Over the last two weeks, engineers have worked tirelessly to install 91 sheet piles - 8m long sheets of metal - and strengthened the railway embankment over a 100 metre section with soil nails (steel rods) underpinning the railway, after the embankment had become saturated and weakened as a result of the impact of recent heavy rain.
Because of the work that needed to be completed, for safety reasons Network Rail had to close the railway in its entirety, with buses replacing trains during the work.
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Mark Killick, Network Rail Southern region director of engineering and asset management, said: "Our colleagues have worked tirelessly around the clock with our contractors over the past two weeks to repair this landslip, on what’s been quite a complex site for a number of reasons. I want to thank our passengers, freight customers and lineside neighbours for their patience while we’ve carried out this work, which has essentially been a giant underpinning operation.
"As each steel pile was installed we gained more and more confidence that we would be able to reopen the railway – and the work we’ve done here at Bough Beech will leave this line in a much more better and more reliable condition for the future.
"We're sorry for the inconvenience that has been caused but there was no option but to get this work done when we did, especially given the need to reintroduce services in time for schools reopening after the Easter break."
While further strengthening work will continue once trains have resumed running, this work won't have an impact on trains that can now run as normal over the line.
