Preservation of foundation systems on railway upgrades

The upgrade and improvement of existing railway lines across the UK has been and still is a priority of the existing administration, as they carry 50% more passengers than they did 10 years ago. In Scotland, the latest figures estimate a total investment of around £1 billion of enhancements within Control Period 5, which includes the Edinburgh–Glasgow Improvement Programme (Egip). This paper focuses on the design and construction of a number of interfaces within Egip, from platform extensions to bridge reconstructions and changes to existing tunnels, with the goal of having the main line between Edinburgh and Glasgow electrified and with train capacity significantly enhanced. In order to minimise any negative impact that the proposed electrification could have on biodiversity, as well as from a suitability point of view, an attempt was made in the design, whenever possible, to accommodate and reuse existing structures as opposed to rendering the existing infrastructure completely obsolete.