Network Rail has announced it is to invest £27 million to improve drainage on the East Midlands' rail network.

Over the past year, there have been multiple incidents of landslips and flooding across the East Midlands network, including at Braybrooke, near Market Harborough, and Draycott, near Derby, causing major disruption to passengers and communities.

April marks the start of Network Rail's latest five-year control period (funding cycle) and £27m is earmarked for investment to improve drainage in the East Midlands to help prevent incidents such as these.

This will include the creation of 22 new dedicated drainage roles on the route, as well as investment in new and existing technology, including remote condition monitoring and CCTV, and the use of natural flood management techniques to manage water before it reaches the rail network.

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Network Rail will also use technology to predict and proactively prevent failures and is working to better understand what it can do to remove and reduce issues at flood risk sites. This involves liaising and engaging with multiple stakeholders at sites, including the Environment Agency, local authorities, utility companies, and landowners.

Network Rail's East Midlands route serves close to 100 stations from major towns and cities including Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, and Bedford as well as more rural communities including Stamford, Oakham, and Spalding, and heading across to the coast at Skegness.

Over the next five years, the route will spend £1.5bn on the day-to-today running of the railway and a widespread programme of renewals and upgrades on the network, improving the experience of passengers as they travel by train.

With this funding, Network Rail's East Midlands route is committed to delivering a more reliable and greener rail network. Work continues to electrify the Midland Main Line alongside day-to-day investment which will improve climate resilience and connect communities.