Rail passengers and road users at Hindley in Greater Manchester are being advised of the next phase of major work to electrify the railway between Wigan and Bolton.
Network Rail is progressing with a £78 million investment to upgrade the 6.5-mile stretch of railway to enable electric trains to serve the key North West towns in the future. The route has two railway lines running in either direction which means a total of 13 miles of track will eventually have overhead electric lines installed above to power cleaner, greener trains in future.
In preparation for the installation of high-voltage overhead electricity cables, alterations need to be made to 17 railway structures. Next up is Ladies Lane bridge which will be replaced between Monday 13 March and Friday 14 July 2023 when the road will need to close.
During those dates Hindley station will also be shut so its platforms can be extended to increase capacity for passengers. While work like this is carefully planned to cause the least possible disruption to rail passengers, a six-day railway closure will also be needed between Saturday 6 and Friday 12 May.
During that time replacement buses will keep people on the move between Wigan North Western, Westhoughton, Daisy Hill, Ince and Lostock.
Claire Davis, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: “We’re progressing with this major project to electrify the railway between Wigan and Bolton and bring cleaner, greener and longer trains in the future to this key route in the North West.
“This next phase of work will make sure Ladies Lane bridge will be compatible with the complex web of overhead wires when they are installed. The work at Hindley Station and Ladies Lane bridge will bring some disruption to road users and rail passengers. I’d like to thank people in advance for their patience and to remind them to check before they travel while we carry out this important work to transform the railway for the future.”
For more information on railway electrification visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/living-by-the-railway/electrification/overhead-line-equipment/.
Image credit: Network Rail
