This week will mark a turning point in the repair-works at Gotherington. 

A turning point that signifies that we will be able start relaying the mainline!

However the site is not yet ready to decamp and fully hand back, there is a lot of work yet to be undertaken to complete the repair in full and allow us to run the special opening service and public trains across

The last area to be fully excavated Area 6 (We should have started the numbering at 45…..!!!!) is in the process of being completed and the requirement to fully excavate this isolated slip has proved a wise move indeed.  It was one of the older slips, didn't have any temporary repairs from BR days such as a gabion etc., and on the face of it appeared small.  However the bore holes suggested that something quite major had happened deep in the core at the same time as Area 2 and it has proved true. 

When you look at the photograph you will see that the edges of the excavation show what would normally be expected, a clear defined area of clay embankment with an overlay of soil and ash.  Within the area excavated the embankment was remade up of several meters of soft ash fill that had been dumped onto a slump and hole.  The bottom of the embankment at around 6m had slipped out, the polished soil found when excavated where it slipped was a clear indication.  However a second slip was discovered deeper below the first slip area that had cut into the ridge and furrow.  This has all been broken up and out and new material rolled and compacted in so the at the repair in addition with the reinforced soil berm support, will stand us in good stead for generations to come.

Walsh's the contractor undertaking the main works and GIP ltd who are looking after the geotechnical side of things now vacated the top trackbed section and retreated sufficiently to the lower section of the embankment to allow our P-Way team to start safely relaying the main line.  The loop section will follow BUT, before the inevitable question, ………this doesn't at the moment mean that we will be bringing the date forward for re-opening to Cheltenham.

In fact whilst originally running slightly behind program due to the snow, Walsh's have made up time and we are back on target for 22nd April, as whilst the track laying may only take a few days, there remains the re-ballasting, tamping and alignment, along with reinstating the signalling and cabling that ran across and along the formation.

With completion soon of the main works at Laverton, the timing will be just right to then run the P-Way train up towards Cheltenham and a number of maintenance jobs that are required to re-fettle our mainline back to good health after a long period of hibernation.

Whilst that is going on there are a number of final works that are awaiting funding to complete the repair in full before the contractors can pull out and for which your continued contributions are so critical.

We have some additional drainage to put in on the Malvern side along with lining of the culverts which couldn't be undertaken whilst all the heavy plant was in place programmed after the main works, after the worst of the winter (in hope and anticipation!).  We await sufficient funding to complete these works before we start assessment at Chicken Curve.  As promised we will try and undertake a full Q&A on Chicken Curve in a subsequent update.

One final thing that it is worth adding as a summary at Gotherington is the complexity of what we have dealt with.  Its not just one repair.  Its been a combination of several problems that combined with the terrible weather broke the back of one section of track.  Not a complete list but we have dealt with 7 different slip defects, four culverts, three different drainage problems including a new pipe and outflow that hasn't been active for decades, and we have also started to address drainage issues at Far Stanley just between Gotherington and Greet.

Great progress has been made, solely down to your contributions big and small.  More work to complete………watch this space for the next update. 

Funds permitting…the process will start afresh on Chicken Curve.

All photos were taken on 18th February.