Media centre

Tuesday 7 Feb 2006

WORK STARTING TO IMPROVE THE RAILWAY IN TAMWORTH

Region & Route:

The scheme to improve the railway in the Tamworth area will gather pace this month as Network Rail continues to make progress on the Trent Valley Four Tracking (TV4) project. Work to widen the railway to allow two extra tracks to be added is already underway and includes the replacement of a number of bridges and the introduction of traffic management systems to ensure traffic and pedestrians can continue to travel across the railway. Senior Programme Manager for the TV4 project, Keith Riley, said: “This project will deliver a major improvement to the railway through Tamworth but necessitates some intensive work in the community. We are however committed to keeping disruption to an absolute minimum and will keep residents informed of work throughout the project.” Work started this week in the Anders and Alders areas of Tamworth to prepare the areas adjacent to the track for the widening work to be carried out. Site hoarding will be put up this month and test soil nails will be put in the sides of the track cuttings. Soil nails are being used to stabilise the sides of the track cutting which must be widened for the additional two tracks. Work to divert utilities will be ongoing in the area. Earth will be removed by engineering train where possible to minimise the amount of traffic using public roads. In addition, work on the bridge at Upper Gungate is progressing, with the centre section due to be demolished and replaced early next month, a process that will involve some weekend and overnight work. There will also be some alterations to the traffic flow over the bridge and some closures to Salters Lane. Diversion signs will be in place and closures kept to an absolute minimum. Soil nailing continues in the area. Work at Coton Lane continues involving site clearance and diverting utilities this month and into March, and work to move a public footpath away from the work area at the side of Wiggington Park will also start this month.