HBPW is playing its part in the massive £500m scheme to electrify the Midland Main line between Bedford and Sheffield by 2020.
Network Rail’s half a billion pounds investment, which will not only enable electric trains to run between London St Pancras and South Yorkshire, will also provide for more seats and quicker journey times as well as cleaner, quieter trains.
However, before the scheme can be brought to fruition, existing rail and footbridges need to be raised in order to create the higher clearances required for the introduction of electric overhead lines.
Design Engineer, Ross Hardy, said: “HBPW has been asked to advise on three farm access bridges , all close to Wymington in Bedfordshire, and two footbridges in Burton Latimer and Wellingborough, both in Northamptonshire.
“The three existing structures in Bedfordshire are masonry arch bridges and they are all being demolished and replaced with Network Rail’s standard ‘conarch’ bridge which gives the required minimum clearance of 5.3 meters. The two footbridges will also be replaced with Network Rail standardised structures,” added Ross.
One of the over bridges in Wymington will also be widened. “Modern farming machinery is so much bigger than it used to be so this major scheme is also providing Network Rail with a perfect opportunity to widen the bridge slightly so that local farmers are able to move large agricultural equipment so much easier,” added Ross.
An independent report, compiled by engineering consultancy Arup, has estimated that electrification will benefit the East Midlands alone to the tune of £450 million. It would also create and safeguard hundreds of rail jobs. The average journey time of 93 minutes between Derby and London would be cut by nine minutes.
Current plans are to electrify to Corby by 2017, to Leicester, Derby and Nottingham in 2019 and to Sheffield in 2020.