Efforts to deliver an important train capacity upgrade at London Bridge station reached a significant milestone this week with the laying of the first tracks for the Bermondsey Dive Under.

 

Once complete in 2018 the dive under will relieve a bottleneck on the eastern approach to the station by carrying trains travelling from Kent beneath those coming in from Sussex.

 

This will prevent delays and congestion that passengers currently experience outside London Bridge and allow more frequent and reliable train services into the capital from all over South East England.

 

The first tracks through the dive under have now been laid using contractor Balfour Beatty’s new track construction machine (pictured).

 

This comes ahead of a major milestone for the project in December when Network Rail’s engineers will work over the Christmas weekend to bring the first track into passenger use from the early hours of 27 December.

 

Both the Bermondsey Dive Under and the upgrade to London Bridge form part of the £6.5Bn Thameslink Programme. “Our work at London Bridge station understandably grabs a lot of attention, but just as important is the work we’re doing at Bermondsey and on the approaches to the station,” said Network Rail’s Thameslink Programme director Simon Blanchflower.

 

“Ultimately, that is what allows us to give passengers what they really want – better, more frequent and more reliable journeys.”

 

Operator Southeastern’s train services director Richard Dean added: “The Bermondsey Dive Under is an important piece of infrastructure and will mean our passengers receive a much more reliable train service not affected by congestion.”

 

(Photo: Network Rail)