Thursday 20 Jul 2023
Essential viaduct repairs to impact rail travel between Coventry and Oxford
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: Central
Passengers are being advised to check before they travel ahead of work to improve future journeys on an important railway corridor through the West Midlands.
Several major projects will be taking place in various places over nine days on the Coventry to Leamington Spa line, and between Heyford and Oxford, between Saturday 29 July until Sunday 6 August.
One key piece of work will see Network Rail invest £11m to strengthen a Victorian-built railway viaduct which carries trains over the River Avon near Leamington Spa*.
Specialist roped access teams will upgrade the 179-year-old structure by replacing damaged and missing bricks, repointing the mortar and strengthening its nine arches.
Over the nine days, different sections of the railway will need to close, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep passengers on the move.
For that reason, passengers are being encouraged to see how their individual journey could be impacted by checking www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator for detailed travel information.
Addition essential upgrade work over the nine days include:
- A £1.3m investment to build 2.2 miles of new track in Banbury to improve journey reliability**
- A 47-metre-long bridge being installed in Kenilworth so tracks for HS2 can be built underneath the existing rail route***
- A major railway resignalling scheme around Oxford to prepare for East West Rail****
The railway closure will affect Chiltern Railways services between the West Midlands and London Marylebone, as well as West Midlands Railways and CrossCountry services between Coventry and Leamington Spa, and further south to Oxford.
Denise Wetton, Network Rail Central route director, said: “I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience ahead of this major work while we carry out essential maintenance on an historic viaduct in Leamington Spa, new signalling is installed for East West Rail in Oxford and HS2 builds a key structure that will enable the railway of the future.
“The scale of these projects means there will be disruption to trains between Coventry to Leamington Spa and Oxford from Saturday 29 July until Sunday 6 August. We’ve worked closely with all train operators on plans to keep passengers on the move, and I’d urge people to plan ahead by checking National Rail Enquiries, so they know what to expect from their individual journey.”
As well as checking National Rail Enquiries, passengers are also encouraged to check the websites of their individual train operators, with ongoing industrial action resulting in short notice changes to some services.
Jacqueline Dey, Chiltern Railways operations director, said: "Numerous projects along our routes in Warwickshire and Oxfordshire will affect customer's travel plans between 29 July and 6 August.
"We will be keeping people on the move, with rail replacement buses in operation between Banbury/Leamington and Bicester North, as well as between Oxford and Oxford Parkway. Customers should ensure they check their full journey before they travel and give themselves enough time to get to their destination.
"This is a significant and complex closure, with various improvement projects being undertaken during the working week. We'd like to thank customers for their understanding and patience while these essential works are completed."
Huw Margetts, CrossCountry’s regional director for Wales and West, said: “We’re sorry to passengers affected by planned engineering work and industrial action on our route between Coventry, Leamington Spa and Didcot Parkway.
“I’d ask anyone planning to travel between Saturday 29 and Sunday 6 August to check their journey on the CrossCountry website or with National Rail Enquiries before setting off, as some journeys will take longer than usual.”
Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Railway customer experience director, said:“The strengthening of a viaduct at Leamington Spa is crucial for the safety and upkeep of the railway.
“I advise passengers travelling between Coventry and Leamington Spa between Saturday 29 July and Sunday 6 August to check their journeys before setting out. Services may be disrupted while the work is being completed and I thank passengers for their patience. A rail replacement service will be in operation”.
For latest travel advice and information about strike action visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
*Leamington Spa viaduct improvements
Network Rail engineers will carry out major work on a Victorian-built viaduct in Leamington Spa. The viaduct was originally constructed in 1844 and carried a single track. In 1882 the bridge was widened to carry two tracks with the construction of a similar arch structure to the east.
The 200m long, nine-arch structure will see missing and damaged bricks replaced, new mortar and strengthening. A roped access team will carry out the brickwork repairs along the viaduct.
**Banbury track upgrades
Network Rail is installing new 2.2 miles of railway track in Banbury. This will include upgrades to rails, sleepers and track foundation stone - known as ballast. Replacing the line will improve its reliability and allow trains to run on time and at full speed.
***New HS2 overbridge installation
HS2 will be installing a 47-metre-long overbridge in Kenilworth which will allow Britain’s new high-speed railway to pass beneath the existing line.
The giant 5,600 tonne concrete structure – which has been built on site over the last 15 months – will be slowly manoeuvred into place on the back of a huge transporter vehicle.
When complete, HS2 will transform journeys between London, the Midlands and the North, by making space on the existing railway network for more freight and local services.
****Oxford resignalling scheme
These improvements, alongside the station expansion and bridge works, are vital to enable an increase in services in the area, and to prepare for the East West Rail project which will initially connect Oxford with direct trains towards Bletchley and Milton Keynes.
During 2023, trackside work will focus on re-routing cabling for signals, installing high speed crossovers and making changes to Osney Lane footbridge to make way for a new railway line to be installed in 2024. For more information visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/western/oxfordshire/oxfordshire-signalling-and-track-upgrades/
Contact information
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About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
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