- £2M OF RAIL WORK FINISHED ON TIME
£2 million of work to replace four
sections of railway track totalling 1.5 miles in the Kirkdale area of
Merseyrail was completed successfully in the early hours of this
morning (21 October).
The line had been closed to trains for the last nine days, whilst
engineers took out jointed track and replaced it with continuously welded
rail held in place by 3,681 wood or concrete sleepers set on 8,800 tonnes
of new ballast.
The work brings major benefits for passengers and the rail industry
alike:-
· The ride is quieter and smoother because passengers no longer hear the
familiar clickety-clack from the train's wheels or feel the bumps
associated with going over the joints in the track.
· Less wear and tear on the wheels, which brings maintenance benefits for
the train operators and means less wear and tear on the track itself.
· People living near the railway line will experience less noise and
vibration from the trains as they pass by.
Railtrack's zone director Tim Clarke said:- "Completing a
project such as this, on time and within budget, is a tribute to the way
the various elements of the rail industry can pull together. Railtrack's
national logistics unit co-ordinated the removal of the old track and
delivery of the new materials; EWS provided the engineering trains and
crews; Jarvis Rail and their contractors did most of the physical work in
association with our own engineers and staff. All in all, this was a job
well done and one that should last the travelling public and the railways
many decades to come."
Throughout the nine-day operation, Arriva Trains Merseyside provided a
fleet of replacement buses for passengers on the Kirkby and Ormskirk
lines, connecting with trains at Sandhills for the journey into Liverpool.
Extra staff were also on hand to assist passengers who needed help.
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