Railtrack plc

Railtrack mobilises £760K cross channel sea defence project
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date 28 January 1997
source Railtrack plc
type Press release

French limestone carried on Dutch barges will provide 'international rescue' to Folkestone Warren this week as Railtrack starts work on a £760,000 sea defence project to repair damage caused by Hurricane Lily in October.

Over 15,000 tonnes of limestone, supplied from a quarry near Boulogne, will form a new sea defence 'reef' along an 95m stretch of sea wall which was smashed during Hurricane Lily on 28 October 1996. The storm combined with a high neap tide caused a breach in the sea wall built at the foot of the white chalk cliffs behind which runs the main rail line between Folkestone and Dover.

Four to eight tonne boulders will start to appear on the beach at Folkestone Warren after being dropped into the sea at high tide from a 54m long Dutch barge. Hydraulic cranes and other specialist plant will move in at low tide to move the precious cargo of rock armour to the proper position to form a large and more effective sea defence.

The barge, with a loading capacity of 500 tonnes, will make approximately 32 round trips between Folkestone and Boulogne, one load being delivered every 24 hours. The project will take at least 37 days to complete but weather conditions could add significantly to timescales as the barge - 'The Lauwerszee' - cannot deliver stone in weather conditions more severe than Force Five for fear of running aground.

Simon Gates, Railtrack Southern assistant civil engineer, said: "It was essential that we repair the damage to the sea defences as soon as possible. All the stops had to be pulled out and the project was put together in a very short space of time.

"Railtrack spends hundreds of thousands of pounds each year on maintaining sea defences along this stretch of coast line but this is the first time the sea wall has ever been breached."

Railtrack's contractors, Dean and Dyball of Maidstone and consultants WS Atkins Rail, were already on-site at Folkestone Warren carrying out a £500,000 Railtrack maintenance programme involving repairs to the sea wall and headings (drainage tunnels which extend for miles in-land). Both are experts in not only sea defence maintenance and design but also rock armour revetments and they were able to quickly mobilise a repair programme.

Railhub Archive ::: 1997-01-28 RTK-001