Community Rail finishes £84m improve between London and Bedford, enhancing bi-mode prepare efficiency and decreasing diesel use for greener journeys.
Credit score: Community Rail
Community Rail has efficiently accomplished a significant £84 million venture to improve overhead line tools (OLE) between London St Pancras and Bedford, delivering the Midland Important Line enchancment, referred to as OLE125, on time and below funds. The venture ran from September 2023 to June 2025 and concerned changing ageing infrastructure put in within the Eighties that was not match for objective.
The improve permits new bi-mode trains to run at optimum speeds, bettering reliability and efficiency whereas decreasing diesel use, benefiting the surroundings. The OLE125 venture, carried out with primary contractor SPL Powerlines, coated 40 miles, changing 401 head spans, upgrading 108 wire runs, and finishing 209 steadiness weight anchor upgrades. The work concerned over 636,000 hours and a median of 30 machines per shift. Routine upkeep was additionally undertaken to maximise observe availability.
Paul Cater, Community Rail senior portfolio supervisor, stated: “The profitable OLE125 venture has been about making the Midland Important Line extra environment friendly and greener. This improve, mixed with the broader electrification of the road, will imply the advantages are gained over a big space of our railway. We wish to thank everybody who helped us ship the upgrades, which can have clear advantages for passengers as bi-mode trains can now run extra effectively between London and Bedford. We’re additionally grateful to our neighbours dwelling close to the road for his or her endurance whereas we labored on these main enhancements, and likewise maximised our time on observe by finishing up many different upkeep duties on the identical time.”
Steve McWhan, SPL Powerlines UK regional managing director, stated: “We’re extraordinarily happy with the teamwork, dedication, collaboration and professionalism that has taken place to efficiently ship this advanced and difficult venture on time and to funds. OLE125 brings large advantages to passengers with improved line velocity, bringing faster journey instances. The venture additionally brings higher reliability with life-expired tools being changed.”
Philippa Cresswell, buyer expertise director at East Midlands Railway, added: “This necessary infrastructure funding paves the way in which for our new Aurora Bi-Mode trains to function alongside the Midland Important Line, enabling extra dependable, environmentally pleasant, and comfy journeys sooner or later.”
Jenny Saunders, customer support director for Thameslink, stated: “I’d prefer to thank passengers for his or her endurance whereas these works had been underway, and I hope that the advantages of those reliability enhancements on our Bedford, St Albans and Luton routes is seen.”
Associated subjects
Electrical/Hybrid Rolling Inventory, Electrification & Cabling, Infrastructure Developments, Operational Efficiency, Passenger Expertise/Satisfaction, Rolling Inventory Upkeep, Security, Signalling, Management & Communications, Sustainability/Decarbonisation, The Workforce
