Major upgrade work to improve a railway embankment at Harbury tunnel in Warwickshire will mean a more reliable railway for passengers who travel on the Chiltern Main Line.
Since December 2019, Network Rail engineers have been working to stabilise the embankment at Harbury Tunnel, between Leamington Spa and Banbury, thanks to a £9m investment.
The area in the past has been beset by earth movement. The most recent of this earth movement was in 2015 when a 300,000-tonne landslip closed the line for six weeks.
Joel Farrell, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: “This significant investment to secure this part of the Chiltern main line will ensure reliable journeys for passengers between Birmingham and London for many decades to come. The ground here, made up of layers of limestone and shale, can be unstable and could potentially cause issues for the railway running through it. This preventative work will stop any future slips and make it much more secure. We know Harbury very well after the huge landslip in 2015 and I want to thank the local community for their patience while we complete this vital work.”
The makeup of the earth at Harbury embankment means landslips have been an issue for the railway since it was completed in 1852.
The embankment strengthening at Harbury began in December 2019 and is expected to finish in 2021.
The work is being completed during the daytime, whilst trains run below, meaning no disruption to passengers and no noisy overnight work.
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The Chiltern Main Line is the only major railway line that isn’t electrified. But good work from Network Rail.