Conwy Valley Line set to reopen in April following damage caused by Storm Doris

Friday 24 Mar 2017

Conwy Valley Line set to reopen in April following damage caused by Storm Doris

Region & Route:: Wales & Western: Wales & Borders; | Wales & Western

The Conwy Valley line is expected to reopen in mid-April following weeks of extensive repair work needed as a result of damage caused by Storm Doris in February.

The line has remained closed since Thursday 23 February, when a tree fell on the line disturbing lineside vegetation on the rock face next to the railway at Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Following an aerial assessment, engineers have been busy working to fix the damage, scaling the rock face to remove the disturbed vegetation and unstable rock formations.

Due to the limited accessibility of the site, with a single track railway and no road access, engineers have been unable to use machinery typically used for similar repairs. A team of specialist geo-technical engineers have been clearing the vegetation and will then remove over 300 tonnes of rock from the rock face in the coming weeks to ensure the line is safe to reopen for passengers.

Chris Howchin, route programme manager for Network Rail Wales, said:

“We have faced some challenges during the repair work, including some extreme weather conditions and limited site access, however our team of specialist engineers have been working tirelessly to repair the storm damage.
“The safety of passengers and our workforce is our number one priority, and we’re working hard to repair the rock face and get the line reopened as soon as it is safe to do so. I would like to thank the local community for bearing with us whilst this essential work takes place.

“We are working closely with our partners, Arriva Trains Wales, to keep passengers moving. A rail replacement bus service will continue to be in operation until the line reopens.”

Arriva Trains Wales are operating a rail replacement bus service between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog whilst the repair work takes place. Passengers are reminded to check before they travel at: https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/

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