Media centre

Friday 8 Apr 2016

Upgrade work to prepare Newport station for new fleet of electric trains due to begin

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Passengers are being reminded to check before they travel as upgrade work to prepare Newport station for a new fleet of electric trains begins on Monday 11 April.

The essential work by Network Rail is part of the company’s £40bn Railway Upgrade Plan to electrify the South Wales Mainline, which will provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers and businesses.

Platforms will remain open during the essential works and temporary fencing will be erected on Monday to contain the work sites at the station.

Work to the platforms will include piling foundations, installing new posts to support the overhead lines required for electrification as well as modification work to the station canopies. A large amount of the work will take place during the night to minimise disruption to passengers. However, passengers are being urged to check before they travel and visit www.nationalrail.co.uk for updates as a small number of the early and late train services are likely to be affected while the upgrade takes place.

The old redundant footbridge to the east of the station will also be removed. It was closed in 2011 as part of the Newport Station redevelopment work but now requires complete removal to accommodate the overhead lines which will power a brand new fleet of electric trains.

Anthea Dolman-Gair, senior programme manager for Network Rail, said: “Electrifying the railway will mean less pollution and noise for those living close to the railway line in and around Newport, as well as passengers benefiting from faster, quieter and more reliable services. We have designed the programme of work to keep the disruption to passengers and the local community to a minimum and we would like to thank them for their patience while we carry out this vital upgrade work.”

The work at Newport station is expected to be completed by late 2016.

ENDS

 

Notes to Editor

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.