Friday 1 Nov 2024
Passengers thanked as Stourbridge to Birmingham line reopens
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: Central
Upgrades to improve journeys for passengers between Stourbridge and Birmingham Snow Hill are now complete.
The stretch of railway reopened today (Friday 1 November) after Network Rail worked round-the-clock over the last five days to replace track and improve drainage, work which will help keep the railway and journeys through the area safe and reliable.
During the closure, Network Rail engineers replaced 64 sleepers, improved track drainage and upgraded level crossing equipment, including barriers, lighting and cables at Cradley Heath.
More than 250 tonnes of ballast (the stones in between the track and sleepers) were also used across a two-mile section of track. Special trains called ‘tamping machines’ then passed over the track to vibrate the stones to pack them tightly together. This provides a firm foundation for the railway track and sleepers to sit on.
Adam Checkley, infrastructure director for Network Rail, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we completed essential maintenance work to the section of track between Langley Green and Stourbridge.
“This was essential work, carefully planned to cause the least disruption, which will help make journeys smoother and more reliable for years to come.”
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “We are grateful for our passengers’ patience while Network Rail completed these essential engineering works over the past week. We’re pleased the line has now reopened as planned and our normal timetable is now back in operation.”
Michael Stewart, commercial & customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, said: “The engineering works by Network Rail will help keep the railway safe and ensure journeys are more reliable in the future.
“I’d like to thank customers for their understanding as the upgrades are now complete and the line has been reopened.”
Passengers can plan their journeys and check for the latest travel information at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Contact information
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Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
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Please visit National Rail Enquiries
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Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@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.
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