New Malden to Twickenham Renewals

We’ve upgraded the railway between New Malden and Twickenham to increase the resilience of the railway

Project timeline

We renewed the railway between New Malden and Twickenham from Saturday 14 and Tuesday 17 February 2026.

What work took place?

We renewed all 58 of the wheel timbers on Kingston Railway Bridge and refurbished the track that runs over them.

What is a wheeltimber?

A wheel timber is a long wooden beam that the tracks sit on top of when they go over a bridge, as opposed to the bed of rocks and stones on normal ground.

We replaced the old wheel timbers with new synthetic wheel timbers which are more durable than the old ones, lasting a further 30 years. They also use less wood, reducing the need for tree felling.

We also renewed the level crossing on Percy Road in Hampton.

Why was the work needed?

We renewed the wheel timbers under the track because many of the current wheel timbers were old and no longer fit for purpose. By renewing the wheel timbers with lighter, more weather resistant blocks, we have created a better more sustainable railway, as the new blocks last 30 years longer than the current blocks. The better durability means we expend less CO2 maintaining them throughout their 50 year lives.

Our renewals to the line will help avoid faults causing delays, improving the reliability of the line.

I have a question about the project – how can I get in touch?

If you have any questions, please call our dedicated 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or visit our contact us page.