Media centre

Monday 29 Mar 2021

Rail improvement work completed in Lostwithiel

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

Network Rail has successfully completed work to renew parts of the River Fowey viaduct and repair some of the track at Lostwithiel station.

Train services resumed earlier today (Monday 29 March) following work over the past two weeks to repair parts of the track at Lostwithiel station and renew the viaduct over the River Fowey including replacing eight bridge decks, brickwork repairs, grit blasting and repainting the old steel structure.

Network Rail engineers worked day and night to complete the work and to minimise disruption to residents living near to the railway, acoustic barriers were put in place to reduce noise pollution to surrounding areas.

Further follow up work will continue over the next eight weeks, but this will not affect train services.

Scott Pillinger, Network Rail programme manager, said: “I’m really proud of what the team has achieved over the past two weeks. This was a very complex bridge replacement scheme which involved lifting in and lifting out hundreds of tons of steel.

“The engineering precision to design, manufacture and install the bridge, which is on a curve and gradient was exceptionally challenging, but as planned the new bridge has been installed successfully and trains are now travelling over it.”