The Sudbury Line was closed for 16 Days between the 9th and 24th July 2005 to allow Network Rail to replace around 5 miles of track between Chappel Viaduct and Lamarsh.
Whilst the passengers made do with replacement buses, the line saw some unusual visitors in the form of Rail/Road Diggers, Tampers, Stoneblowers and 66s.

The much needed works signal the beginning of a £15 Million investment (the approx cost of the project over the three years) in the line which will ensure the future of the line for many more years to come.

 

156402 was the last unit to work on the line before the works, with 2F54, 2200 Sudbury to Colchester

9th - 10th July 2005 - Tampers and 66s as the work begins

The first day of the block saw a Balfour Beatty Rail Tamper and Stoneblower parked in Sudbury Station ready to jump into action further along the line once track replacement had begun.

Contractors begun replacing the track on the Chappel side of Bures Level Crossing, and an unsual visitor to the line in the form of EWSs 66068 and another EWS 66 with a ballast train. Early reports from the Contractors are that witin the 48 hours of 156402 leaving the branch 1.5 miles of track have been replaced. Meaning that works are already ahead of schedule and no problems have been encountered.

Tuesday 12th July - More 66 Action, this time its GBRf

First Group are back on the Branch! Although not in the way we'd prefer, First's Railfreight Company, GBRf are providing the trains which are delivering the ballast and removing the old track panels, during Monday 11th and Tuesday 12, 66701 and 66709 were on the line with seperate trains.

Medite Livered 66709 has been on ballast duties with 6T67 and spent most of Tuesday parked up at Mount Bures Level Crossing, whilst 66701 (7T68) spent the afternoon in Chappel Station with the old rails awaiting its removal at 6pm.

Wednesday 13th July - Medite Livered GBRf 66

Medite Livered 66709 is still around with Railtrack Livered Autohoppers and 66703 on the rear.
The 66s spent most of the day adjacent to the signal box at Chappel Station waiting for 17:30 before it could make its way back to Whitemoor.

A large of convoy of lorries continue to arrival at Chappel Station with ballast to be used in the section through the station, work continues between Chappel and Bures on the track.
One Railway use the time at Sudbury to paint the station into their light blue colours replacing the dark blue and green of previous operator First Great Eastern.

Sunday 17th July - Mount Bures to Chappel Ground Frame Complete

The Tamper is present in Chappel Platform 2 on Sunday Morning and all the track upto the ground frame at the station has been replaced.

Preperation work beings in Chappel station - the section that will involve the most work over the shortest distance.

At this point Network Rail have identified the old track bed as being in a very poor way and require it all to be dug out completely and replaced with concrete sleepers being used.

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Monday 18th - Wednesday 20th July, Chappel Station Works

Another GBRf 66 present on Monday 18th, with the train which will take away the old track bed from Chappel Station, most of the train is in Platform 2.
The old track was removed over night on Sunday 17th and dumped in the nearby yard, and work began on Monday 18th to removed the contaminated spoil ready for the new track bed to be laid.
Overnight the track bed is totally excavated and the new bed is prepared, for this section concrete sleepers are used (Steel having being used on the rest of the line) and these being being put into position. 66704 takes its train out of the station towards Bures to allow the diggers to use the museum's line.
A Full Set of photos of the track bed being removed can be found in the gallery here.

With the new rail put into position and cliped down on Tuesday 18th all that it awaits is a visit from another 66 in the form of 6T64 which will drop the ballast, after both 6T64 and 6T71 (66704 above) have left the tamper can get to work whilst the final section to be replaced this year (back towards Sudbury at Lamarsh) begins.

Wednesday 18th sees lots of action through Chappel Station in just 60 minutes. First off the Tamper and Stoneblower arrive from Bures and run into platform two.
66703 follows closely with Autoballasters dropping a fresh set of stones on the track. After this departs across the viaduct, 66706 appears taking the former track bed and 66704 away. Once the line is clear the Tamper gets to work on the line through the station.

Friday 22nd July 66706 and 66702 bring the final ballast train through after work on the section of line at Lamarsh is complete, and the clear up beings to allow the passenger train to run again from Monday 25th, bringing an end to what has been an interesting two weeks for the branch.

156418 was the first train to work the branch for 16 days, starting off with 5T01 04+50 Colchester CS to Sudbury