Another
landslip

is
causing
disruption,
this
time
on
the
Chiltern
main
line
from
London
Marylebone
to
Aylesbury
via
Harrow-on-the-Hill
and
Amersham.

The
slip,
at
Stoke
Mandeville,
is
the
latest
in
a
series
of
earthworks
problems
which
have
affected
trains
in
Kent
and
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
recently.
Another
slip
has
closed
the
railway
which
connects
Bradford
Forster
Square
with
the
Ilkley
line,
and
the
only
station
on
this
link,
at
Baildon,
is
expected
to
be
closed
until
18
March.

Engineers
from
Network
Rail
closed
one
line
north
of
Stoke
Mandeville
two
days
ago,
in
reaction
to
a
track
defect.
An
inspection
of
the
area
has
now
revealed
that
the
embankment
is
moving.

Network
Rail
said
some
5,000
tonnes
of
material
has
slipped
along
a
20
metre
section
of
the
embankment
after
persistent
heavy
rain
had
weakened
the
earth
beneath
it.

Emergency
repairs
will
involve
installing
120
specialist
nine
metre
‘soil
nails’
to
stabilise
the
area.

To
complete
the
work
Network
Rail
engineers
will
close
both
tracks
between
Aylesbury
and
Amersham
from
1
to
4
March,
and
buses
will
replace
trains
between
Amersham
and
Aylesbury
Vale
Parkway.

Infrastructure
director
Adam
Checkley
said:
‘I’m
really
sorry
to
passengers
and
local
people
affected
by
the
landslip
at
Stoke
Mandeville
which
is
causing
disruption
to
trains
between
Aylesbury
and
London
Marylebone
via
Amersham.

‘Our
major
repairs
will
allow
us
to
safely
reopen
the
railway
as
quickly
as
possible
and
I
want
to
urge
passengers
to
check
www.nationalrail.co.uk
for
the
latest
travel
advice.’