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Wednesday 7 Jan 2026

Christmas works west of Cardiff deliver more reliable railway for Wales and Borders passengers

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

Network Rail has successfully completed a major programme of engineering work over the festive period, helping to deliver a safer and more reliable railway for passengers travelling across the Wales and Borders route.

While many people were celebrating with family and friends, Network Rail engineers were hard at work west of Cardiff Central, upgrading key sections of track at Wales’ busiest station to improve reliability and performance.

Between 24 and 31 December, teams carried out vital upgrades to the railway, working day and night to complete the improvements safely and efficiently. The work focused on renewing critical track infrastructure, including rails, sleepers, switches and crossings, and points - which guide trains safely from one line to another.

To keep staff safe while working close to operational lines, around 1,600 yards of geofencing was installed, which uses GPS technology to create an invisible safety boundary that alerts railway workers if they move outside a designated safe working area or approach a live line.

The work represented an investment of approximately £1.2 million, and included the removal of around 90 tonnes of redundant material from the site. In total, engineers worked around 4,900 hours to deliver the project.

The improvements will help reduce faults, improve train performance and provide a more reliable service for passengers travelling through Cardiff Central and beyond.

David Owen, Senior Programme Manager at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said, “Carrying out this work over Christmas meant we could deliver complex and disruptive upgrades with minimal impact on passengers.

"Our teams put in round‑the‑clock effort in tough conditions to safely and efficiently renew essential track components. These improvements will significantly enhance the reliability of the railway through Cardiff Central, helping services run more smoothly and providing passengers with a more dependable journey for years to come."