Schedule for Axminster rail works

RESIDENTS in Axminster had the chance to hear how the re-doubling work on the rail line will affect them over the next few months.

The work will see a three-mile passing loop laid, which will allow an hourly service to London Waterloo, with the new timetable set to begin from December 12.

At two public meetings, held on Friday, September 11, which were hosted by Axminster Town Council, representatives of Network Rail, responsible for the rail infrastructure, Bam Nuttall, the principal contractor for the work, and South West Trains, which runs the services, among others, answered questions about the �20 million project.

Over a series of weekends, heavy engineering work will take place along the line, both day and night, to get the new rails put in place.

At the end of November and into December, busses will replace trains, while the commissioning work on the signalling system takes place.

As part of the scheme, 70 miles of signalling cable will be laid along a 15-mile length of track, Axminster station will get a new footbridge, to include a lift for wheelchair users and seven bridges will be upgraded along the line.

People were told that compensation is not paid as a matter of course for such work, although specific cases could be considered.

It was also said that the level crossing at the bottom of Castle Hill will be replaced to account for the two lines, which will cause the road to be closed for some days.

Concerns over the language of workmen on the line were also raised and people were told that such behaviour was not acceptable and incidents should be reported to the contractors or East Devon District Council's environmental health officers.

The scheduled weekends for work are as follows: Friday, September 18 to Monday, September 21; Friday, September 25 to Monday, September 28; Friday, October 9 to Monday, October 12; Friday, October 30 to Monday, November 2; Friday, November 6 to Monday, November 9 and Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, December 6.