Network Rail invest in infrastructure over Easter

Spare a thought for Network Rail. While the rest of us whiled away our Easter weekend, more than 3,000 of their workers braved Storm Katie to begin the integration of Crossrail with the UK’s existing rail network.

Delivered with aplomb, this latest £30M tranche of work represents one of the largest Easter investment programmes ever undertaken on Britain’s railways.

The completion of this initial phase of works was absolutely critical. Three quarters of the proposed Crossrail route – to be known as the Elizabeth line from December 2018 onwards – will run above ground, through the outskirts of London and into nearby Berkshire and Essex.

Once complete, 1.5 million more people will be brought within 45 minutes of central London.

At Crossrail’s behest, Network Rail undertook electrification works between west London and Berkshire, and improved railway infrastructure at selected sites in Essex, to facilitate the introduction of quicker and quieter electric trains in 2017. A series of platform extensions also took place to accommodate these lengthier trains.

Elsewhere, track work took place to improve overall reliability, while the construction of a new station at Abbey Wood began in earnest. Hefty pre-cast concrete slabs were hoisted into place to form the base of the new two-storey building.

 

Matthew Steele, Crossrail Programme Director at Network Rail, said: “I would like to thank passengers and our lineside neighbours for their patience and our team of staff and contractors for their dedication during the Easter period. Our orange army worked tirelessly over the Easter weekend to deliver a staggering amount of complex work. As three quarters of the route will run above ground on the existing rail network the improvements we have delivered are crucial to the successful completion of the new railway.”

Matthew White, Surface Director at Crossrail said: “The Crossrail project will provide a step change in public transport for many thousands of people in outer London, Berkshire and Essex. The programme of work delivered by Network Rail over Easter brings us a step closer to delivering quicker journeys, improved stations and better connections for local people along the route.”

In total, Network Rail’s orange army amassed an exhausting 100,000 hours of work across 16 separate sites in Berkshire, Essex, Kent and west London.

The post Network Rail invest in infrastructure over Easter appeared first on UK Construction Online.