By ashleykaren
The Network Rail engineers have finished a series of improvements containing rescaling of a cutting on a stretch of the railway line between Weymouth and Bristol, over a five-day line closure last month.
A section of the line between Castle Cary and Dorchester West was closed for maintenance works from 15 to 19 February.
The works contained rescaling of a railway cutting near Yeovil Pen Mill station to enhance stability. The engineers also took out over 200t of debris, and installed remote condition monitoring cameras and equipment to assist monitoring the stability.
Also, track refurbishments in Yeovil Pen Mill station contained the replacement of over 170 sleepers to supply smoother journeys for passengers and a stronger track.
Moreover, the works comprised the replacement of 250m of lineside fencing, plus structural inspections and drainage researches to observe the condition of vital infrastructure.
Mark Killick, the Network Rail Wessex route director stated: “The railway cutting rescaling is a vital piece of maintenance on this important line for local communities. The work we have carried out will keep passengers moving long into the future.”
The work implemented in the Yeovil Pen Mill area shapes a part of Network Rail’s £2bn investment on the Wessex route.
Later this year, more maintenance works will be done on the line between Castle Cary and Dorchester West which contains track renewals and maintenance, at a date which is going to be confirmed. This follows a main project to replace a railway bridge at Yetminster in February 2020, as part of ongoing improvements to the line.
