An ADDITIONAL £300million emergency fund for improvements to the London to Brighton line has been confirmed by the Department for Transport. The extra money is intended to increase the ‘resilience’ of the infrastructure along the route and reduce delays and cancellations.
Work will include replacement of worn-out signals, track and points, rebuilding of bridges, improving drainage in tunnels to prevent water damage to electrical equipment, further measures to increase security and prevent trespass, and shoring up of embankments and cuttings to reduce the risk of landslides.
Network Rail and train operators will form new
co-ordination teams to manage the upgrade work, identify pressure points and respond to incidents more quickly.
Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save
NR’s performance figures show that infrastructure issues account for 59% of delays on Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) routes, of which the London to Brighton line is the busiest.
In September 2016, the DfT allocated £20m to address what Transport Secretary Chris Grayling called “unacceptable disruption” on the Southern network, and created a new project board to oversee the improvements, headed by former Virgin Trains managing director Chris Gibb.
Read more News in February’s issue of The RM – out now!
