Network Rail held engineering works over the August bank holiday which saw the completion of the Waterloo upgrade works. This has enabled South Western Railway to have longer trains serving London Waterloo station.
From Network Rail
Network Rail has now fully reopened Waterloo station after completing one of the largest and most complex upgrades in the station’s history.
However, due to safety critical work to test the signalling taking slightly longer than planned early this morning, we are expecting disruption to the morning rush hour. Network Rail apologises to passengers for any delays to their journey and asks them to check before they travel this morning.
A 1,000-strong team of engineers and trackside staff have been working 24 hours a day for the last three and half weeks to complete the work this morning (Tuesday, 29 August).
During the three week project, platforms 1-4 were extended to accommodate longer, 10-car trains, creating more space for passengers.
The work was an essential part of the £800 million Waterloo and South West Upgrade which will boost capacity at the station by 30% by December 2018, providing space for another 45,000 passengers at morning and evening peaks.
Network Rail thanks passengers for their patience over August.
Becky Lumlock, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “The work we have completed in three and a half weeks this August will benefit passengers for decades to come. The longer platforms will create space for longer trains, making journeys more comfortable for passengers, particularly at the busiest times of day.
“Over the next 16 months we’ll turn our attention to the final stages of the redevelopment of the former International Terminal. We’ll be working behind the scenes so that we can, by the end of next year, permanently bring the five extra platforms back into use for what will become a modern, high frequency commuter terminal fit for the 21st century.
“I’d like to personally thank passengers for their patience over the last few weeks, and apologise to disruption to their journeys this morning. I’d also like to pay tribute to our 1,000 strong army of engineers and track workers who have delivered such an enormous project.”
Over the three and a half weeks there have been:
- 180,000 hours worked
- 1,270 metres of track laid
- 230 metres of pre-cast concrete installed
- 160 meters of new platform built
- 7 miles of cable laid
Andy Mellors, managing director for South Western Railway, said: “I’d like to thank our passengers for their patience over the past few weeks. It’s clearly been a challenging time but these improvement works will help us deliver the increased capacity needed for the future.
“As well as Network Rail’s orange army who completed the works, I’d also like to thank South Western Railway colleagues and those working for other industry partners for their hard work over many weeks in preparing for this incredibly complex infrastructure upgrade, as well as providing assistance to our passengers during the works.”
Rail passengers travelling from some stations in Kent are asked to check before travel today (Tuesday 29 August) as trains which had been scheduled to run into Waterloo while major improvement work is carried out in and around London Bridge will run to and from London Blackfriars instead. Passengers can check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
All other Network Rail worksites, including the HS2 enabling works at Euston station, have completed.
Also over the Bank Holiday weekend in late August, Network Rail was also doing works on Anglia, London North Western, Wales, Crossrail and Thameslink
From Network Rail
Anglia
In Anglia, teams delivered part of the £250m programme to replace the overhead line system with tensioned wire that won’t sag in the heat – meaning fewer delays and cancellations and more reliable services for passengers.
London North Western (LNW)
While Euston was closed for HS2 work over the August bank holiday, Network Rail made the most of access to the railway to carry out improvement works – including a deep clean of the station itself!
Track renewals took place between Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted, as well as near Watford
Work continues to upgrade Bolton station as part of the Great North Rail Project and work is ongoing to electrify the Chase Line between Walsall and Rugeley.
Crossrail
A range of works were completed between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield on Sunday and Monday, and at Pudding Mill Lane more than 200m of track was renewed and lifted to connect the Great Eastern Main Line to the Elizabeth Line tunnels. New overhead line equipment and signalling infrastructure was installed in preparation for the Elizabeth Line.
Thameslink
Between today (Tuesday 29 August) and Friday 1 September there will be queuing systems in place at Cannon Street station during the busiest times, as colleagues continue to rebuild London Bridge and the surrounding railway, as part of the Thameslink Programme.
Starting on Saturday 26 August and until Saturday 2 September, there will be no Southeastern services to or from London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross. During this time, our Orange Army will be working to move the Charing Cross lines through London Bridge into a new position and open a newly rebuilt platform 6, which will mean that more Charing Cross trains can stop at London Bridge.
Here’s an update on the London Bus tender awards and some news from LOTS:
Route
|
Current
Operator
|
New
Operator
|
PVR
|
Vehicles
|
31/N31
|
Tower Transit
|
Metroline West
|
20
|
Double deck (details TBC)
|
95
|
Metroline West
|
Metroline West
|
14
|
2011 Euro V diesel double deck
|
169
|
Stagecoach
|
Stagecoach
|
14
|
New Euro VI hybrid double deck
|
196
|
Go-Ahead London General
|
Abellio London
|
16
|
New Euro VI hybrid double deck
|
241
|
Stagecoach
|
Stagecoach
|
9
|
New Euro VI hybrid double deck
|
247
|
Stagecoach
|
Stagecoach
|
11
|
2011 Euro V diesel double deck
|
287
|
Stagecoach
|
Stagecoach
|
7
|
2011 Euro V diesel double deck
|
330
|
Stagecoach
|
Stagecoach
|
10
|
New Euro VI hybrid double deck
|
474 (24 hr)
|
Go-Ahead Blue Triangle
|
Stagecoach
|
14
|
New Euro VI hybrid double deck
|
The above contracts will commence on the following dates:
24th March 2018: Routes 169, 247 & 287.
28th April 2018: Routes 31/N31 & 95.
5th May 2018: Routes 196, 241, 330 & 474.
Sunday 27 August
The change in east London on the 5/15/115 went ahead as mentioned last week. Also in east London the first Arriva DW to move from Tottenham to Barking (DX) is now in service there (see LVF as necessary).
Go Ahead Blue Triangle has started their Routes 5, 15 and 115 contract which Stagecoach lost – it shows that Stagecoach has won their flagship route which is the 474.
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