Network Rail begins preparation for second phase of £25m resilience upgrade between Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire

Network Rail and its contractor, AmcoGiffen, will begin working round the clock on the Severn Estuary line to improve resilience from Monday 31 July to Friday 18 August. 

Engineers will be working on a one-mile-stretch of railway, close to Purton, and will remove around 15,000 tonnes of material from the cliff face.  

Teams will then begin to install an ‘active’ mesh system covering 19,500m2 secured by more than 5,000 rock bolts. This system will hold the cliff face in position and help to prevent landslips from damaging and subsequently closing the railway.  

This section of railway is in desperate need of resilience upgrades as it was hit by three landslips in January 2023 alone, following a bout of prolonged heavy rainfall.  

Prior to phase one of this project last summer, the Newport-Gloucester line was struck by five major incidents recorded between 2020-2021. This has led to extended closures of the railway and temporary speed restrictions, delaying more than 200,000 trains.  

Have a look at our first phase below: 

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Work carried out last summer prevented landslips on this section of railway during January’s heavy rain, highlighting the success of phase one and the need for this second phase of upgrades on this vulnerable section.  

During this work, the line will be temporarily closed so Network Rail and AmcoGiffen can carry out this work safely and efficiently.  

Transport for Wales and CrossCountry trains will be affected, and a rail replacement service will be put in place.  

Transport for Wales will replace trains with buses calling at all stations:  

• Between Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester from Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August – this is due to work being carried out on Chepstow viaduct 
• Between Chepstow and Gloucester from Sunday 6 to Friday 11 August and Monday 14 to Thursday 17 August  
• Weekend train timetables are due to operate on Saturday 5 August and on Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 August  

Network Rail urges passengers to visit tfw.wales for more information.  

CrossCountry will replace all trains with buses between Newport and Gloucester, calling at all stations:   

• Monday 31 July to Friday 4 August  
• Sunday 6 to Friday 11 August
• Monday 14 to Thursday 17 August
• Weekend train timetables are due to operate on Saturday 5 August and on Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 August 

Network Rail urges passengers to visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Lydney-2023 for more information.  

Nick Millington, route director for Network Rail Wales & Borders, 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.  

“I’d just like to thank everyone for their patience while we safely carry out this essential work.” 

Jan Chaudhry van der Velde, chief operating officer at Transport for Wales, said: “Work on the rail infrastructure to improve weather resilience has become more urgent, as climate change effects and severe weather have disrupted train services on several occasions in recent years. 

“We will be providing buses in place of trains during this work to keep passengers moving and thank passengers in advance for their patience.  

“The long-term benefits will bring more reliable train services. During the works, we ask customers to check before setting off at www.journeycheck.com/tfwrail.” 

CrossCountry’s regional director, Huw Margetts, said: “This Latest piece of work is essential for us to keep delivering our popular services between Wales and England for many years to come.  

“We’ve worked closely with Network Rail and Transport for Wales to keep any inconvenience to a minimum, but I wanted to thank our passengers for their patience while this stage is completed.” 

Andy Crowley, operation director for Wales & Borders at AmcoGiffen, said: “Climate Change continues to be an industry and global challenge and this next phase of the Severn Estuary Earthwork project will provide further resilience to this section of the route, thereby enhancing the passenger experience and strengthening the reliability of freight services. 

“AmcoGiffen and their sister company QTS are delighted to have been selected by our client Network Rail to support this next step in their strategic resilience programme. We look forward to demonstrating to the route how our innovative in-house plant and teams can help support our clients strategic visions.”