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Friday 28 Jul 2023

Passengers reminded to check before they travel between Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire as three-week major resilience scheme continues from Monday

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

Network Rail and its contractor, AmcoGiffen, will begin working round the clock on the Severn Estuary line to improve resilience from Monday 31 July to Friday 18 August. 

Engineers will be working on a one-mile-stretch of railway, close to Purton, removing around 1,000 tonnes of material from the cliff face as part of the Severn Estuary Resilience Programme (SERP).

An ‘active’ mesh system will then be installed covering 19,500m2, secured by more than 5,000 rock bolts. This system will hold the cliff face in position and help to prevent landslips from damaging, and subsequently, closing the railway.  

The line will be temporarily closed so Network Rail and AmcoGiffen can carry out this work safely and efficiently.  

Transport for Wales and CrossCountry trains will be affected, and a rail replacement service will be in place.  

Transport for Wales will replace trains with buses calling at all stations:  

• Between Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester from Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August - this is due to work being carried out on Chepstow viaduct 
• Between Chepstow and Gloucester from Sunday 6 to Friday 11 August and Monday 14 to Thursday 17 August  
• Weekend train timetables are due to operate on Saturday 5 August and on Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 August  

Network Rail urges passengers to visit tfw.wales for more information.  

CrossCountry will replace all trains with buses between Newport and Gloucester, calling at all stations:   

• Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August  
• Sunday 6 to Friday 11 August  
• Monday 14 to Thursday 17 August  

• Weekend train timetables are due to operate on Saturday 5 August and on Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 August 

If passengers are planning to travel between the Midlands and South Wales, they may wish to travel via Bristol Parkway. Network Rail urges passengers to visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Lydney-2023 for more information.  

Nick Millington, route director for Network Rail Wales & Borders, said: “The line between Newport and Gloucester is particularly vulnerable to landslips due to its exposed location along the Severn Estuary.  

“We are seeing more frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change, which is why we are prioritising resilience projects like this, to protect vital passenger and freight links in the Wales and Borders route.  

“This investment will ensure fewer closures and speed restrictions in the future, providing passengers and freight customers with a more reliable service.  

“I’d just like to thank everyone for their patience while we safely carry out this essential work.”