Train services resumed last weekend after nearly three weeks of round-the-clock work to help protect the Severn Estuary line from extreme weather.
The railway was partially closed between Newport and Gloucester from Monday 22 July until the early hours of Saturday morning to allow teams to safely work on the third phase of Network Rail’s multi-million-pound resilience programme.
The exposed location of the line means it is prone to landslips, so Network Rail is undertaking a five-year programme to help make the railway more reliable for generations to come.
The work focuses on a steep cutting between Purton and Awre in the Forest of Dean, where over the past three weeks engineers drilled more than 800 holes, each between four and five metres deep, before installing rock bolts on the lower slopes. The teams also carried out reprofiling work on parts of the slope to prevent rock and soil reaching the track.
Work will now continue until the end of the year while trains are running to install a further 3,200 bolts and rockfall netting to fully stabilise more than 17,500 square metres of the cutting alongside the railway.
The work, carried out with contractor BAM Nuttall, upgraded part of the temporary netting system put in place in 2022 to a permanent system which holds the slope in place. The closure of the line allowed engineers to fully survey the cutting and complete the design for next year’s phase of work.
While the railway was closed, Network Rail engineers also carried out essential drainage work in Newnham Tunnel, renewed almost one mile of track on the line and upgraded several level crossings.
Network Rail Wales and Borders 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 because of climate change, which is why we are prioritising resilience projects such as this, to protect vital passenger and freight links on the Wales and Borders route.
“The investment we have made – and are continuing to make – will mean fewer closures and speed restrictions in the future, providing passengers and freight customers with a more reliable service.
“I would like to thank everyone for their patience while we safely carried out this essential work.”
CrossCountry’s regional director Bethan Jelfs said: “We are grateful for everyone’s patience while Network Rail completed this work to make the Severn Estuary line more resilient to the weather. “Our passengers depend on reliable train services and this investment will help deliver this for years to come.”