Extra staff for UK rail repairs

Railtrack has work to do at more than 60 locations

LONDON, England -- A drive to recruit an extra 1,000 staff to help bring Britain's railways up to scratch has been announced.

The recruitment drive follows a Christmas programme of work, taking in more than 60 locations across the country and involving some 8,000 man days.

The UK rail operator Railtrack plans to replace about 25 miles of track and more than 50 sets of points, removing or easing a further 100 more speed restrictions.

Railtrack wants the jobs filled in January.

Some 300 engineers and 700 signallers will be recruited from school leavers, graduates, those who took early retirement, people returning from a career break and professional engineers.

Minister for Transport Lord Macdonald said: "With a huge amount of work to do and years of heavy investment in prospect ... the railways need more talented and skilled people to work on the great technical challenges ahead."

Macdonald is to make a site visit to Waterloo where more than half a mile (1kilometre) of main line track is being replaced.

Accompanying him was Railtrack's Chief Executive, Steve Marshall, who said: "Railtrack has a substantial agenda ahead of it with the recovery programme to deliver, restoring services to normal, as well as the delivery of a huge investment programme and major capital investment projects."

Lord Macdonald said: "Railtrack's maintainable work across the country is going well and looks to deliver smoother, shorter, more reliable journey's for people returning to work in the New Year."

Areas under the spotlight for the new work include the Edinburgh to Glasgow line; Leeds station; south Manchester; Birkenhead in Merseyside; and Chorley in Lancashire.

Other areas are the Cardiff to Bridgend line; Willesden in north-west London and Bow to Stratford in East London.

A spate of accidents in recent years has sparked the Railtrack overhaul.

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Railtrack

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