A video of the project at Sudbrook reveals behind-the-scenes footage of what is one of Network Rail‘s most historically innovative feats of engineering

As part of the working railway between south Wales and England for over 130 years, Sudbrook Pumping station has seen Network Rail carry out the replacement of its pumps.

Sudbrook Pumping station was put in place due to a natural spring being discovered in the 1800s when engineers began construction of the Severn Tunnel which runs beneath the Severn Estuary. The building of a drainage system which could remove the ongoing excess spring water was vital to the future of the railway.

The pumps at Sudbrook still play an essential role in the running of the railway today, with the pumps needing to be replaced every 30 years and is a huge job for Network Rail and contractors Centregreat who have just completed the work.

The installation saw each one of the pumps which weigh in at one and a half tonnes, lifted from their 60-metre deep shaft. After the pump is removed and the rising tubes are taken to pieces which was carried out by hand, the process is reversed allowing for the replacements to be installed. The complex removal of just one pump can take as much as a week to complete.

The modernisation of the Sudbrook Pumping station is just part of an array of projects which have been delivered over recent years in order to improve journeys for passengers travelling between Wales and England.

The work has come after the Severn Tunnel was electrified which has brought substantial reductions to journey times. The new pumps will also provide improvements to journey reliability as the tunnel will see fewer closures for maintenance.

Peter Caulfield, project manager at Network Rail said: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime project that I am very proud to have been a part of.

“Through very careful planning, we were able to keep trains moving through the Severn Tunnel while we replaced the pumps – which meant no disruption for passengers.

“The new pumps also mean there will be fewer closures of the Severn Tunnel for maintenance in future, further improving the reliability of rail services for those travelling between south Wales and England.”