Full details of what has changed after biggest Guildford railway upgrade for 40 years
Ten days of work around Guildford saw brand new track laid and signalling upgraded
By
Dave Comeau
One of the first trains to travel over the new track in Guildford (Image: Network Rail)
The
biggest upgrade of the railway line around
Guildford for four decades has been completed on time.
Network Rail engineers have been working for 10 days over the Easter holidays to deliver the improvements and all lines reopened at 4am on Monday (April 20) after closing on April 10.
Services between
London Waterloo and Guildford via Clandon had already resumed on April 14.
Over a combined 20,000 hours of work between the engineers they laid around 1,500 metres of new track on lines approaching Guildford from
Worplesdon and Wanborough, used by
South Western Railway (SWR) and Great Western Railway (GWR).
Network Rail says the new track, which will benefit services to
Gatwick Airport, London Waterloo, Reading and
Woking, is designed to last up to 60 years and will reduce delays caused by track failures.
Here's a summary of what work was completed:
- Brand new track totalling around 1,500 metres laid
- Upgraded signalling equipment installed at Guildford station
- Power supplies upgraded with 1,200 metres of conductor rail renewed from Guildford to Clandon
- 41 track circuits upgraded
- Speed restrictions removed from the area around St Catherine's Tunnel, where two landslips occurred last year
- New paintwork and anti-slip tiles installed on the overbridge at Guildford station
The
two landslips that caused disruption around St Catherine's Tunnel, between Guildford and Shalford, required engineers to remove around 800 tonnes of sand and strengthen an embankment and rockface.
During that work, engineers uncovered what's thought to have been
a Medieval shrine to St Catherine in a hidden cave.
Markings found within the small cave in the hill below the ruins of the chapel of St Catherine (Image: Network Rail)
As well as at Guildford, work was carried out around Witley and
Godalming. At Witley, maintenance was carried out by 'tamping' units, which are machines that pack the ballast stones under the tracks more tightly to make them more secure.
In Godalming, new wheeltimbers and rails were installed at the bridge over the River Wey.
Mark Killick, route director for Network Rail Wessex, said: "We've now completed the biggest rail improvement programme in the Guildford area for nearly 40 years, one that has taken two years to plan and will provide a more reliable railway and better journeys for passengers.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/su...ord-station-closed-train-engineering-18103975
"I'd like to thank key workers and those unable to work from home for their patience during the works and also praise our railway heroes who adopted new practices and worked tirelessly over the Easter break. Their efforts will ensure the railway is ready and waiting for passengers once the pandemic restrictions are eventually lifted."
Engineers will return to Guildford over the coming weeks to conduct follow up work. This will take place on the following dates:
- Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26
- Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17
The track renewal at Guildford station used 18 engineering trains, two Kirow cranes, two tampers and two Road Rail Vehicles (RRVs).
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