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VolkerRail were contracted by May Gurney to lower track on twelve sites to achieve electrical clearance for the new installation of overhead line as part of the Liverpool to Manchester electrification programme. In total over 3,100 metres of track were lowered over six weekends with two sites being worked on each weekend.
At Thatto Heath 280 meters of track needed to be lowered upto 237 mm to achieve clearances for the overhead line to run under the existing bridges. VolkerRail over weekend possessions removed rail, sleepers and ballast to lower the track before replacing the existing infrastructure to the new design.
Drainage work was also undertaken at Thatto Heath to provide an engineering solution to the existing problems on the site in addition to the main task of track lowering.
Once the rail was thimbled out the sleepers were removed so that excavation work could be undertaken to remove ballast to the required depth and replace with new, including sand and geotextile. The track components were then reinstated and tamped to the new design geometry.
In addition to the p-way works our clients May Gurney were required to undertake significant reconstruction works to the platforms. Matt Brown Project Manager for May Gurney commented: "This was a very well-coordinated effort on VolkerRail's part to ensure the works progressed by assisting with planning and logistics which were not within their scope of work".
On other sites the Medium Output Ballast Cleaner (MOBC) was deployed to undercut the track and screen old ballast for reuse. The MOBC cut upto 284 mm which allowed the track to be lowered to the required design clearance.