Media centre

Friday 2 Jun 2023

Railway staff swap tracks for towpaths for Rugby canal repairs

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: West Coast Mainline South

A team of Network Rail volunteers have successfully repaired a canal in Warwickshire to help keep boaters afloat.

Usually tasked with keeping rail passengers and freight trains safely running on the rail network, on Thursday 25 May eight railway staff helped the Canal and River Trust to ensure Oxford Canal users in Rugby can keep cruising.

They cleared out a clogged up and overgrown canal feeder channel – these run from small streams or rivers to keep our man-made waterways at the correct levels.

It’s estimated the work carried out by the railway crew saved the charity around £20,000.

Ellen Wintle, Network Rail’s West Coast South infrastructure director, said: “It’s been great to get out and help the Canal and River Trust in Rugby as part of Network Rail’s commitment to volunteer in local communities.

“Our two organisations share lots of similar challenges in that both the railway and canal network were built by the Victorians for mass transportation. We know the importance of keeping such historic infrastructure up to scratch for the 21^st century, so we’re really glad our hard graft has helped save the charity £20,000 which can be spent on its other vital waterway improvements.”

The volunteers usually work in a number of office-based and operational roles for Network Rail’s West Coast South route and Capital Delivery team.

For more information on how Network Rail works with community groups visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/community-rail/