In a £9.4m investment, Chiltern Railways has expanded its train depot at Banbury because access to its Aylesbury depot will be limited as a result of construction work on HS2.
Following a 6-month depot upgrade, the new sidings at Banbury opened last Saturday, 28th January, and Network Rail has released an impressive time-lapse video of the new lines being built.
Network Rail worked in partnership with HS2, the Department for Transport, and Chiltern Railways, to expand the depot before major work to realign almost 2km of the Chiltern Railways line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire to create space for HS2 tracks to pass underneath The work included:
- construction of four new railway sidings for stabling trains;
- installation of four new signals to allow trains to get in and out of the depot;
- installation of 950 metres of new track;
- construction of 870 metres of new walkways so workers can safely service trains.
Ian Hyde, Chiltern Railways’ engineering & safety director, said: “We are delighted that our Banbury depot has been transformed in collaboration with Network Rail. It significantly expands our capabilities on-site, allowing us to undertake more maintenance work and, ultimately, better serve our customers during the construction of HS2 and beyond.
Patrick Cawley, director for ‘On Network Works’ for HS2 and Network Rail, said:?“HS2 will transform journeys between London, the Midlands, and the North, providing zero carbon journeys from day one and also making space on the existing network for more freight and local and regional passenger services. Our upgrades in Banbury are an industry team effort to keep passengers moving during construction of the new railway.
“The depot’s four new railway sidings will provide our partners at Chiltern Railways with greater operational flexibility to clean and maintain their fleet of trains helping them to deliver a reliable service for their customers.”
“The improvements made will ensure that we can be flexible in servicing and maintaining our fleet, and illustrate how partners in the rail industry can collaborate to strengthen existing infrastructure and improve customer experience.”
Services on Chiltern Railways will be disrupted because of lines closures this weekend to allow drainage improvements to be carried out on lines into London Marylebone station and preparation work on an HS2 viaduct near Wendover. During the disruption, services will start and end at West Ruislip, with connections into central London available on the Central and Metropolitan lines. Journeys will take longer, so passengers should www.nationalrail.co.uk in advance for further information about their journeys.
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