Between Saturday, the 6th and Monday, the 22nd of May, services between Machynlleth and Shrewsbury on the Cambrian line will be severely disrupted whilst Network Rail carries out essential track and viaduct work in Newtown and further west in Caersws.

Network Rail has already started preparations to ensure that the work is completed in time for the busy summer period.

Around Newtown station, Network Rail engineers and contractors Colas Rail will be replacing 2,000 metres of track and five sets of points, and installing 300 metres of new drainage to prevent washouts and flooding.

Throughout the work, road-to-rail vehicles and unloading trains will travel from Abermule to Newtown. During the work, Newtown station car park will be closed for a month so that the work can be carried out safely. Once complete, Transport for Wales new trains will be able to use the station.

At Caersws, work taking place on the 70-metre-long Severn and Carno railway viaduct will minimise the risk of delays and ensure a safe, reliable service. The viaduct is built of timber and constructed in 1860, then reconstructed in 1906 and 1927. Its 11 spans allow the Cambrian Line to bridge the confluence of the rivers Severn and Carno meet.

The work will see Network Rail and contractor Amco Giffen completely replace the timber beams on spans four, ten and eleven, and perform remedial work on the rest of the bridge, including replacing metal straps and fixings.

Throughout the disruption, rail-replacement buses will replace trains between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth. Anyone intending to travel during this time should check at www.journeycheck.com/tfwrail/ before travelling.
After this work has been completed, there will still be further work required but that will be carried out during the night when trains aren’t running.

Last year, Network Rail completed a multi-million-pound project to make the line more resilient after three storms in February 2022 forced the line between Welshpool and Newtown to close for six weeks.

Gareth Yates, project manager at Network Rail Wales & Borders for Severn and Carno viaduct renewal, said: “This viaduct is over 160 years old so further work is needed to strengthen and extend the life of the structure to prevent emergency closures of the line.

“This work has been planned before the busy summer period, to minimise disruption to passengers visiting the stunning scenery along the Cambrian line.”

Bradley Wallace, project manager at Network Rail Wales & Borders for Newtown track work, added: “We know that there is never an ideal time to carry out work on the railway and disrupt passenger services and we would like to thank the local community in advance for their patience whilst we carry out this essential track work.”

“This is a significant investment to the Cambrian line, and I hope local residents will bear with us as they can expect more reliable passenger services after this work.”

Jan Chaudhry-Van der Velde, Chief Operations Officer for Transport for Wales (Rail Services), commented: “This work by Network Rail will help make the railway infrastructure on the Cambrian line more resilient and improve the reliability of our passenger services. New Class 197 trains have been ordered for the line, so this investment will help clear the way for the trains to operate successfully.

“We understand rail replacement services can be frustrating in the short term, but the overall benefits will be worthwhile for the future. We thank our customers for their understanding and patience while this vital work is taking place.”