Passengers urged to plan ahead as major rail route closes this weekend

Nation.Cymru staff

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel as a major railway line through Wales and the borders closes this weekend for essential engineering work.

All services between Newport and Shrewsbury will be suspended from 12.45am on Saturday, July 11, until 5am on Monday, July 13, while Network Rail carries out maintenance and upgrade work.

Engineers will renew sections of track at locations including Pontrilas, Abergavenny and Ludlow, alongside vegetation clearance, repairs, repainting and inspections of railway structures.

Network Rail said carrying out several projects during one planned closure would improve the reliability of the route while reducing the need for future disruption.

Transport for Wales will operate rail replacement bus services throughout the weekend.

Buses will run approximately every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday. For each scheduled train, there will be an all-stations replacement service and a faster service calling only at Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran and Newport.

A small number of late-night services will also stop at Cardiff Central.

Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check their journeys before travelling using the National Rail or Transport for Wales website or app.

Martin Taylor, chief infrastructure officer at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: “This work is vital to maintaining and improving one of the key railway routes through Wales and the borders.

“By carrying out several upgrades during one planned closure, we can complete the work safely and efficiently while reducing the need for future disruption.

“We appreciate that closing the railway for a weekend will affect journeys, and we’d like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience while we carry out these essential improvements.”

Transport for Wales said additional staff would be on hand at key stations, including Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny and Newport, to help passengers during the closure.