Network Rail has completed a £6 million investment to improve the reliability of the railway infrastructure through Durham on the East Coast Main Line.

Over the five weekends from Saturday, 14th January to Sunday, 12th February, engineers replaced around 860 metres of track and ten sets of points around Durham station that hadn’t received any significant work for about 40 years. At the same time, engineers also carried out vital upgrades to the signalling equipment.

By implementing weekend-only working ensured the railway could remain open and commuter services were unaffected as they ran as normal.

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.”

David Horne, Managing Director at London North Eastern Railway, 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.”