Media centre

Friday 13 Apr 2018

Passengers advised to check before travelling ahead of South Wales mainline modernisation work from end of April

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Passengers planning to use train services in South Wales between April 23 and May 25 are being urged to check five days before they travel, ahead of essential modernisation work between the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff, which forms part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan for Wales.

The South Wales mainline modernisation work between London and Cardiff will provide more seats and better on-board facilities for passengers travelling between the two capital cities and beyond.

From April 23 to May 25, there will be changes to some services to allow the work to be carried out.

Network Rail and partners Arriva Trains Wales and GWR, are working together to keep people moving. Rail replacement buses will be in operation on some routes and there will be timetable alterations with less frequent services elsewhere.

Further work is planned in late June.

Updated timetables will be available five days before each impacted week, providing passengers with up to date information on service changes and advice on the best way to travel.

Information is available at:

www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/south-wales-mainline-modernisation

www.gwr.com/travel-updates/planned-engineering

Dan Tipper, project director for Network Rail, said: “This year we reach a critical stage of our work to modernise the South Wales mainline and we are now focussing on the installation of the overhead line equipment between London and Cardiff that will power the new bi-mode trains.

“We would like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding as we undertake this essential engineering work. We are working closely with Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway and other partners to ensure passengers are able to get to where they need to be during this period.”

Lynne Milligan, projects and planning director for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “Continued investment in the railway infrastructure is key to delivering long term improvements in service for our customers.

“We will be working closely with our partners in Network Rail throughout the project to ensure these benefits can be delivered with as little disruption to customers as possible. We would like to thank customers for their patience and to urge them to plan ahead and check journey details before travel.”

Rob Mullen, GWR operations director, said: “New Intercity Express Trains are already operating on the route, providing more seats than the trains they replace. This work, an essential part to the electrification programme, will enable us to continue to roll out these new trains – reducing journey times, and on more resilient infrastructure.”