Rail services back by Easter

That’s the latest message from Network Rail Birmingham New Street.

The announcement comes with this latest image of work taking place on the landslip that is causing so much travel disrupting in the region.

More than 5,000 tonnes of material slipped beneath a 50-metre section of the railway after persistent heavy rainfall over the winter months had weakened the earthwork beneath it.

Engineers have been working around the clock since last week to clear the site to allow access for materials and equipment needed to shore up the embankment.

Work to restabilise the railway embankment – which is approximately 15 metres in height – involves digging out material that’s slipped to create a new profile for the slope. Large ‘steps’ will be cut into the slope before engineers backfill it with over 12,000 tonnes of stone, helping to reduce the gradient and strengthen the embankment.

Pic: Network Rail