Media centre

Monday 10 Apr 2017

VIDEO: Network Rail reopens Conwy Valley line following Storm Doris damage

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

The Conwy Valley line reopens to passengers today after Network Rail engineers carried out extensive repairs following Storm Doris damage.

Andy Thomas, route managing director for Network Rail Wales, said: “I am delighted that the Conwy Valley line has reopened, once again connecting people, businesses and communities.

“Our team of specialist engineers have worked tirelessly to repair the storm damage and they have faced a number of unique challenges during the work, including some extreme weather conditions and limited site access.

“We have worked closely with our partners Arriva Trains Wales to keep customers moving while the repairs took place and we’d like to thank the local community for their patience during this time.”

Lynne Milligan, Customer Service Director for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be able to start providing our normal rail services for passengers on the Conwy Valley line again after what has been a very challenging time in the fallout from Storm Doris.

“Clearly this has been a very difficult period for both our regular and occasional travellers and we have worked hard with our partners at Network Rail to reduce the impact this has had.

“The damage done to the line was significant, whilst more than a dozen of our trains suffered damage so I would like to thank our passengers for their patience and understanding.”

The line was closed on Thursday 23 February after a tree and rocks fell on the railway between Llanrwst and Blaenau Ffestiniog.

A full engineering assessment of the area revealed the storm had caused more damage than originally thought, disturbing lineside vegetation on the rock face next to the railway and an extensive package of design and repair work had to be quickly prepared.

The site posed unique challenges, with difficult access, dense vegetation and steep rock faces. No road access and a single track railway meant engineers were unable to use machinery typically used for similar repairs.

Following an aerial assessment and careful deliberation, a team of specialist geo-technical engineers used small charges of explosives to remove the unstable and dangerous high level rock from the railway embankment. This was done in a stepped fashion to reduce the rock to manageable sizes.

Low level clearance could only be carried out once the high level work had been completed, due to the danger of falling material. 

Engineers faced severe weather conditions, with high winds, rain, sleet and snow preventing safe access to the rock face at times during the repair work. 

More than 300 tonnes of rock and debris was removed mechanically and with explosive charges to ensure the line was safe to reopen for passengers.