Duffield Landslip and Resumption of Services
In April, we received a report of a landslip in the cutting north of Duffield close to the footbridge DJW3. Over a period of days, the slip continued to move to the point that the line into Duffield had to be closed. The exact cause of the slip is still being investigated, but it is clear that large quantities of water had got into the clay of the cutting side which became soft and gave way.
The initial plan was to dig away the toe of the slip and install interlocking concrete “Lego” blocks to hold back the slope, these blocks weigh about one ton each. We are particularly grateful to Slinter Mining of Cromford who supplied blocks, to Whitehouse Construction who did the work on site, both at short notice and – particularly - to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association who have provided the finance. However, the slip was so wet and unstable that it was not possible to restore the original foot of the cutting, and the blocks are holding back the clay have, temporarily, been reinforced by additional bags of stone which are too close to the rails for trains to run.
For the time being we are running all our advertised services, but trains are having to be top and tailed and stop short of Duffield a little to the North of DJW3 or terminated at Shottle.
For the past week, we have monitored the site to see if the cutting side has stabilised sufficiently. We are satisfied that this has happened and so, our plan is to reposition the reinforcing bags, thus allowing service to recommence in June. For servicers to operate, we will need to commence a structured monitoring regime for the cutting side, while a speed restriction will be in force through the works.
If the bank becomes unstable, it will be necessary to divert the tracks around the slip for about 120 yards over towards the Down side of the formation which, fortunately, is double track width at this point. This would involve a lot more work and expense; the existing track will have to be removed and the ground excavated to provide a new foundation and up side drainage on this length. There is no ballast on the downside which so far as we know has never carried track since the formation was built over 150 years ago. We would relay the rails on concrete sleepers after cutting back the joints to make a proper lasting job.
Longer term, more work will be required and as part of this, the diversion would be undertaken, albeit on a longer timescale. Clearly such work, combined with additional work to provide a definitive solution to the landslip will be expensive. We will be discussing these works with other interested parties, but you will appreciate that this is an aspect which we cannot discuss in public at present. There will be the need for some serious expenditure and an appeal fund will be opened through EVRA in the near future.
While the blockade has been in place, time has been taken to inspect the condition of the permanent way and the decision has been made to replace up to 150 sleepers between Shottle and Duffield. The plan is to change the majority of these before we reopen but others will be replaced during June. We have also faced another unpleasant problem that has been antisocial behaviour and vandalism at Duffield station. This has been reported to the Police and Eric Boultbee and his team have been making strenuous efforts to protect the site. Hopefully, the resumption of operations, combined with some new and subtle anti-trespass measures will solve the problem but it reinforces how running a heritage railway is like a game of ‘whack-a-mole’: as one problem disappears, another pops-up, usually where one least expects it.
So, what’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question – when will we reopen to Duffield? The answer, subject to all the usual caveats, is Saturday, 10th June. Naturally, we shall be watching the landslip like hawks, while the resleepering exercise will be essential but all being well, normal services will resume on the tenth.
Thank you for your continuing interest and support. There are times when things are happening but there is no apparent progress on the surface but please be assured that like the proverbial swan, there’s a lot of activity below the surface!
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