Two historic rail tunnels in Derbyshire will undergo upgrades, with work due to start at the end of the month.
BBC News reports that tracks between Clay Cross Tunnel and Milford Tunnel are being updated between May 27th and June 11th.
Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail in the East Midlands, said: “This important scheme is essential to maintaining a safe, reliable and smooth service for passengers and freight users through the tunnels.”
The work on the Midland Main Line will cause changes to services for passengers, as well as those using the Derwent Valley Line. This will include reduced service between Sheffield and London, and longer travelling times.
There will be a replacement bus service between Derby and Matlock, though Network Rail has warned passengers to check for works ahead of travelling.
Work on the one-mile Clay Cross Tunnel will include fitting special coated rails to improve its weather resistance, replacing sleepers and ballast, and installing new drainage.
More than a mile of ballast will also be replaced at the Milford Tunnel, as well as track repairs.
The upgrade is even more significant due to the tunnels’ historic value, with Clay Cross Tunnel being nearly 200 years old. Work started on the structure, which travels through Clay Cross Hill, in 1837 and was finally completed in 1839.
Six shafts were constructed along the route, providing ventilation and light to the staff who worked day and night to finish construction of the tunnel, which created a route between Leeds and Derby.
Tunnel repairs are complicated jobs, which is why concrete condition surveys are required first. For more information, give us a call today.