Monday 19 May 2003

NETWORK RAIL’S TRACK IMPROVEMENTS IN SOMERSET

Region & Route:
| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders
| Wales & Western: Western
| Wales & Western
A major track renewal project will take place between Castle Cary and Taunton next month as part of Network Rail’s ongoing programme to upgrade and enhance the country’s rail network.  Engineers will be working around the clock to replace rails and sleepers, compact ballast and check cabling over several miles of track. The two-week engineering programme will take place from10.45 on Monday 2 June to 10.45 on Friday 6 June, then from Monday 9 June to Friday 13 June 2003 and will require the closure of the line between Castle Cary and Taunton. London Paddington to West of England services will be altered or diverted via Bristol Temple Meads, with extended journey times, and a shuttle service will operate between Paddington and Castle Cary.  In addition, road transport will be provided between Taunton and Castle Cary. Passengers are advised to ring National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or refer to special timetable pamphlets, which will be available at stations. -more-                                                                                                                               Castle Cary - 2 Network Rail Regional Director, John Curley, said:   “This intensive engineering work is part of our commitment to enhance track quality in the region and to provide a safe and reliable rail network. “We will work with train operators to do all we can to ensure that disruption to passengers and people living nearby is kept to an minimum.”

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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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