UK-based railway infrastructure manager Network Rail and its contractor AmcoGiffen have initiated preparatory works for the second upgrade phase of the Newport-Gloucester line.
The improvement is part of a £25m resilience upgrade between the counties of Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire and will be carried out from 31 July to 18 August this year.
The works will involve associated engineers working on a one-mile stretch of railway near the village of Purton and the removal of approximately 15,000 tonnes of material from the cliff face.
Following the completion of this work, the engineers will deploy an ‘active’ mesh system across an area of 19,500m², which will be sealed with more than 5,000 rock bolts.
The mesh system will help the cliff face to remain in place, as well as prevent landslides from destroying or blocking the railway in the future.
The railway line has required resilience improvements after being struck by three landslides in January this year amid a spell of prolonged heavy rainfall.
The line will be temporarily shut during the upgrade, impacting the Wales and CrossCountry trains.
However, a rail replacement service will be set up for passenger convenience.
Before the first phase of the resilience project, the Newport-Gloucester line suffered five major incidents between 2020-21.
These incidents resulted in long-spanning closures of the railway alongside temporary speed limitations, thereby delaying more than 200,000 trains.
Network Rail Wales & Borders's route director Nick Millington said: “The line between Newport and Gloucester is particularly vulnerable to landslips due to its exposed location along the Severn Estuary.
“We are seeing more frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change, which is why we are prioritising resilience projects like this, to protect vital passenger and freight links in the Wales and Borders route.
“This investment will ensure fewer closures and speed restrictions in the future, providing passengers and freight customers with a more reliable service.”
