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Monday 20 Apr 2020

Passengers in Wales and the west thanked as upgrade work completed

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

Network Rail has thanked passengers for their patience and for only making essential journeys after they completed essential maintenance upgrades across Wales and the west.

From Friday 10 April until Monday 20 April, teams carried out vital work on the railway which will improve both passenger and freight services.

The essential upgrades, which were carried out in line with government advice and public health guidelines to keep workers safe, included:

• Severn Tunnel drainage and electrification energisation work which will provide a more reliable service for passengers travelling into and out of south Wales.

• The renewal of points at Pilning (between Bristol and the Severn Tunnel), which allows trains to go from one track to another, providing more reliable journeys for passengers. Follow up work takes place this weekend (25 and 26 April) and next (2 and 3 May) with track renewals at Bristol East Junction, near Bristol Temple Meads.

• Structural repair work within Paddington station which is critical as the road which sits on top of it, London Street, is the main access for emergency vehicles to St Mary's Hospital.

The work was carefully planned to ensure that key freight services were able to keep moving around the country, and that people who cannot work from home could still get to their jobs.

Stuart Calvert, Network Rail’s capital delivery director for Wales and Western, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience and for only travelling when it is essential.

“We have delivered some vital railway maintenance and upgrades while continuing to run a safe and reliable railway that keeps people who can’t work from home, like NHS staff, and goods moving during these challenging times.”