A Mid-Wales railway viaduct, originally built in 1863, has undergone major refurbishment.

The 360ft-long Dovey Junction viaduct in Powys carries the Cambrian Line over Afon Dyfi – River Dovey – and the work has been completed ahead of schedule despite the numerous challenges faced by the Network Rail team and the contractor AmcoGiffen.

The historic structure has 15 pairs of wooden piles which are sunken deep into the bed of the estuary.  That was just one major challenge, quite apart from extreme weather, tides and the need to reduce the impact on the habitats of the protected species in the area, including ospreys and grey geese. Work at the site has taken eight months and began in September 2022.  In order to reduce the impact on wildlife, work was paused between March and mid-August of this year.

The tidal nature of the estuary meant that the environment was constantly changing and, in order to allow work to be carried out safely and efficiently, pontoons were used to access each of the wooden structures.  Parts of these structures were replaced with glass reinforced plastic (GRP) resin, which is a polymer made from recycled waste plastic, meaning the viaduct will be more durable while requiring less maintenance, therefore reducing future disruption to local habitats.

In a further commitment to protection of the environment, Network Rail managed to reuse approximately 77 tonnes of timber which had been removed from the viaduct. Around 90 metres of track panels will also be donated to the Gwili Railway, a heritage line in West Wales, in the coming weeks.

Transport for Wales (TfW) will continue to operate bus replacements along parts of the Cambrian line, which runs from Shrewsbury to Dovey Junction where it diverges, continuing north to Pwllheli and south to Aberystwyth. The railway will be remain closed between Machynlleth and Pwllheli until Sunday 3 December in order to allow restoration works to continue safely at Barmouth. Passengers should check before they travel at tfw.wales for more information.

Network Rail’s route director for Network Rail Wales and Borders, Nick Millington, said: “It has been a huge challenge to complete the refurbishment of Dovey Junction Viaduct, working in storms and extreme weather while coping with flooding and a lot of mud. As well as completing the job safely, great care was taken to protect the environment along this beautiful stretch of railway and to recycle materials.

“We’d like to thank the local community and our passengers for their patience during this work and as we continue our restoration further along the line at Barmouth viaduct. These two projects will boost the resilience and reliability of this line for generations to come. ”

AmcoGiffen operations director, Andy Crowley, added: “Safe, successful and early completion of the work at Dovey Junction viaduct is an incredible achievement for the whole team, including our supply partners. In addition, the whole project truly showcases what genuine, deep-rooted collaboration will look like in the years to come.”

Chief customer and culture officer at TfW, Marie Daly, said: “This significant investment in the Cambrian Line by Network Rail will strengthen resilience on the route for many years to come and help us to provide more consistent services for our customers. Rail replacement buses remain in place until December 3 and there are some changes to the bus routes in Barmouth from November 6 due to work being carried out by Welsh Water, so it’s important passengers continue to check for the latest information before travelling.”