Work


to
improve
the
railway
with
an
investment
of
£86
million
is
being
carried
out
by
Network
Rail
at
300
worksites
over
the
long
Easter
weekend.

In
the
south
of
England
the
junction
at
Battersea
will
be
rebuilt.
The
work
will
include
6km
of
new
signalling
and
comms
cables,
while
new
signalling
will
be
installed
at
Lewisham.

More
than
5km
of
track
will
be
laid
between
Eastbourne
and
Hastings,
and
Pevensey
level
crossing
will
be
renewed.
Track
will
also
be
replaced
in
the
Bromley
North
line,
and
work
to
prevent
landslips
will
be
carried
out
at
Chislet,
between
Canterbury
West
and
Minster.

Further
west,
engineers
will
stabilise
a
railway
cutting
between
Swanwick
and
Fareham.
Following
previous
landslips
in
the
area,
the
cutting
has
been
monitored
to
make
sure
it
remains
safe
and
a
sheet
piled
wall
will
be
installed,
while
rocks
on
the
cutting
slope
should
ensure
stability.

Engineers
will
take
advantage
of
the
nine-day
possession
to
strengthen
the
footbridge
at
Hamble
station,
cut
back
vegetation
between
Fareham
and
Swanwick
to
reduce
the
risk
of
trees
or
leaves
falling
on
the
railway,
and
replace
10
wheel
timbers
on
the
viaduct
over
the
River
Itchen
between
Bitterne
and
St
Denys.
The
new
‘timbers’
will
actually
be
made
of
a
synthetic
alternative
called
Fibre-reinforced
Foamed
Urethane.
It
should
last
30
years
longer
than
the
wooden
versions
and
will
require
less
maintenance.

In
north
west
England
there
will
be
work
to
prepare
the
railway
for
the
project
to
rebuild
Greek
Street
bridge
in
Stockport,
which
is
costing
almost
£20
million,
while
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
will
be
blocked
north
of
Carlisle,
so
that
signalling
can
be
upgraded
between
Carlisle
and
Carstairs.
There
will
be
replacement
buses
for
Glasgow
&
South
Western
services
via
Dumfries
as
well
as
the
main
line
trains
towards
Glasgow
Central.
There
will
be
track
upgrades
near
Liverpool
Lime
Street
and
improvements
at
Salford
Central.

The
southern
end
of
the
West
Coast
Main
line
will
also
be
affected
by
various
possessions.

No
trains
will
run
between
London
Euston
and
Milton
Keynes
Central
between
19
and
21
April,
and
Euston
will
be
closed.
Caledonian
Sleepers
will
be
diverted
to
London
King’s
Cross.
Network
Rail
is
also
using
the
station
closure
to
carry
out
improvements
to
at
Euston,
including
upgrading
the
toilets
and
replacing
signs
to
make
it
easier
for
passengers
to
find
their
way
around
the
station.

Other
work
in
the
area
will
include
the
replacement
of
more
than
350
metres
of
track
near
Hemel
Hempstead,
and
upgrading
200
metres
of
drainage
near
Leighton
Buzzard.

Network
Rail’s
head
of
Euston
station
operations
Amanda
Webster-Uz
said:
‘There’s
a
significant
amount
of
work
happening
over
the
Easter
bank
holiday
to
improve
the
reliability
of
the
railway
for
both
passengers
and
freight.
Whilst
the
railway
to
Euston
is
closed,
we’re
also
taking
the
opportunity
to
improve
the
station
itself.

‘We’re
encouraging
passengers
to
check
their
journeys
in
advance
and,
where
possible,
travel
before
or
after
the
Easter
weekend.’