The Railway Magazine – July 2019

88 •The Railway Magazine• July 2019

Taunton set

for revamp

GREATWestern Railway

(GWR) is working with local

stakeholders to deliver a multi-

million pound regeneration

scheme in and aroundTaunton

station. Improvements will

include a new multi-storey

car park, ticket office and

entrance and additional bike

spaces. An improved bus and

taxi interchange and easier

access to the town centre

will also be added as part of

a redevelopment of the area

around the station.Work is

expected to begin this summer

and be completed in spring

2020. Passenger numbers are
      expected to double at the
      Somerset station over the next
      decade.

Barking work to

disrupt c2c

C2C will operate a restricted

timetable for 16 days in July

and early August because

of engineering work connected

to the new Barking Riverside

extension in east London.

The disruption will take place

between July 20 and August 4,

when the Up line between

Purfleet and Barking will be

closed.Trains via Ockendon

will only run towards London

Fenchurch Street throughout

the day.The result will be a

25% reduction in morning

peak services, longer journeys

and different timings.There

will also be significant

alterations to off-peak services

and a reduced weekend

service.

Abbey Line

improvement call

ABFLY, the Abbey Line Users’

Group, is calling for a passing

loop to be installed on the

Watford Junction to St Albans

Abbey branch to help improve

the service frequency. A crowd-

funded report by the group

concludes a passing loop at

BricketWood would allow a

second train to operate on

the line, increasing the service

from the current 45-minute

frequency.The work could cost

up to £10million, plus the cost

of providing a second train.

Toilet facilities

upgrade in Scotland

SCOTRAIL has installed

improved controlled emission

toilet (CET) handling facilities

costing £1million at itsYoker

and Eastfield depots in

Glasgow. Further investment

is also planned at FortWilliam

station, allowing more trains

to be serviced simultaneously,

including the new Caledonian

Sleeper Mk5 stock.

SIDELINES

Straighter and faster for Midland

Main Line at Market Harborough

MARKET Harborough station

reopened to passengers on

June 3 after a six-day blockade

to connect the newly realigned

station to the Midland Main Line

(MML).

Originally planned as part

of the MML electrification

programme, the elimination of

tightly curved platforms in the

Leicestershire town allows higher

line speeds and increases safety

for passengers using the station.

During the blockade, Network

Rail connected more than

two miles of new track to the

alignment either side of the

station and commissioned

two new platforms and a fully

accessible footbridge.

An expanded car park is also

being built and will provide

an additional 200 spaces by

December.

During the work, East

The new platforms

at Market

Harborough have

been straightened

and extended for

increased speeds.

However, the

southern end of the

Up platform is still

to be completed.

On June 17, Class

222 No. 222010

observes a

temporary 50mph

speed restriction

with the 15.00

Sheffield-St

Pancras train.

CHRIS MILNER

Capacity improvements

project for Aberdeen

THE first phase of a £13.5million

capacity project between

Aberdeen and Stonehaven was

commissioned in early May.

New LED signals were replaced

and axle counters installed to

replace steam-era semaphore

signals and track circuit

equipment.

Newtonhill signalbox was also

decommissioned and control of

the signalling section relocated

to Aberdeen.

The work also involved track

and signalling improvements

and the installation of a new

crossover at Craiginches to

provide additional capacity for

freight, proposed Aberdeen

cross-city services and more

frequent inter-city trains.

The new crossover will be

brought into use during the

second phase of the project and

will reduce the number of freight

trains needing to travel north to

Aberdeen station to run round.

The work between Aberdeen

and Stonehaven coincided

with final preparations for the

latest Aberdeen to Inverness

line blockades, which run until

August 19.

NR will complete the double-

tracking of the Aberdeen to

Inverurie section over a 15-week

period, laying more than 10

miles of rail, 40,000 sleepers and

replace or refurbish 19 bridges.

Once complete, the upgrade

will allow ScotRail to run an

hourly all-day service between

Aberdeen and Inverness, with a

half-hourly frequency between

the Granite City and Inverurie

planned for 2020.

SPECIALIST abseiling teams have

been brought in by Network

Rail to help shore up a steep

embankment in Warwickshire

and prevent potentially

dangerous rockfalls.

The earthworks close to

ArleyTunnel, on the Leicester

to Nuneaton line, sits below

an old colliery slag heap and a

mixture of natural soil and rock,

increasing the risk of landslips

and rocks falling onto the track.

NR is spending £6million

to secure the embankment

permanently using large drills to

drive more than 3,600 huge soil

nails into the ground.

New drainage and 1.2km

fencing and netting will also

be installed to prevent material

falling onto the tracks of this

busy cross-country route.

NETWORK RAIL

Midlands Trains ran a reduced

timetable between the East

Midlands and London, with

trains diverted via Oakham and

Corby and replacement buses

serving Market Harborough.

Market Harborough will now

be the northern limit of 25kV

AC electrification on the MML

after the Government decided

to authorise the installation of

wires beyond Glendon Junction,

near Kettering, to make best use

of connections to the National

Grid.

Abseil teams descend to protect

LeicestertoNuneatonline

WORKstarted at Dawlish on

June 1 to construct a new higher

and wider sea wall to protect

the railway and the town from

the sea.Teignbridge District

Council approved Network Rail’s

£30million plans to increase the

height of the sea wall in April.

A 360-metre section of wall

between Dawlish station and

KennawayTunnel will be widened

and increased in height by 2.5m

using pre-cast concrete walls and a

curved‘wave return’to divert water

away from the railway.

NR has opened a‘community

information hub’to keep residents

informed about the project.

Contractors start work to raise the height of the famous sea wall at

Dawlish in Devon, as part of a project that will change the famous

views of the railway forever.NETWORK RAIL

WORK tolengthen and

modernise the single platform

station at Sheringham in

Norfolk overran in May,writes

Dennis Lovett. This view taken

on May 11 shows contractors

still working to rebuild the

platform and install new

lighting.The reopening was

due for completion on May 5,

but was revised to May 17.The

platform is being extended to

accommodate new Class 755

bi-mode trains which are due

to start work on selected GA

routes from July.DENNIS LOVETT

Dawlish sea wall rebuild begins

Sheringham platform work delay

Network Track Record

COMPILED BY

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JONES

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