Rail embankment work in Northamptonshire due to finish

The work has involved 3,761 gallons (17,100 litres) of grout and 800 tonnes (800,000KG) of stone

Round-the-clock work to stabilise part of a rail embankment is due to finish on Thursday.

The repairs began a week ago after storm damage to the Midland Mainline at Braybrooke, Northamptonshire.

Passengers have had to cope with an emergency timetable which increased journey times by as much as an hour.

Some stops on the line have been temporarily removed and a number of trains have been replaced by buses.

Network Rail said the embankment that takes the line through Braybrooke had become unstable.

Recent storms had "worsened" the situation and the track was closed last Thursday.

The repair involves installation of soil nails, up to 29.5ft (9m) long, and netting which is then tensioned to strengthen the affected area.  

Network Rail said testing revealed the grout used to hold the nails in place was curing well, so maintenance teams could step up work to fully reinstate the track. 

Network Rail said the work on the embankment was progressing well

Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail's East Midlands route, said:  "Teams will remain on site and we will have monitoring in place for some time yet but, from Thursday, it will be safe for trains to run along their usual route.

"I am sorry for the disruption which passengers have experienced in recent days."

The emergency timetable will continue until Thursday morning, with EMR Connect trains terminating at Wellingborough instead of Kettering and Corby.

Extra stops at Kettering and Corby have been added to EMR Intercity services, while replacement buses have been operating between Kettering, Market Harborough and Leicester.

Network Rail advised passengers to check the relevant websites for the latest updates.