Thursday 27 Dec 2018
Time-lapse footage shows completion of first stage of major Christmas upgrade to railway in Northamptonshire
- Region & Route:
- | Eastern
Newly released time-lapse footage shows over 100 Network Rail workers completing the first stage of a major project to upgrade the track layout just north of Wellingborough station as part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade.
Between the last service on Christmas Eve and the first service this morning (Thursday 27 December), engineers have worked around the clock to install five sets of switches and crossings – the equipment that allows trains to move from one piece track to another.
Work to install a further five sets of switches and crossings will continue until Tuesday 1 January. Passengers planning on travelling during this time are advised to check before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator, as services may take longer than usual, and some services are being replaced by buses.
All train services will return to normal on Wednesday 2 January.
Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “This time-lapse footage shows the sheer scale of the work which has taken place over the last three days.
“Our workers will continue on this vital upgrade which will create the capability for six trains to London St Pancras per hour, up from the current five by the end of 2020.
“We’d like to remind passengers to continue to check before they travel, and we thank them for their patience whilst this work takes place.”
A breakdown of how journeys will be affected can be found by visiting nationalrail.co.uk/Christmas and by following #XmasRailWorks on Twitter.
ENDS
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