.

Rhiannon Price, project manager for Network Rail said: “The work that the team has carried out at Dent will make sure that train services will be able to run safely and more reliably on a remote and iconic section of railway for years to come.

“There were a number of challenges that the team faced in completing this, not least the environment where the site was located. The roads were narrow and winding with some very steep gradients. However the staff overcame these physical obstacles and as you can see from the pictures the end result is quite impressive.”

Councillor Keith Little, cabinet member for highways and transport at Cumbria County Council, said: “I am delighted that this important work has been carried out on the Carlisle – Settle line.  The work will greatly enhance the resilience of the railway to future flooding events, and minimise disruption to rail services during inclement weather. This has been a complex task due to the isolated location of the site, and the council would like to thank our partners at Network Rail for their commitment and hard work in completing these repair works.”

Mark Rand, from the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, said: "This is another example of the sort of work being done by Network Rail to keep this iconic railway running safely for decades to come. From the threat of closure in the 1980s is emerging a very robust line indeed, very much part of the Britain's strategic rail network."

The work will ensure that the section of track on the Settle-Carlisle railway line will be more stable and allow passengers to travel safely along one of England’s most picturesque sections of railway.

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