A £6 million investment to deliver more reliable journeys for passengers travelling along the East Coast Main Line through Durham station is now complete.
Over five weekends, from Saturday 14 January to Sunday 12 February, engineers have replaced around 860 metres of track and ten points, which allow trains to move reliably from one line to another.
Vital upgrades to the signalling equipment (the traffic lights of the railway) have also been completed and platforms have been improved.
The tracks in and around Durham station haven’t had any major work for around 40 years, so the refresh will help to drive down delays and offer passengers smoother, on time journeys.
Network Rail and train operators are thanking passengers for using rail replacement services and diversions to stay connected while these major upgrades took place.
Paul Rutter, East Coast Route Director for Network Rail said: “Upgrading this equipment is essential for running trains reliably, reducing delays and getting passengers to where they need to be on time, so I’m pleased to see this valuable investment complete.
“I’d like to thank passengers for planning ahead and using the rail replacement services and diversions that we worked with our train operating colleagues to provide. People travelling by train to, from or through Durham can now expect smoother, on time journeys.”
Completing all of this work over five weekends has meant that the railway could remain open throughout the week to help commuters get to work as normal, as well as reducing the amount of work needed in the next few years.
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER which manages Durham railway station, said: “This important upgrade work will make journeys even smoother and more reliable for our customers and the many passengers who travel along the LNER route through Durham. It is a great example of the rail industry working together to improve journey experiences for our customers.”
Kerry Peters, Regional Director at Northern said: “All investment in rail infrastructure that improves service reliability is very much welcomed. It’s great to see the work at Durham now complete and I’d like to thank customers for their patience while the work has been carried out.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express said: “We’re thrilled to see these vital upgrades complete. The modernisation of these tracks and signalling equipment will provide more reliable and smoother journeys for our customers.
“I’d like to thank our customers for being patient, checking ahead and carefully planning their journeys throughout the past five weekends of work.”
Ben Simkin, Regional Director at CrossCountry said: ‘‘We would like to thank all customers for their patience and support during the engineering works. These vital upgrades will significantly improve reliability for customers journeys going forward.’
