Media centre

Thursday 13 Mar 2014

Rail investment will deliver long-term benefits - but means short-term disruption to passengers

Region & Route:

The railway between Rose Grove and Colne is to be upgraded to provide a more reliable service for passengers.

Network Rail is to spend nearly £2m to completely renew a 1.5 mile section of track between Rose Grove and Brierfield and improve a 2.3 mile section between Brierfield and Colne.

The improvements will significantly reduce the need for maintenance and future disruption to passengers and are part of Network Rail’s commitment to provide a safe, reliable and efficient railway.

To complete the work, a nine-day closure of the line is required and a rail replacement bus service will be in use from the start of service on 30 March until 6 April, providing passengers with alternative travel between Colne and Rose Grove calling at Burnley Barracks, Burnley Central, Brierfield and Nelson.

Martin Frobisher, area director for Network Rail, said: “This work will provide an improved railway along the section of line between Colne and Rose Grove which will be more reliable and require less maintenance, helping us provide a safe and efficient railway.

“It is a significant piece of engineering which can only be carried out while the railway is closed. We have worked closely with Northern to plan the work so we can complete it as quickly and safely as possible and apologise for the disruption the work will cause.”

Alex Hynes, managing director for Northern Rail, said: “Investment in rail in the region is great to see and here at Northern, we welcome it. The improvements will help us provide a more reliable service, on a solid infrastructure, for customers on an increasingly busy line of route.”

As part of the work existing track, made up of shorter lengths of rail joined together, will be replaced with a new continuous length of rail. More than 400 joints connecting separate sections of rail will be welded together to make a further continuous rail, both of which will provide a smoother, quieter and more reliable journey for passengers.

To maximise the benefits to passengers following the nine-day closure, Network Rail will carry out additional maintenance and improvements in the area, including:

• Vegetation management
• Level crossing renewals at Huncoat and Brierfield
• Improved lighting at Brierfield station
• Litter and graffiti removal
• Repairs and enhancements to stations and fencing

Information on the work will be widely available to passengers including posters at stations, announcements on trains, via social media and at www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.northernrail.org.