3,000 hours of work make railway at Euston more reliable in hot weather

Overhead contact wires have been overhauled and replaced outside London Euston station to make the railway more reliable in hot weather.

A total of 3,000 hours of work over four weeks, mostly overnight, has resulted in 1,900 metres of new wires being installed. New overhead line equipment, which holds the new wires to the correct tension, has also been fitted.

James Dean, Network Rail’s route director for the West Coast main line South, said: “During extremely hot weather, overhead wires can sag. The wires can then catch on passing trains and be torn down.

“With extremes in temperature now becoming more common in Britain, we need to weather-proof our railway. This work is part of that.

“It will help stop cables sagging and reduce the risk of them coming down, making the West Coast main line more reliable for the tens of thousands of passengers travelling in and out of Euston every day.”

Gus Dunster, executive director of operations and safety with train operator Avanti West Coast, said: “We are pleased to have played a part in supporting Network Rail’s vital work to the overhead lines at Camden and would like to thank our customers for their patience, as we did our best to keep them moving.

“This essential work is the latest example of our collaboration with Network Rail to deliver additional maintenance projects while the railway is not operating at full capacity. The renewal of infrastructure and equipment on the approach to London Euston station will improve the reliability for millions of customers across the West Coast main line when we look forward to welcoming them back.”