Media centre

Tuesday 14 Jan 2025

Passengers between South Wales and Bristol/Gloucester reminded to check before travelling ahead of work at Severn Tunnel Junction later this month

Region & Route:

Wales & Western

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western: Western

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel between South Wales and Bristol/Gloucester on the weekend of January 25-26 when Network Rail will be carrying out track renewals at two locations as well as a range of other essential work.

There will be no direct trains between Bristol/Gloucester and South Wales all weekend so the work at Severn Tunnel Junction station and Llandevenny can be safely carried out.

Engineers are working across the two sites, replacing 522 yards of track through platform 2 at Severn Tunnel Junction station and another 275 yards at Llandevenny, between Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport stations.

At Severn Tunnel Junction, engineers will replace 2,000 tonnes of ballast and 730 sleepers, using five engineering trains. At Llandevenny, they will replace 1,150 tonnes of ballast and 420 sleepers, using four engineering trains.

While the railway is closed, teams will also be carrying out a range of tasks within the Severn Tunnel itself, including maintenance of the overhead line equipment (OLE), as well as working on a cutting on the Severn Estuary.

Recent periods of adverse weather, including high rainfall, snow, and ice, have led to further deterioration of the cutting, preventing engineers from completing the ongoing stabilisation work between Awre and Purton. This closure will allow them to safely complete the work and ensure the continued safe operation of the railway.

While the lines from Gloucester and Bristol into South Wales are closed, rail replacement buses will operate.

Transport for Wales will operate a bus service between Newport and Gloucester/Cheltenham Spa, while GWR will run buses from Bristol Parkway to Cardiff Central (non-stop) and from Bristol Parkway to Newport (non-stop, plus some services stopping at Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction).

GWR trains will still run from Bristol Parkway toward Swindon, Bristol Temple Meads and Gloucester, plus between Patchway and Bristol Temple Meads (Saturday only). GWR will also operate trains between Newport and Swansea/Carmarthen.

Train services between Bristol/Gloucester and South Wales are due to resume on Monday, January 27.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “We recognise there is never a good time to close the Severn Tunnel and the Gloucester line at the same time, but we have planned this work to minimise disruption as much as possible.

“The location of the track renewal – where life-expired track must be replaced – means both lines must be closed for our teams to safely carry out the work.

“With the lines closed, we are also taking the opportunity to replace the track at Llandevenny, which is on the single line heading up to the Bishton flyover and can only be carried out with all lines blocked.

“We apologise to customers who were planning to travel on those lines over the weekend of January 25-26 and ask them to check before they travel.

“We are committed to investing in railway infrastructure in Wales and Borders, in order to deliver reliable and low-carbon transport, and this £890,000 track renewal is a key part of that.”