We’re upgrading the Trent Valley line between Rugby and Stafford this late May bank holiday weekend.
Nine days of working starting on Saturday 24 May will give you a more reliable and resilient railway.
Waterproofing a bridge in Staffordshire
We’ll repair a railway bridge near Tamworth station where water has leaked through the arch barrels – or the curved parts of the bridge. We’ll make the bridge waterproof by removing the track and ballast and then infilling the spandrels – that’s the area between each arch and the bridge deck – with lightweight concrete. We then lay a waterproof covering down across the structure before reinstalling the track and ballast – the stones that support the track.
Doing this will help waterproof the bridge and prevent water damage, ensuring it can safely continue carrying trains over the River Anker for years to come. Repairing the damage will mean we won’t need to slow down your trains over the bridge.
Preventing landslips
Our teams will also stabilise a cutting between the Great Haywood and Shugborough Conservation Area and Cannock Chase. This will help protect the railway and prevent landslips during heavy and frequent rain.
Engineers will clear the cutting by removing any loose rock and vegetation. We’ll then begin installing 264 rock nails and meshing to catch and contain any debris that may develop over time. This will prevent it from falling onto the track and causing a landslip. We’ll also clear out of a blocked culvert – or drainage tunnel – that allows water to flow under the tracks. This will help it manage drainage once more and further strengthen the cutting.
The cutting is vast, measuring 330 metres long and 15 metres high. So, we’ll need to do this work in several stages, starting with this first nine-day period.
Conservation charity National Trust owns some of the land near the cutting so we’re working together to plan the project. We’ve taken great care to ensure our work causes minimal disruption and impact to the wildlife nearby.
Other works
Further north, close to Atherstone, we’ll upgrade the track to keep it running reliably. Engineers will install a total of 2,340 tonnes of new ballast, 868 sleepers and over 500 metres of new rail on this section of the line.
We’ll also repair the footbridge at Rugeley Trent Valley station to keep it in good working order.
Check before you travel
Gary Walsh, director for the West Coast South route at Network Rail, said: “Our essential improvements between Stafford and Rugby will help to deliver a smoother and more reliable railway for passengers and freight services.”
We must close the railway through here for our engineers to safely carry out the work. So, no direct trains will run on the Trent Valley line between Rugby and Stafford between Saturday 24 May and Sunday 1 June.
Some trains will be diverted and rail replacement buses will run during this time. Please plan your journeys in advance using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner and allow for extra time.
