Media centre

Monday 22 Jun 2015

Work to upgrade railway between Corby and Kettering enters next phase

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

A major project which will pave the way for more passenger services between Corby, Kettering and London has entered its next phase as work in the Kettering area will start this week.

Since last September, engineers have been working to reinstate a second track between Kettering and Corby in response to growing demand for passenger and freight services.

The £103m project will pave the way for additional passenger and freight services from the end of 2017.

From June 22 to July 20, piling work to widen and strengthen the existing railway embankment which will allow the existing line to be realigned, and the second line to be installed will be carried out in the Kettering area.

Steve Hughes, Network Rail area director, said: “This vital work will double capacity on this stretch of the network boosting rail travel for thousands of passengers on this route. 

“This investment we are making in the region will take a Victorian railway into the twenty-first century paving the way for smoother and better journeys for passengers. We thank our neighbours for their patience.”

The work will be carried out overnight at weekends and on some midweek nights. The piling work inevitably involves some noise, which may cause lineside residents some disturbance. Residents living within 500 metres of the work have been notified via letter.

Currently, an hourly service runs on a single line between Corby and Kettering. The second track on the line between Corby and Kettering was removed in 1986 when traffic decreased with the closure of steelmaking in the town.

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