EMBANKMENT WORKS AT EBBW VALE RAILWAY

AMCO Giffen’s appointment to upgrade the embankments at the Ebbw Vale railway in South Wales required a complex year-long programme of enabling and earthworks. S Evans & Sons was called upon to deliver the £1.8 million project, completing the work on time and to the highest health and safety standards.

The programme comprised initial enabling works, including delivery of all plant and equipment and preparation of a compound and a haul road. The compound and 450m haul road were constructed using 250mm recycled 6F2 capped with 50mm Type 1 material.

The overall project was delivered in four separate phases and utilised a wide range of S Evans’ in-house fleet as well as specialist plant, which included long reach excavators ranging from 8te to 35te and rail going machinery due to the remote, hard to reach location of the works.

The planning of each element needed careful consideration due to the constraints of the scheme, which included a live railway at the crest of the existing embankment, the river Ebbw at the toe and no existing access to each location. Resulting in the requirement to install temporary access routes through the mountainous Welsh countryside or utilise the rail infrastructure for access, during disruptive or routine possesion hours. All works to be achieved working to strict ecological legislation, guidelines and site-specific regulations set by local and national authorities.

A hybrid approach of normal working hours and out of hours working was adopted to ensure the programme and budget was efficient as possible. Plant and materials were imported and exported to each location under strict time periods to ensure that works could continue safely without impact to the live railway.

To enable civilisation and installation of the permanent works, vegetation removal was carried out using mechanical means and rope access, with all resulting arising’s transported by Rail to the compound for shredding, and further transportation to biomass facilities across South Wales. Care was taken during these activities to ensure that the removal did non destabilise the existing embankment and undermine the railway.

The permanent work solution included regrading of the existing embankment including cut and fill exercises, installation of new, environmentally friendly retaining walls, designed with the intention to allow free movement for birds, otters, and other local species. The installation of natural aggregate and geosynthetic materials to extend and stabilise embankments, enabling Network Rails improvement works.

Other works encompassed installation of new walkways for maintenance access, new drainage and improvements on existing drainage, handrailing and fencing where required and new trough routes for Network Rails signalling equipment.

Overall, the project was completed on time, to budget and with zero health and safety incidents.