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Wednesday 11 Nov 2015

Swindon railway upgrade means passengers should check before travelling this November

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Passengers travelling on the Great Western Main Line on 21 and 22 November are being advised to check before they travel as Network Rail carries out essential work to install and test a new signalling system at Swindon as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.

The new system will replace equipment installed at Swindon in the 1960s and 70s with the latest technology, paving the way for greater reliability and fewer delays for passengers. It is also a vital part of Network Rail’s work to electrify the Great Western Main Line in preparation for the arrival of a new fleet of longer, faster, quieter and greener electric trains.

Paddy Gregg, Network Rail’s signalling project director for the Western and Wales routes, said: “This project forms part of our programme to re-signal the whole of the Great Western route, providing passengers with greater reliability, fewer delays and smoother journeys.

“Our work to increase reliability, together with the ability of the new electric trains to reduce journey times and accommodate more passengers, will also help to drive economic growth across the Thames Valley, west and south west England.”

The work taking place over the weekend of 21 and 22 November is the second stage of the Swindon re-signalling project, which has already seen the installation of more than 700km of signalling and power cables.

Around 250 members of Network Rail’s ‘orange army’ will be working along 80 miles of railway over this weekend, with crucial testing of the new signalling system being carried out before control of the railway moves from the mechanical signal box at Swindon to the state-of-the-art Thames Valley signalling centre in Didcot early next year.

This extensive work will require a temporary closure of the lines in both directions between:

• Didcot Parkway station and Bristol Parkway station, affecting services to and from London Paddington via Swindon.
• Didcot Parkway station and Chippenham station, affecting services to and from Bath Spa station and Bristol Temple Meads station.
• Swindon station and Kemble station, affecting services to and from Gloucester.

During these temporary closures trains will be diverted and in some cases replacement bus services will be in operation.

Paddy continued: “Replacing and upgrading 40-year-old signalling equipment is very complex and for safety reasons must be carried out when trains aren’t running. I would like to thank passengers in advance for their patience and understanding while we complete this essential upgrade that will lead to greater reliability and fewer delays, and pave the way for the advantages electrification and the new electric trains will bring to both passengers and those who live close to the railway.”

The third and final stages of the Swindon re-signalling project will take place early next year, the details of which will be provided later this year.

ENDS

Notes to editors

To date, the Swindon re-signalling project has included the installation of:

• Eight new under-track crossings
• Three new under-road crossings

Under-track and under-road crossings are large ducts that allow power, signal and telecoms cables to run from equipment on one side of the track/road to the other.

• 740km of new signalling and power cables
• 80km of telecoms cables
• 165 new signal post telephones, enabling train drivers to contact signallers if needed.
• 109 new signals

During the temporary closure of the lines at Swindon on 21 and 22 November there will be no trains to or through Swindon station.

High speed services to Bristol Temple Meads station will divert non-stop to Bath Spa station and those to South Wales will divert non-stop to Bristol Parkway station.

Replacement bus services will run between Reading, Didcot, Chippenham, Bristol Parkway, Kemble and Swindon.

Further travel information can be found by visiting Great Western Railway’s website www.gwr.com. Alternatively, National Rail Enquiries also has up-to-date travel advice on their website www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Members of the public who have questions about the work can call Network Rail’s 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41.