From Saturday 16 March to Sunday 24 March, the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade team worked around the clock to deliver vital upgrades, as the programme edges closer to full completion.
Over the nine-day period, track installation and drainage works were carried out in the Dore & Totley area, with the Dore South Curve extension completed – these upgrades have increased the capacity through Dore & Totley by doubling the number of tracks in and out of the station, whilst track work in Grindleford was also completed.
Additionally, engineers worked on the new second platform at Dore & Totley station, now linked to the existing platform via an accessible footbridge. During the work, the existing platform was extended to accommodate longer trains.
Some final work is set to be completed in the coming weeks which will include the commissioning of the new lifts, making the station fully accessible for customers.
Elsewhere on the route, a new cutting-edge signalling system was installed which will be controlled by our Rail Operating Centre (ROC) in York. This replaces the mechanical signalling equipment, improving the reliability of services on the Hope Valley line.
Ben Shaw, sponsor of the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade, said: “We’re delighted to have made the final step in the Hope Valley Railway Upgrade project, bringing our passengers the railway they deserve.
“This final phase of upgrades mean customers will have a faster, more reliable, accessible railway between Manchester and Sheffield.
“On behalf of the entire project team, I’d like to extend my thanks to all passengers and residents across the Hope Valley line for their patience and understanding.”
The Hope Valley Railway Upgrade will remove several bottlenecks between Manchester and Sheffield to allow passenger trains to overtake slower freight trains along the line.
Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “I’d like to thank our customers for their patience whilst we were putting the finishing touches on the brand new second platform at Dore & Totley.
“The second platform and track through the station will bring much-needed improvements, providing for extra capacity in the future with better train speeds and enhanced reliability on this key section of our route”.
Image credit: Network Rail
