Media centre

Wednesday 30 Apr 2003

NETWORK RAIL’S COMMITMENT TO TRACK IMPROVEMENTS IN GWENT

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

A major track renewal project will take place in Newport and Abergavenny during the May Day Bank Holiday on one of the busiest sections of railway in the region. As part of Network Rail’s ongoing programme to upgrade and enhance the country’s rail network, the two-day engineering work will take place on Saturday and Sunday, 3rd and 4th May, 2003. The engineering work will involve relaying track at two key locations between Newport and Abergavenny which will mean the closure of the busy line between Newport and Hereford. Engineers will be working around the clock to replace ballast, sleepers and rail on a quarter of a mile stretch south of Abergavenny station and at a separate site north of Maindee Junction, east of Newport. Trains to north Wales, Shrewsbury, Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly, operated by Wales & Borders Trains, will be replaced by road transport between Newport and Hereford and passengers are advised to ring National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or by visiting www.walesandborderstrains.co.uk for details of these revised services. -more-                                                                                                                               Newport -2 Network Rail Great Western Zone Director, John Curley, said:   “This engineering work is an important part of our commitment to providing a safe and reliable rail network.  It will deliver real improvements to our infrastructure in south-east Wales. “We would, however, like to apologise for the disruption to passengers that the work will cause and we will do our utmost to ensure that it is kept to a minimum.  The train operators have also done all they can to make customers’ journeys easier, arranging coaches, offering extra staff assistance and providing full information about the amended timetable.”