Train services resume between Taunton and Castle Cary after drainage upgrades
Engineers replaced a section of drainage under nearly 600 metres of the line
Train services between Taunton and Castle Cary are now running again after a seven-day closure to carry out maintenance work in the Somerton area.
Engineers started work on 8th December to replace nearly 600 metres of drainage under the tracks.
The upgrades were finished on schedule and the line reopened early this morning (December 15).
The maintenance included removing the old drainage system and replacing it with modern components.
Engineers also installed nearly 1,400 tonnes of fresh ballast (track stone) and 800 tonnes of shingle.
Fourteen new inspection chambers have been built to allow easier maintenance in future.
Up to 25 engineers worked on the tracks at a time, supported by engineering trains, road rail vehicles, and a tamping train to compact the new stone.
Additional maintenance was also carried out elsewhere along the affected section of the railway, including vegetation clearance, inspecting and testing vital signalling components, and fine-tuning point
During the work, buses replaced trains to continue passenger journeys between Taunton and Castle Cary stations.
Jason Pankhurst, Senior Programme Manager for Network Rail, said
“The work we have completed in the Somerton area over the past week is vital maintenance. Our new drainage system will take rain water away from the tracks much more efficiently, helping to reduce the risk of flooding in the future.
"We'd like to thank passengers and residents for their patience throughout this period. This kind of maintenance is essential to ensure the continued safe and reliable running of the railway.”
Jordan Welsby, GWR Station Manager for Castle Cary, also spoke about the improvements:
“We hope our customers were not too heavily inconvenienced during this important upgrade and were able to make use of the alternative travel arrangements we put in place.
"It’s really important that these kinds of improvements are made to ensure the continued reliability of an important part of the railway. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience.”