Media centre

Thursday 25 Jan 2018

Work underway to stabilise Streatham railway embankment as part of £300m investment programme

Region & Route:

| Southern

Vital work has started to stabilise a railway embankment in Streatham, south London, to reduce the risk of a future landslip after high-tech monitoring equipment confirmed it is subsiding.

Network Rail engineers have been monitoring the stability of the embankment close to Streatham Common station after regular inspections raised concerns.  A piece of technology called an inclinometer, which measures movement, showed the embankment is slowly moving, even during the dry summer months.

The year-long project at Streatham is part of a £300m government-funded programme to boost the reliability of the railway in the south east, cutting delays and providing a better, more reliable rail service for tens of thousands of passengers each day.

Derek Butcher, Network Rail’s Route Asset Manager for the South East, said: “The work we’re doing is absolutely vital to keeping Southern and Thameslink trains running safely and reliably for passengers. Streatham is a key location on our railway network and any disruption here has the potential to disrupt services across the whole of south London. We thank people in the area for their patience while we carry out this work.”

In order to stabilise the embankment, a mixture of concrete piles and soil nails will be driven into the ground to secure the soil.

Once the soil has been stabilised a reinforced concrete beam will be added, then more surface concrete, before being finished with a new soft surface to allow grass to return.

Work started in mid-January and is set to be completed in early 2019. It will be done mainly during the day to minimise disruption to people who live nearby.

Network Rail has written to residents who may be affected by the work and recently hosted a drop-in session for local people. For more information, members of the public can call Network Rail’s 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41.