The railway between Chorley and Leyland has reopened following a six-week closure to carry out improvements as part of a £1bn investment to deliver a faster, more reliable and efficient railway in the north west of England.

Electrification

To allow electric trains to operate between Manchester and Preston from December 2016, the company has lowered the track through the 113m long Chorley tunnel so it can accommodate the overhead line equipment which will power the trains.

Chorley flying arches

As well as upgrading the tunnel, the 16 historic Grade II listed Chorley flying arches on the approach to the tunnel (the only remaining examples on the British railway) were refurbished following close work and consultation with English Heritage.
Network Rail also undertook significant work to rebuild three bridges at Harpers Lane (Chorley), Railway Road (Adlington) and Lockstock Lane (Bolton) as well as the River Chor aqueduct. Two bridges at Station Road (Blackrod) and Chorley Road (Adlington) will be modified in preparation for reconstruction in 2015.
“More than £1bn of investment is being made to provide a better railway and boost the economy across the north of England.

Electrification forms a significant part of this and the completed work though Chorley means the line is now ready to install the equipment needed to run electric trains.

It was a significant engineering challenge to lower the track and as well as rebuilding bridges we have also returned the historic Chorley flying arches to their former glory.”
Ian Joslin, area director, Network Rail

Investment in the north of England

The Northern Hub is a programme of targeted upgrades to the railway in the north of England. Much of the work to electrify the railway across the North West is being completed without causing significant disruption to rail services. More information is at networkrail.co.uk/north.

(Source: Network Rail)