Rail Gauge Upgrade Works Progress on Schedule

A major railway improvement scheme being carried out by Network Rail to enable 9’ 6”
(hi-cube) containers, preferred by many global shipping firms, to be transported efficiently by train from Southampton to the West Coast Main Line at Nuneaton is progressing well.

The £71 million project involves upgrading tunnels, bridges, station canopies and signals at almost 50 sites between Southampton and Nuneaton to allow the larger containers to pass by.  The scheme aims to transfer up to 50,000 container journeys a year from the Britain’s roads to the railway and will provide a quicker, greener and more practical way of transporting goods around the country, benefiting both the regional and national economies.

Some of the works have already been completed at Kidlington, Middlemarch Road, Dunnifield and Gypsy Lane.  Works to lower the track underneath Sandy Lane and Radford Road overbridges (pictured left) on the Coventry to Nuneaton line have also been completed.

Talking about the importance of the project to
DP World Southampton, Aart Hille Ris Lambers, Business Development Manager at the terminal, said:

“Around 25% of the inland container moves to/from Southampton go via rail.  This figure is constrained by the current rail infrastructure linking Southampton with the West Coast Main Line not being capable of accommodating 9’ 6” containers on standard freight wagons. 

Once the gauge clearance works have been completed we expect to see significantly more containers move by rail which will enable our customers to become more competitive with high cube containers as well the important benefit to the environment as there will be fewer lorries on the roads.”

Work over the coming months includes lowering the tracks through Southampton Tunnel - the biggest single project - and the reconstruction of bridges at St Denys, Dorridge, College Street and Harbury Tunnel.  The entire project is scheduled for completion by early 2011.