Unstable embankment causes Midland Main Line train service disruption in England

Repair work carried out on a railway embankment near Braybrooke, England, caused train service disruption on England’s Midland Main Line between Kettering and Leicester, between November 2 and November 9.

Furthermore, the track in the area had been monitored for a while, as the embankment it rests upon was known to be unstable. However, its condition was worsened by stormy weather to the point that it was deemed unsafe for northbound trains to pass through and had to be closed for repairs on November 2.

Rehabilitation work included the installation of 280 soil nails up to 9 meters long, 17,100 liters of grout, 800 tons of stone, and 750 m² of netting placed and then tensioned on the embankment’s face.

It was announced by Network Rail that repair work on the embankment was progressing well, with the grout holding the soil nails in place curing well.

In addition to this, a tamping machine was expected to consolidate the track’s ballast on Tuesday, and work would continue through the night of Wednesday.

Rail services were expected to start running on the line again on Thursday, November 9.