Network Rail is carrying out a £7.25 million improvement plan to the Cambrian Line in Wales. The work is taking place between Newtown and Aberystwyth.

The project will see 6km of track replaced over the 8 week period.

The current track is bolted together, which can be noisy for local residents. The new track will be continuously welded together, this reduces noise and gives a better quality ride for the passengers.

This engineering work is part of the long-term plan to remove jointed track along the Cambrian Line.

The work will be taking place during the evenings and overnight. The work will start on the 5th February 2018 – the closures will affect some of the later services on the line.

The line will be closed on Saturday 17 February and Sunday 18 February as well as Saturday 10 March and Sunday 11 March. A rail replacement bus service will be in operation. Please check National Rail for more information

What did the officials say?

Andy Thomas, route managing director for Network Rail in Wales and Borders said: “The route is vital to the local economy and provides a critical link for rail customers in mid and north-west Wales. Our upgrade work to the Cambrian Line will ensure it remains reliable long into the future. I would like to thank the local community for their patience while we carry out this work as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and reassure them that we are doing all we can to keep disruption to a minimum. We are working with our partners Arriva Trains Wales to keep passengers moving via a bus replacement service and passengers are advised to check before travelling. ”

Bethan Jelfs, Customer Services Director for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “The Cambrian line is an incredibly valuable part of the Welsh network so to see such a significant investment to protect it for the future is excellent news. We have worked closely with our partners in Network Rail to ensure this work causes as little disruption to our customers as possible and we encourage everyone to check their journeys ahead of travelling.”

• Visit the Network Rail website
  For more information