Drone images have revealed the full scale of the most complex railway repair ever under-taken by Network Rail, following a 500,000-tonne landslip that forced the closure of the ‘iconic’ Settle-Carlisle line (in February 2016) at Eden Brows near Armathwaite in Cumbria.

‘Team Orange’ engineers have since been working to repair and strengthen a 70m-high section of embankment that gave way.

This land-slip threatened the future of one of Britain’s best-loved railways, until Network Rail confirmed its £23 million repair
programme.

In March this year the line was re-openedto Northern trains after a large concrete track base was secured into the steeply sloping bedrock of the Eden gorge with 226 steel piles between 20 and 30m long.

This bespoke engineering solution has been designed to ensure that if the ground gives way at this location in future, the railway will not.

Martin Frobisher, managing director of Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “It’s not until you see the aerial shots that you appreciate the sheer scale of this repair. The landscape is as rugged as it is beautiful.

"The Victorians certainly did choose a wonderful spot to build this railway line, which opened in 1876 and goes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain. It attracts tourists from around the world, but it is also a key freight route and vital to the local communities it serves.”

Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern, said: “The work carried out by Network Rail and its contractors is nothing short of breath-taking.

"I was fortunate enough to be on the first passenger train to travel over the repaired section of line. It is great to have rail services back on track for the communities on the Settle-Carlisle line.”

Work will continue until March 2018, to pack large boulders into the bank of the River Eden. Some 20,000 tonnes of ‘rock armour’ will now guard against erosion caused by ‘swollen flows’ following heavy rain (it was this that caused the February 2016 slip).

Woodland cleared as part of the repair will be replanted with tree species approved by Natural England, when the scheme concludes in March next year.

Indeed, Network Rail (www.networkrail.co.uk) has worked with Natural England and the Environment Agency throughout the repair programme to ensure that the area’s “unique ecology” is both protected and enhanced.