Delays to emergency Derbyshire rail line repairs following landslip

Following a landslip, engineers from Network Rail have been working since April to stabilise the earth that supports the railway and stop 50,000 tons of earth falling into the River Goyt.

The project was due to be completed in August however it has been announced today, Wednesday August 21 that works will continue until September, 23.

A public meeting will be held by Network Rail for residents on Thursday August, 29 from 7-9pm at New Mills Town Hall to ask questions on the project and the delays.

Vitesh Solanki, Network Rail’s scheme project manager, said: “I’m sorry for the disruption the rail closure will cause. We have received a tremendous welcome from the community in New Mills and we are grateful for your patience while we carry out this important work.”

During the repairs, engineers discovered more complex issues with the drainage. As a result, five state-of-the-art drainage chambers are required to be built under the railway to collect excess water and direct it to the river Goyt. These will last for 120 years and will mean the railway is more resilient to climate change.

To carry out the work safely and quickly, the railway now needs to be closed for longer. The closure means there will be some changes to services, with a bus replacement running between Marple and Chinley station.

There will also be some changes in services from Manchester to New Mills Central via Bredbury. From Monday to Saturday there will be an hourly train service between Manchester Piccadilly and Marple.

A bus service will run between Marple and Chinley. On Sundays, an hourly bus service will run between Manchester Piccadilly, Bredbury, Marple and Chinley.

Services between Chinley and Manchester Piccadilly continue to divert via Hazel Grove and Stockport, with a bus service between Chinley and Marple.

A spokesperson for Northern added: “We’d like to thank our customers for their patience while this important, safety-critical work is carried out by Network Rail. We’ll do everything we can to make sure customers can still get where they want to be – but they should allow more time for their journeys.”

Passengers are advised to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before they travel.