Rail improvement work due on North Cotswold line
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Up to £70m will be spent on improving the North Cotswold line in the next two years, Network Rail has announced.
Track and stations between Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire; Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire; and Evesham, Worcestershire, will be revamped.
Network Rail said new level crossings, barriers and signals would be installed and the work should provide extra capacity for hourly services by 2011.
It said it would carry out most of the work overnight to reduce disruption.
Track renewal work at Ascott-under-Wychwood and Evesham is due to start in June followed by work to redouble 21 miles (31km) of track starting in autumn.
Network Rail said it would tender contracts for track, signalling, stations, telecoms and plant installation work in the summer.
It said the North Cotswolds line was a particularly congested part of the railway, which meant even small delays had a big impact on rail services in the area.
It said improvement work would increase rail service reliability along the line.
By: BBC
