ENGINEERING WORKS ON THE TARKA LINE IN MAY

Wednesday 30 Apr 2003

ENGINEERING WORKS ON THE TARKA LINE IN MAY

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

The Barnstaple line will be closed for five days in May as Network Rail continues essential engineering work to further improve the single track railway. The line will be closed to passenger trains from Monday 12 May until the evening of Friday 16 May as most of the main work of relaying several hundred metres of track between Coleford and Lapford is carried out in daylight hours. Road transport will replace the train services during this period. During April the engineering work has only taken place on weekday nights, often in residential areas. However, following Network Rail’s consultations with local residents and Wessex Trains, it has been decided to concentrate the work into a single week. It is hoped that this will reduce inconvenience both to train passengers and to people living near the railway. Network Rail’s Regional Director, John Curley, said: “We apologise for the short notice of this work and for any disruption it may cause. However, it is very important that we improve track quality on the Barnstaple line and avoid the need for severe line speed restrictions over several miles. This engineering work is part of our commitment to provide a safe and reliable railway and to deliver real improvements to our infrastructure in Devon.”

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