Major flood protection work between Rugby and Milton Keynes on the West Coast main line has been completed.

The railway reopened on Thursday, 13 January after a £2m investment to make future journeys through Northamptonshire more reliable for passengers and freight.

During a nine-day closure of the West Coast main line, 4km of railway was improved by installing drainage channels and cleaning ballast to prevent heavy rain from flooding the line.

A huge ballast cleaning train was used to clear debris from the stone ballast underneath the line. Cleaning the ballast allows rainwater to drain away faster and make the track more stable.

James Dean, route director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said: “We know this work has meant longer journeys for some passengers, so I’d like to thank everyone impacted for bearing with us while we carried out this important work.

“We worked closely with train operators to keep people on the move and now this work is done this vital section of the West Coast main line is better protected from adverse weather for passengers and freight services.”

Lawrence Bowman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “I would like to thank our passengers for their patience while Network Rail carried out these important upgrades to the railway.

“We know weather-related delays are frustrating for passengers, which makes this work to prevent future disruption caused by flooding very welcome.”

Gus Dunster, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “We would like to thank customers for their patience while Network Rail carried out vital works between Rugby and Milton Keynes. These improvements will help to better protect the railway from floods, helping to make journeys more reliable for our customers on the West Coast main line.”

Further information about how Network Rail is combating adverse weather can be seen at  http://www.networkrail.co.uk/responding-to-weather-impacts-on-the-railway/

Video taken during the nine-day closure of the West Coast main line, when 4km of railway was improved