GB Card & Partners, acting as Civil Engineer to Swanage Railway, has undertaken inspection, assessment, design and provided technical support and advice to upgrade the existing track and infrastructure. Following a significant investment in signalling infrastructure, replacement and upgrading of a level crossing was required close to the Norden Park and Ride site. GB Card & Partners assisted in producing design information and construction drawings for the improved road layout and barrier installations. To enable the crossing to be constructed, an existing road rail interchange was relocated, which GB Card & Partners, along with structural and rail engineering colleagues, produced design and construction details for. During construction, GB Card & Partners assisted the Swanage Railway Project Team in regulatory discussions, prepared construction method statements and monitored progress.
Also within the project, a section of contaminated track ballast was lifted and replaced to remove contamination associated with clay fines. Modifications made to the track layout during replacement will facilitate future plans for infrastructure upgrades.
In addition, a 900m long section of embankment was widened across the shoulder to replace eroded material and provide a cess walkway. Stability assessments, re-profiling design and volume calculations were carried out for a number of sections along the embankment by GB Card & Partners. The embankment face was reinforced and stabilised through placement of fill and toe weighting to increase the factor of safety against failure. Spent ballast was utilised as a granular fill, with additional fill and surface dressing of the slope provided through re-use of excavated arisings from the Road Rail Interchange. No movement of excavated arisings occurred via road and where possible, imported materials were also transported by rail.
Completion of Project Wareham is a major step for Swanage Railway in realising the potential of this section of track, whilst GB Card & Partners continues to undertake condition surveys across the Swanage Railway infrastructure and provides design input and technical support as required.