London King’s Cross Track Upgrade Reaches Final Stage

Work is underway on the final stage of a major project to transform the track layout of London King’s Cross.

Part of Network Rail’s 1.2bn GBP (1.39bn euros | 1.69bn USD) East Coast upgrade, teams at King’s Cross have already lifted the complex track, which was laid over 40 years ago.

London King's Cross
London King’s Cross

During the past two months around 2,800 metres of track, which makes up the new, redesigned layout, have been installed. A major milestone was reached in April, when platforms 0–6 reopened and work began on platforms 7–11.

As well as improvements to the track, the Gasworks Tunnel just outside King’s Cross has reopened after 44 years of closure. This provides two additional tracks to allow more trains to run in and out of the station.

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail's East Coast Upgrade, said:

“Upgrading the track layout, as well as reopening Gasworks Tunnel, will allow more trains to enter and exit the station, reduce congestion and bring more reliable journeys.”

While the second half of the station has its transformation, a slightly reduced service is in place.

This will continue until early June, when there will be a three-day closure on 4–7 June to allow further improvements to be made to signalling.

Chris Heaton-Harris, UK government Rail Minister, said:

“It's fantastic to be reaching the end of the works for the King's Cross remodelling project, and I want to thank passengers who have been so patient during this period of disruption.”

During this time, vital work will also be carried out on a project to build a dive-under at Werrington, North of Peterborough, which will allow slower moving freight trains to run underneath the East Coast Main Line.

Following the ‘big push’ back in January, when the 11,000-tonne tunnel was pushed into place, teams will be moving the tracks into their final position inside it. Once complete, this will enable faster, more reliable passenger services.

Get your news featured on Railway-News

Please fill in the contact form opposite. A member of the team will be in touch shortly.







    We'd love to send you the latest news and information from the world of Railway-News. Please tick the box if you agree to receive them.

    For your peace of mind here is a link to our Privacy Policy.

    By submitting this form, you consent to allow Railway-News to store and process this information.

    Subscribe
    Follow Railway-News on LinkedIn
    Follow Railway-News on Twitter