The UK infrastructure agancy Network Rail has been splashing the cash this Easter weekend, carrying out a programme of more than 600 planned projects to improve performance and reliability across Britain. Among the most prominent projects has been the closure of Euston Station in London, the terminus of the West Coast Main Line, Europe’s busiest mixed traffic route, and the site of works on the eventual terminal for HS2, the high speed rail project.

While most of the UK enjoyed the traditional holiday weekend (Friday 7 April to Monday 10 April), thousands of rail workers were on site to deliver an 88 million pound (around 100 million euro) programme of engineering work, upgrading a critical five per cent of the network. Number 601 on the remains the line between Oxford and Didcot Parkway, where emergency repairs continue on the Nuneham Viaduct, which partially collapsed earlier in April.

Vital works says boss

The Easter weekend has become a traditional time for major engineering works on the British railway network. This Easter has been no different, even in the face of changing usage patterns on the network, with more leisure travel making weekends a busier time. Despite that, rail freight operators have been out in force, supporting a nationwide programme of improvements, ranging from track renewals, to bridge work and maintenance projects.

“Our Easter engineering programme has been carefully planned so the majority of the rail network will remain open for business”, said Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive. “Colleagues from Network Rail and our rail partners deliver 88 million pounds worth of investment during the course of the weekend [around 100 million euro]. These vital projects will upgrade the railway so that we can provide a better and more reliable service for our passengers and freight users in the future.”

Transpennine at Leeds

In these busy four days for the infrastructure agency, more than 12,000 metres of new rail and 33,000 tonnes of new ballast has been laid over the long weekend. As usual, Network Rail relies heavily on the rail freight sector to support operations. Several lines out of London were under possession, including the West Coast Main Line, out of London Euston. Further works will be taking place on the WCML, after the holiday weekend, as Network Rail is taking the opportunity presented by the closure of Carstairs Junction in Scotland for extensive upgrade works, including the provision of freight loops long enough to accommodate 775m trains.

Elsewhere, as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, Network Rail carried out a series of improvements around Leeds and Neville Hill over Easter. “The work this Easter is vital to the Transpennine Route Upgrade programme”, said Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express. Teams of engineers installed new overhead line equipment and other infrastructure work, to enhance capacity for mixed traffic.