It took just 17 days to completely rebuild a section of railway embankment following a landslide.
The landslide was caused by excess water following Storm Christoph, and meant that trains going between Milton Keynes and Birmingham had to be diverted via Northampton, causing delays.
Network Rail's specialists have been busy rebuilding the 10-metre high embankment at Hillmorton Junction, just south of Rugby.
10,000 tonnes of new stone was laid to improve drainage, and new foundations and special pins have been installed to prevent any future movement.
Ellen Wintle, Infrastructure Director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said: “I’m really proud of my team for working all hours to get this vital section of the West Coast main line secure and back up and running again for our passenger and freight customers.
“Because this landslip was spotted early we were able to control the damage and carry out repairs quickly, reducing the length of time passengers and freight would be disrupted. I thank people whose essential journeys were slightly longer during the work for their patience while we worked tirelessly to make the railway safe and secure again.”
Tomorrow (Saturday 13 February) the line will reopen to trains – two days ahead of schedule.
