Resilience works in Mid-Wales improve reliability for passengers and future freight

Resilience work on the Cambrian Line (Network Rail)

A multi-million-pound flood protection project is underway on a mid-Wales railway, following a series of devastating winter storms. Network Rail has begun work to install around 10,000 tonnes of rock armour alongside a stretch of the Cambrian Line to make it more resilient and reliable. The infrastructure agency says services will remain undisturbed during the works.

Network Rail is investing 4,4 million pounds (5,2 million euros) to protect the future of the Cambrian Line following three back-to-back storms in February 2022 that led to half a mile of severe damages on the railway. A recent trial was carried out, transporting timber along the line, making freight operations a reality for the first time in two decades.

9,500 tonnes of rock armour

The Cambrian line between Welshpool and Newtown was closed for several weeks following Storm Franklin, with Network Rail and their specialist engineering contractors Amco Giffen engineers working night and day to fix more than twelve areas of washouts – the result of unprecedented levels of flood water. To minimise future disruption and delays, Network Rail has begun installing 9,500 tonnes of rock armour along the bank of the railway; the same concept that has proved successful on other flood-prone stretch of Welsh railway in the Conwy Valley and near Abergavenny.

Rock armour is a reliable resilience method which prevents the stones under the tracks from washing away during extreme weather, allowing the railway to reopen in days, rather than weeks. Even through the storms were in February of this year, it has taken around 16 weeks to reach this stage. Preparation over the last few months has involved construction of a brand-new, temporary access road, which is needed to transport the locally sourced boulders from Cefn Mawr quarry, in Flintshire, to the work site.

Recent freight trials

Although designated as a mid-Wales line, the railway connects many rural communities in north Wales with the rest of the country. Ironically, the junction for trains to the rest of Wales is Shrewsbury, just over the border in England. Most services continue on to destinations in England, mainly Birmingham and Birmingham Airport.

Timber trains have recently been operating on the mid-Wales Cambrian Line as part of a trial (Colas)

Freight has been absent from the line for about twenty years. However, recent trials have seen timber transported from Aberystwyth, on the west coast of Wales, to a large processing mill at Chirk in north Wales, near Wrexham. It’s expected that the trials will become permanent, and that other commodities could be transported by rail into the Welsh railheads on the line.

A vital link for communities

Network Rail has worked closely with Natural Resources Wales to develop its approach for carrying out a major project on a flood plain. Steps have been taken to ensure the local wildlife is protected; with hedgerows being planted in the gaps along the railway to prevent flooding and provide a habitat for wildlife. “The Cambrian line is a vital link for the communities it serves”, said Dave Smale, head of maintenance delivery at Network Rail Wales and Borders. “We simply must protect its future from the impact of climate change. This investment will allow us to continue providing a safe, reliable and resilient railway for many years to come.”

tamping train on Cambrian Line march 2022 (Network Rail)

The Cambrian Line has recently also benefitted from a major rolling stock fleet replacement, part of an 800-million-pound (945 million euros) investment throughout the Wales and Borders network by the devolved Welsh government. To minimise disruption, the railway will remain open while the resilience work is delivered between July 2022 and Autumn.

Further reading:

Author: Simon Walton

Simon Walton is UK correspondent for RailTech.com and Railfreight.com

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.