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Friday 19 Jun 2020

Work continues to protect the railway at St Catherine’s tunnel, Guildford

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Engineers are continuing to strengthen a railway slope close to St Catherine’s tunnel in Guildford following a landslip last December, with work expected to last until November 2020.

Analysis by a team of geotechnical experts at the time of the slip found the area was damaged following last autumn’s heavy rain.

Network Rail engineers have been working at the site since December 2019 to protect the railway where it is cut deep into the hillside. The team are securing the slope by inserting steel nails, reinforced by cement.

The cutting face has also been covered with a protective netting to prevent more sand falling onto the track. The area will also be reseeded, and we are working with experts to promote future regrowth of vegetation.

Mark Killick, route director for Network Rail Wessex, said: “I want to say sorry to local residents for the disruption that has been caused. This has been a complex job following a landslip, and the team have worked incredibly hard in challenging circumstances.

“Engineers will continue until November, and we will try to keep disruption to a minimum.”

There will be some evening and weekend work during June and July, as well as:

• On some Saturday nights there will be some work by plant (machinery) which is likely to cause some noise.
• During the weekend of 15/16 August, there will be a limited train service from Guildford so engineers can extend the walls at the tunnel portal in order to provide additional stability to the cutting. We can only carry out this work safely while the trains aren’t running.