The railway line between Didcot and Oxford has re-opened after Network Rail completed accelerated repairs to the 160-year old Nuneham Viaduct.
Capital delivery director Stuart Calvert said: 'A complex and challenging repair like this would normally take two to three years to complete, but thanks to the hard work and dedication of our talented teams of engineers, and industry experts, this major project has been turned around in just under 10 weeks.'
On Friday (9 June), the first passenger service to cross the viaduct in just under 10 weeks was a GWR shuttle train between Oxford and Didcot, with a full timetable resuming the next day.
The key rail link was closed on 3 April after significant movements in the viaduct were detected due to emerging structural issues with the south bank abutment, which was built as part of the original viaduct in 1856.
Network Rail’s engineers and contractors Balfour Beatty carried out emergency repairs, which the infrastructure operator said were completed ahead of schedule.
Mark Hopwood, managing director at Great Western Railway, said: ‘We’re delighted Network Rail has been able to finish its work ahead of schedule and we have been able to reintroduce services between Oxford and Didcot.'
Network Rail said repair of the viaduct required 'some heavy engineering'. Around 800 people worked nearly 60,000 hours to successfully install the new steel support, which will secure the future of the rail link for generations to come.
In the final week of the project, the 150-tonne bridge was lowered onto the new abutment and a new embankment was built, before the railway tracks and cables were put back in place.
Repair works:
- 24 x 15 metre-long steel piles were driven into the bed of the River Thames to create a solid platform for the temporary structure that held the weight of the viaduct while the abutment was demolished and rebuilt.
- Eight more piles were driven up to 20 metres into the embankment to support the new structure.
- A 750-tonne crane was used to lift the temporary structure into place.
- 4,500 tonnes of material were removed from the old embankment.
- 5,500 tonnes of material were brought back in to build the new embankment.
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