WORK on the £2bn rail improvement project for Oxfordshire and the South East is being reviewed after it delayed county train services.

Network Rail was driving in large metal posts along the Great Western main line to support new overhead electric wires, as part of its electrification project.

But last week vibration from the piling, which provides foundation for the metal posts, near Slough disturbed an underground power cable that resulted in signalling failures, delaying services between Oxfordshire and London.

Chris Bates, chairman of Cherwell Rail Users Group described last week as the “worst week in 30 years” because of delays.

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The firm apologised to passengers and is now investigating how the problems happened and what it can do to prevent them happening again.

Spokeswoman Victoria Bradley said: “We have stopped piling in the area until we have reviewed the process that caused the problems last week.”

Piling is due to be carried out in Oxfordshire after the new year, once 29 county bridges over the line have been raised to make room for the overhead wires.

Electrified trains will be larger, faster and more reliable, the firm has said, with a lower carbon footprint.


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