RAIL PLAN SIGNALS PROGRESS ON SALISBURY

Tuesday 5 Apr 2011

RAIL PLAN SIGNALS PROGRESS ON SALISBURY – EXETER

Region & Route:: | Wales & Western: Western; | Wales & Western

A major plan to modernise the signalling infrastructure on the Salisbury - Exeter line is unveiled today by Network Rail. The £20m scheme will significantly improve the performance of the railway, whilst unlocking its potential to grow.

The 90mile long route operates more than 40 trains per day and is fast becoming a vital link, supporting businesses and the communities.

The signalling equipment dates back to the 1960s and 1980s and is soon coming to its end of life. The major upgrade will renew the infrastructure to improve its reliability and extend its lifespan for another 35 years, safeguarding the future of the railway.

Safety will be improved as work will be carried out to upgrade equipment on major level crossings along the route. Extra steps will also be taken to upgrade the crossing access at Sherborne for passengers with wheel chairs, making it safe and convenient for them to access the station platforms.

Richard O’Brien, route director for Wessex said: “The number of passengers travelling on the Salisbury – Exeter railway has been steadily rising and it is key that the railway remains robust and reliable to serve this burgeoning demand. We want the railway to continue to thrive and with this scheme, we will be able to set up the building blocks that are vital to protect the future of the railway so that we can continue to serve even more passengers for many years to come.”

Work will be carried out from the beginning of Autumn 2011 and it is due to be completed during 2012.

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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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