Media centre

Tuesday 20 Feb 2018

Significant progress made on £68million upgrade of the Wherry lines

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

Key rail works were completed last week (10 – 18 February) on the Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft (Wherry lines) as part of Network Rail’s wider Railway Upgrade Plan.

Team Orange completed a variety of works as part of the continued modernisation of the Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft lines.   

Engineers worked across the area to complete the second phase of upgrades for the £68m resignalling project including remodelling of track, laying new cables, work to upgrade key level crossings and installation of 34 foundations which will eventually support the new signalling system.

At Lowestoft, 600 metres of track have been remodelled which will prepare the railway for the commissioning of the new signalling system in 2019.  Enabling works have taken place at several level crossings including Lingwood and Strumpshaw with works at Cantley level crossing planned for Saturday 3 March. Six level crossings will eventually be upgraded using a modern barrier type remotely controlled by a signaller using CCTV cameras.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “The successful delivery of the second phase of the NYL project takes us one step closer to the overall goal to upgrade these lines as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan, which will transform rail travel for passengers in this region. I’d like to thank all passengers for their patience while we completed these essential works over the half term period."

Jamie Burles, managing director, Greater Anglia, said: “This work is essential to improve reliability, and modernise and transform the railway in East Anglia. Customers were able to complete their journeys by rail replacement buses, and we would like to thank them for their patience while the work was carried out.”

Work will continue to take place on the Norwich-Yarmouth-Lowestoft lines until spring 2019 with further line closures expected in the autumn of 2018 to continue to upgrade the signalling equipment on the lines.

For more information about the project go to www.networkrail.co.uk/nyl