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Passengers between Tiverton and Taunton are set to benefit from a better performing and more reliable railway as Network Rail invests in a major scheme at Whiteball tunnel.

Network Rail engineers have begun the huge task of repairing railway lines in north Wales damaged by Thursday’s storm surge.

The A371 road has fully reopened to road traffic today (2 December) as Network Rail completes the £1.2m improvement scheme to significantly strengthen the Ansford overbridge at Castle Cary.

Network Rail is inviting young people from across the Thames Valley area to its delivery unit in Reading this weekend to experience life as a railway apprentice and meet the people and high-tech kit involved in keeping Britain’s rail network running.

Network Rail is inviting young people from across the Oxfordshire and Thames Valley regions to its delivery unit in Didcot to experience life as a railway apprentice and meet the people and high-tech kit involved in keeping Britain’s rail network running.

The construction of a new 2km viaduct in Reading has reached a key milestone after the first pre-cast concrete beams, which will form the base that trains will run on, were lifted into place.

New platforms, new lifts, new information systems, new concourses, new footbridges, new track; all have featured as record investment has been ploughed into the railway in the Thames Valley over the past six months.

Nearly £2m a day have been invested in improving the railway on the Western route over the last six months, new figures from Network Rail show. This brings a total of £342m worth of investment to the railways across the south west of England and the Thames Valley, benefitting key towns and cities including Swindon, Chippenham, Bath, Bristol, Kemble, Taunton and Gloucester.