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Monday 17 Jul 2006

WEST DERBY ROAD REOPENS

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West Derby Road in Liverpool reopened on time following a week-long partial closure during which Network Rail put a new bridge in place. The £1.5 million operation has secured the long-term future of the freight railway line, which is used by trains taking coal to Fiddlers Ferry power station. Up to 27 million tonnes of coal are carried into the power station by train each year, helping to keep much of Merseyside supplied with electricity. With the power station closed for its annual maintenance inspection, no coal was needed, and Network Rail was able to take advantage of this quiet period to carry out the work. The railway track and ballast (the grey stone chippings that the track sits on) were removed so that engineers could then cut the steel bridge and free it from its foundations. Using both a 300 tonne and 1,000 tonne crane, together with a multi axle vehicle, the old bridge was lifted out of place and the new one slid into position. Once securely in place, the track was put back so that trains could run again. Finally, the dual carriageway road was opened up to normal traffic, and local streets, which had been closed at their junction with West Derby Road, were also reopened.