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Wednesday 9 Mar 2016

Residents invited to drop-in event about railway electrification work at Dodington Road bridge in Chipping Sodbury

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Chipping Sodbury residents are invited to attend a drop-in event to find out more about work that will be taking place to prepare Dodington Road bridge for the arrival of a new fleet of electric trains.

The event will take place from 4pm until 8pm on Tuesday 15 March at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on Broad Street. Members of the Network Rail project team will be on-hand throughout to explain more about the plans and to answer any questions.

As part of the company’s £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan, to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers, Network Rail’s orange army will be preparing this bridge for electrification by raising its sides and installing anti-climb coping stones. This improvement work will provide a barrier between the bridge’s users and the overhead high voltage electric lines that are required to power the new fleet of longer, faster, quieter and greener electric trains to run underneath.

As the bridge is too narrow to safely accommodate traffic, pedestrians and the team carrying out the work, a temporary road closure is required to carry out part of the upgrade. The bridge will therefore be closed to motorists from Monday 23 May until the first week of June.

To minimise disruption for residents as much as possible, part of the temporary closure has been timed to coincide with half-term and the remaining aspects of the work will be completed during a series of Saturday night closures from 10pm until 8am, starting on 11 June and finishing at the beginning of July. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained throughout the duration of the upgrade.

Andy Haynes, Network Rail’s project director for the west of England, said: “I’d like to thank the local community in advance for their patience and understanding while we carry out this improvement work.

“The work at Dodington Road bridge is an essential part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and will pave the way for electrification and the benefits this will bring for residents. These benefits include faster trains with more seats and more legroom, and less noise and cleaner air for those who live close to the railway line.

“Everyone is welcome at our drop-in event and I’d urge anyone who wants to know more about our plans, or has a question they’d like answered, to come along.

The diversion route for motorists during the temporary closure is as follows: Bowling Road, Culverhill Road, Rounceval Street, Bowling Hill, Station Road, Link Road, A432 Kennedy Way, A432 Cotswold Road, A432 Smarts Green Roundabout, A432 Badminton Road, A46 Bath Road, Wapley Road, Sodbury Lane.

ENDS

Notes to editors

About Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan

The Railway Upgrade Plan is Network Rail’s £40bn spending plan for Britain’s railways for the five year period up to 31 March 2019. The plan is designed to provide more capacity, relieve crowding and respond to tremendous growth the railways have seen – a doubling of passengers in the past twenty years. The plan will deliver a bigger, better railway with more trains, longer trains, faster trains with more infrastructure, more reliable infrastructure and better facilities for passengers, especially at stations.

About the Great Western Electrification Programme

Electrification will transform the railway between London and Oxford, Newbury, Bristol and Cardiff to deliver a faster, greener, quieter and more reliable railway for passengers, with extra capacity. Electrifying this part of the Great Western route will enhance 235 miles of one of Britain’s busiest and oldest railways, better connecting major towns and cities across southern England and South Wales. This investment, as well as the introduction of a fleet of new trains, will improve journey times and make services more comfortable, smoother, cleaner and quieter for passengers and people living near the railway.

For more information about the Great Western Electrification Programme, visit: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/great-western-route-modernisation/

Members of the public who have questions about the work can call Network Rail’s 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41.