Railway Culemborg-Geldermalsen with new foundation layer put into service as planned

In the past 23 days, Swietelsky, on behalf of ProRail, carried out major maintenance on the railway between Utrecht and Geldermalsen. On one of the busiest railway corridors, we applied a new foundation layer under the tracks with the special work train PM1000. Since early this morning (August 6, 06:00), trains are running again!

Much work accomplished

Project manager Robert van Eekelen is proud: “A lot of work has been done in the past 23 days. In a relatively short period, a new foundation layer has been laid under nine kilometers of track. We also renewed sleepers and ballast, completed drainage and widening of the track embankments, and constructed inspection paths. The overhead line has been finalized, and all newly laid cables have been tested and put into use. I am extremely proud of everyone who contributed during this shutdown, both day and night. Thanks to their efforts, the work was completed on schedule, despite the extreme heat in the first week and some minor setbacks.”

ProRail is also very satisfied and proud of the hard work of the team within ProRail and Swietelsky. “The conditions were not always favorable,” says Martijn Smulders, project manager at ProRail. “We are glad that all the work has been successful and that trains on this route can soon run at full speed again.”

The use of the PM1000 allows for more work to be done during a shorter track closure and facilitates the movement of a lot of material over the tracks. This minimized disruption for the surrounding area, although residents still experienced noise, vibrations, and various detours due to road closures despite several measures. We invited the local community during the shutdown to two stands to observe the work and ask questions. Everyone could also watch via a webcam.

Upcoming period

Now that the trains are running again, the major work has been completed. In the coming month, we will remove some of the released materials, clear the temporarily set up construction depots, and restore the work areas to their original state. Over the next few months, we will carry out small - finishing - works on and around the tracks during several nights. The new foundation layer under the tracks allows train traffic to run at full line speed again.