Monday 11 Sep 2017
The last of nine bridges to be upgraded in Monmouthshire as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan reopens
- Region & Route:
- Wales & Western: Wales & Borders
- | Wales & Western
Rogiet Road bridge reopened to motorists this week as work continues to prepare the railway from London to Cardiff for brand new bi-mode Intercity Express Trains.
Network Rail has carried out essential upgrade work to nine bridges in Monmouthshire to raise the structures, which will give clearance for the new equipment to support the new trains.
Andy Thomas, route managing director for Network Rail Wales, said: “Our railway plays a vital role in connecting people, businesses and communities, as well as supporting economic growth.
“The work we have completed to bridges in Monmouthshire will help to accommodate the equipment needed to improve the passenger experience.
“We would like to thank the local community for their patience as we carried out this modernisation work as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.”
The new bridge at Rogiet Road, which will have a lifespan of around 120 years, is the last bridge in Monmouthshire to reopen following upgrade work. The bridge can now accommodate heavier vehicles, is fit for modern day traffic, has a new footpath for pedestrians and improved road alignment for better accessibility.
Network Rail has been working on bridges in Monmouthshire since early 2015. Rogiet Road bridge was closed in December 2016 for demolition to allow the bridge to be completely reconstructed.
The new Intercity Express Trains, capable of running on both diesel and electric power, will operate between London and Swansea from this autumn.
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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.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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