Media centre

Wednesday 9 Sep 2015

Newport residents invited to find out more about how electrification in South Wales will improve rail journeys

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Newport residents are invited to attend a drop-in event to find out more about the work that will soon be taking place to prepare Somerton Road bridge for the electrification of the railway between London and Swansea.

Electrification will provide faster, greener, quieter and more reliable journeys for tens of thousands of passengers every day.  It will also help stimulate economic growth by better connecting towns and cities in South Wales and beyond.

In order to accommodate the overhead lines which will power the electric trains, some road, foot and rail bridges that span the South Wales Mainline will need to be raised, either by amending the existing structure or demolishing the existing bridge and building a new structure in its place.

Somerton Road bridge dates back to 1850 and will need to be completely reconstructed. Work to rebuild the ageing structure will begin this autumn, with the bridge expected to be closed to road vehicles until a new and improved bridge which can withstand modern day city centre traffic is completed.

A temporary footbridge will give pedestrians access over the railway during the project, linking the areas of Collingwood Road and Hawthorne Avenue.

Members of the public who would like to discuss the project in detail are invited to attend an information drop-in event on Monday 14 September at Liswerry Baptist Church, Camperdown Road, Newport, NP19 0JF. Staff from the project team will be on hand between 3pm – 7pm and residents are encouraged to drop by at any time – no appointment is necessary.

Andrew Griffiths, development manager for Network Rail Wales, said: “Electrification in South Wales will mean faster and more reliable journeys for passengers, as well as less noise and pollution for those who live close to the railway line.

“First we need to prepare the railway for the overhead lines which will power electric trains and in some cases this will mean reconstructing old bridges, like Somerton Road bridge, with new and improved structures.

“Safety is our number one priority and for this reason some of our work must be carried out while trains are not running - this means carrying out a lot of our improvements during the night and at weekends.

“I would like to apologise in advance for any disruption this work will cause and encourage Somerton residents to come along to our drop-in event to find out more about the project and the long-term benefits electrification will bring to residents and passengers in South Wales.”

Network Rail is working closely with Newport City Council on an appropriate diversion route to ensure disruption is minimised as much as possible.

In advance of the main bulk of work commencing, Network Rail is currently on-site removing overgrown vegetation and trees which have formed part of the structure of the old bridge.

Habitat and environmental inspections were carried out before this work started to ensure protected species were not present.

The electrification project has a phased approach to minimise disruption to communities, with work moving from east to west.

The project is being carefully planned so that work is staggered to eliminate the chances of neighbouring bridges being closed at the same time.

Anyone requiring additional information can call Network Rail’s 24-Hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or email CRWales@networkrail.co.uk.

Notes to editors

The South Wales Mainline is an important rail route linking major towns and cities across the region. Electrification will transform the railway between London and Swansea to deliver a faster, greener, quieter and more reliable railway for passengers with extra capacity. This investment, as well as the introduction of a new fleet of trains, will improve journey times and make services more comfortable, smoother, cleaner and quieter for passengers and people living near the railway.

For more information about electrification visit:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/great-western-route-modernisation/