An industrial repair operation continued to disrupt rail users between Epsom and Ewell on New Year's Eve (December 31) after a severe landslip over Christmas.
Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) both apologised to rail users with trains still unable to run between Epsom and Ewell West on Tuesday.
They also said sorry for the noise to residents living near the tracks between the two stations, pointing out they were working 24 hours a day to get the repairs done as quickly as possible.
Following the landslip between #Epsom & #Ewell, our route director @MarkKillick6 tells @SW_Help passengers the challenges we've faced - inc building a road for the 🚛
— Network Rail Wessex (@NetworkRailWssx) December 27, 2019
We're working around the ⏲️ to reopen the line as soon as we can.
🎥 https://t.co/zaMntIRZDm
After heavy rains in the lead up to Christmas, the Epsom-Ewell landslip was one of several to impact train lines in the South.
SWR-operated lines near Guildford and Templecombe have also been hit by landslides in recent days.
As repair work continued in Epsom and Ewell, Network Rail offered a video update describing their progress.
Route Director Mark Killock said in the short clip:
"We're here in Epsom carrying out emergency works to an embankment which, following all of the heavy rain over the last few weeks has slipped and is no longer supporting the railway.
"This is a particularly difficult site to gain access to — we're literally working in people's back gardens, we've had to demolish a building and now we're building a road to get all of the heavy equipment to the site."
We are sorry passengers cannot travel from #Epsom to #Ewell & people who live close to the railway have been disrupted by the noise as we're working 24/7 to reopen the line.
— Network Rail Wessex (@NetworkRailWssx) December 31, 2019
Before trains can run again, we’ll check the infrastructure is safe and the ground has stablilised 3/3 pic.twitter.com/RB9JnA7k0v
Mr Killock then went on to describe Network Rail's plans for preventing any future landslides that were taking shape on New Year's Eve.
"We're going to drive 13-metre steel sheets into the ground to stop the embankment sliding any further.
"We're going to remove the earth which has slipped and then we're going to rebuild it using between three and four thousand tons of stone," he said.
Early on Tuesday morning, Network Rail published images of the massive repair job described above.
In pictures posted to Twitter, giant drills were visible boring sink holes into the ground to hold the steel sheets that will hold the embankment in place.
Others meanwhile showed building machinery lifting up and removing sections of the track so that the land lost during the slip could be replaced.
"The embankment will be rebuilt using crushed stone to provide a stable foundation for the track to sit on.
"As we have removed the track to rebuild the embankment, we will rebuild it.
"We are sorry passengers cannot travel from #Epsom to #Ewell & people who live close to the railway have been disrupted by the noise as we're working 24/7 to reopen the line.
"Before trains can run again, we’ll check the infrastructure is safe and the ground has stabilised," a Network Rail spokesperson said.
SWR advised rail users in the area to use alternative means of transport.
"Your ticket will be accepted, at no extra cost to yourself, on the following services:
- Southern services between Epsom and London Victoria
- TfL London Buses on routes 213, 406 and 418," a spokesperson said.
The rail operators said there was no confirmed date when the affected line between Epsom and Ewell West would be able to reopen.
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