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Friday 24 Mar 2017

Swindon residents invited to drop-in event to find out more about railway upgrade work

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Residents living near Roman Road bridge in Swindon have been invited to a drop-in event to find out more about upcoming work to prepare the Great Western Main Line for electrification. This forms part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers.

Network Rail is carrying out essential work to lower the track beneath the listed bridge on Ermin Street in Stratton St Margaret to accommodate the new fleet of electric trains, which will provide improved capacity and more comfortable journeys for passengers.

The bulk of the work will take place around the clock over the weekends of 27-29 May and 10-11 June 2017, and includes: removing rail and sleepers, removing spoil from the site, installing new ballast, sleepers and rails and drainage work.

Follow-up work will then take place intermittently from 18 June – 20 August.

Network Rail plans to close Ermin Street to traffic for the two core weekends of 27-29 May and 10-11 June, subject to local authority approval.

Lucy Elston, scheme project manager for the track lower, said: “The work at Roman Road is an essential part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and will pave the way for electric trains and the benefits these will bring to residents and passengers. These benefits include new trains with more seats and more legroom, as well as less noise and air pollution for those who live close to the railway line.”

 “We would like to thank the local community for bearing with us while we carry out these improvements to Brunel’s railway.

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

The event will take place on Wednesday 29 March, at Grange Junior School, Grange Drive; Stratton St Margaret; Swindon; SN3 4JY, from 4.30pm to 7.00pm.

Members of the Network Rail project team will be on-hand throughout the event to explain more about the work taking place and to answer any questions.

The event will also provide an update on work to install the overhead power lines at Swindon station, as part of the electrification project. Work began late last year and Network Rail’s orange army will be working on 27-29 May and 10-11 June to make further progress.

ENDS