'Ready made' tunnel installed in record time saves £30m

In just nine days, we installed a new railway tunnel at Werrington on the East Coast Main Line - one of Britain’s busiest railways.
We used cutting-edge engineering techniques to speed-up our work, saving at least £30m, and kept the railway open while doing it. The new tunnel separates freight trains from faster, main line passenger services, freeing-up capacity for more passenger trains in the future.
Uniquely, the railway remained open while the tunnel was cast in sections over a 10-month period. In nine days, we removed the tracks, excavated the earth and pushed the 11,000-tonne tunnel into place - first of its kind built in Europe.
👉 www.networkrail.co.uk/DoingMoreForLess

[@sawdoctor0]

Brilliant. Why don't the media give the public some good news stories like this. What an amazing achievment.

[@BibtheBoulder]

Huge congratulations on a job very well done. This is a side of the railway most of us never get to see.

[@MrGrunter0]

I frequently passed the early stages of this project whilst driving my Brake handling hours during my training. A few months has passed and its complete.....yet the road flyover near me has frequently been down to 1 lane more than its actually been open due to build issues ever since its construction 5years ago! Well done all who worked on this huge feat of engineering.

[@hughmacfarlane9662]

This design method was used for a road tunnel under the Conway and Medway estuaries over 20 years ago . Also used at Previza-Aktion crossing in Greece back in 1997.

[@raytylicki9001]

Cost of new tunnel in Middlebury VT pop 10,000 was 71 million for a mile of tunnel and another 20 million for 6 years of studies and enviro impact studies

[@Andrewjg_89]

I do like what you have done at Werrington Junction near Peterborough. With the new tunnel being built that will allow freight trains to pass underneath the ECML and to end the bottleneck. Maybe you could do the same at Colton Junction south of York with a new underpass to allow northbound trains to pass underneath the 4 track North Pennine Lines. Or possibly a new flyover.

[@dionysusnu3881]

Colton Junction isn't a huge bottleneck point - especially not for freight. Werrington Jn is one because of three things: - Crossing over the fast lines - Having to stay on the fast lines for quite a while before - Approach control because of the low junction speed None of those are the case at Colton Jn, so it's not a big issue for freight there.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The underpass opened for trains about 2 weeks ago.

[@Andrewjg_89]

True. Maybe leave Colton Junction as it is.

[@a20axf]

Geoff liked this 👍🏻

[@magnuswalker7957]

Well done, now all we need is clean trains that run on time, lower fares and we are getting somewhere.

[@barryroberts2196]

Cleaver idea. Well done.

[@raytylicki9001]

Comparable projects in Middlebury Vermont took two years to build a tunnel Vermont Railway Freight in future Amtrak service

[@ianmoseley9910]

modern version of cut and cover

[@lightfirecreative7612]

I wish my state of New South Wales invested in our rail system like Network Rail does in the UK. Other than Antarctica, Australia is now the only continent without high-speed rail.

[@alanhutchins4233]

Why don't you create a full video about this? If this is a first, then surely it is worth that?

[@h.martinsmith7839]

Agree. I for one would like much more information.Including the problem & its relationship to the container trains to the Docks.

[@zivoradnedeljkovic8242]

EEEXTRA !!!

[@danensis]

Could this technique be used on the Lichfield to Birmingham line for the Lichfield Canal tunnel?

[@Neilbl62]

They're putting in a new bridge to replace the culvert on the Stroudwater under the Gloucester-Birmingham railway over Christmas 2021. I'd imagine the expertise is transferable.

[@stepheneyles2198]

A very interesting job, but the video would have been better with a simple diagram.... And the music isn't the best imho... ;-)

[@kennethgarland4712]

So why can't they - or won't they - complete the electrification of the Paddington to Bristol line? Why can't they - or won't they - upgrade the track (including bridges and tunnel) in order to re-open the Bristol to Portishead line?

[@kalicom2937]

Paddington to Bristol [Parkway] is electrified.

[@jimthorne304]

What a waste, in addition to miles of incomplete catenary there's even a whole unused substation near Thingly Junction.

[@Nova-gk1wl]

Because the government said "no" to finishing electrification but "yes" to this. With London-Bristol trains being bi-mode it's harder to justify full electrification.

[@kalicom2937]

@@Nova-gk1wl Bristol Temple Meads did not get electrified, Bristol did. Be precise. Swansea got fucked more than Bristol. As did Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance. And big chunks of the midlands. Start making good arguments, please.

[@jimthorne304]

@@Nova-gk1wl I don't think it was quite that clear cut; they worked on Box tunnel to accommodate the overhead equipment, also Bathampton junction and Bath station, and there's several miles of masts with no wire and an electrical substation between Chippenham and Bathampton junction. The same goes for Didcot-Oxford. That's not a 'decision' not to electrify, that's an abandonment of the project.

[@markjones4704]

20 mins walk from me

[@jimthorne304]

Jolly good, and now, reopening a closed station in less than 50 years.....

[@19TheChaosWarrior79]

Can you spend that 30m saving on SELRAP?

[@camping_guru_uk]

I played a very small part in this, more just supporting the real workers but I still feel proud of the small part I played. It was one of my most enjoyable work experience, seeing something amazing being built like this close up.

[@RedArrow73]

Too bad the Metropolitan or District couldn't have been built this way.

[@MH-sw9fy]

That's great news it mean you can use the money to help pay for the overspend on cross rail

[@shawnli4746]

Bet you wasted more money trying to silence the nimbys.

[@Neezabja]

Shame our signalling system is still far from cutting edge.

[@markgoddard2560]

I don’t mind how many tunnels you install, so long as you don’t play this awful repetitive jingle with it.

[@bsmith2053]

You know you have a mute button.

[@marklatimer7333]

Terrible music.

[@oforid2227]

see what i mean like why can't we just upgarde current existing railways instead of making a new high speed one

[@AndrewN75]

Oversimplification. This only removes bottlenecks. We need wholesale upgrade in capacity. The time saving hits the headlines but isn't the main problem to be solved. high speed Trains can't overtake slow freights and local commuter services

[@oforid2227]

@@AndrewN75 if only they thought of this sooner

[@AndrewN75]

@@oforid2227 Railways have had fast and slow lines to separate services since 1880's. Yes, 1880 not 1980. We need a step change in capacity that can only come from a new railway line. Laying 2 more lines up the twisty and steep West Coast route would involve demolition of many homes and businesses. These options have been thoroughly investigated many times. Engineers are not idiots

[@oforid2227]

@@AndrewN75 yh

[@ghost307]

Because building new gets politicians reelected. It's harder to get reelected if you fix something...replacing is worth more votes. Besides when it come to staying in a position of power money is no object (especially when it's not yours).

[@DefaultMale_]

Cool tunnel. Worth watching in class!