Plans on track for reopening of railway line between Telford and Shrewsbury
The railway between Shrewsbury and Telford is set to reopen tomorrow following the recent landslip near Oakengates, which has disrupted services.
Network Rail, in collaboration with stakeholders, has been tirelessly working to stabilise and repair the failed railway embankment near Oakengates, and have indicated that the repair works will be completed by today with full rail services resuming on Friday providing much needed rail links for the borough and beyond.
The line was closed on Friday 8 March in both directions for safety reasons following a landslip on a steep railway embankment.
More than 5,000 tonnes of material slipped beneath a 50-metre section of the railway after persistent heavy rainfall over the winter months had weakened the earthwork beneath it.
Work to restabilise the railway embankment - which is approximately 15 metres in height - has involved digging out material that’s slipped to create a new profile for the slope. Large ‘steps’ will be cut into the slope before engineers backfill it with over 12,000 tonnes of stone, helping to reduce the gradient and strengthen the embankment.
Councillor Shaun Davies (Lab), Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, emphasised the importance of prompt action, stating, “Ensuring minimal disruption for our residents and commuters into Telford has been our priority.
"We’ve worked tirelessly with Network Rail, West Midlands Trains and the Department of Transport to expedite the repair works and maintain transport links so far as possible.
"We will continue to liaise closely with our partners to ensure passengers are kept informed of any changes to timetables and temporary bus services and I would like to thank all partners for their hard work in getting this repaired quickly."
