THE Cambrian Line between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury re-open this afternoon after flood damage in February caused severe damage to the railway line.
Engineers have worked around the clock to reopen the Cambrian Line section between Shrewsbury and Newtown after Storm Franklin on 21 February caused damage to 33 parts of the line along a half-mile stretch of the railway.
The washouts happened after the River Severn flooded, with the water rising 3.9metres above the normal level - just 9cm lower than the highest ever recorded level. It took ten days for the river to fully recede before engineers could move in to repair the railway.
Following just six weeks of 24/7 shifts, Network Rail engineers, working alongside contractors AmcoGiffen, have managed to restore the railway, ready for train services to on Saturday afternoon.
The extensive repair work has included the removal of 3,000 tonnes of debris, 4,000 tonnes of new ballast being laid, three tamping shifts to realign and level the track, 800 metres of double track replaced, new hedgerows planted, clearing of 11 culverts and installation of new fencing and telecoms cables.
Replacement bus services have been running on the eastern stretch of the line since February, but this afternoon, the train service between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury resumed in full.
In March, Network Rail announced millions of pounds emergency funding to further protect this section of the line.
Engineers are currently working on a resilience solution for this section of railway which will see rock armour installed along the embankment. Rock armour is a proven to work resilience method which prevents the stones from washing away during extreme weather, which means the railway can reopen in days, rather than weeks.
Transport for Wales is planning to resume some passenger services on Saturday afternoon, following track testing in the morning. A full level of rail service is due to start back from Sunday 3 April.
Bill Kelly, route director for Network Rail Wales & Borders said: "It’s fantastic to be able to fully reopen the Cambrian line for passengers, after the scenes of absolute devastation left in the wake of Storm Franklin.
“I’d like to thank passengers, and the local community, who’ve shown incredible patience and support, throughout. I’d also like to pay tribute to everyone who’s worked so hard to repair the railway so quickly in such challenging conditions - it really has been an incredible effort.”
Martyn Brennan, Transport for Wales Operations Director, said: "We would like to thank our customers for their patience while this essential work has taken place and we look forward to returning to a full service on the Cambrian Line from Sunday 3 April.”
Claire Williams Partnership Development Officer from the Cambrian Railway Partnership said: "We are delighted to see that the vital link for connectivity to Shrewsbury and beyond on the Cambrian Line has been resurrected in good time and in readiness for the high demand of services over the Easter holidays.
“We would like to thank our colleagues at Network Rail for their tremendous effort to reopen the line as soon as possible given the challenging conditions and devastation of the line outside Welshpool.”
Other resilience work on the Cambrian Line in recent years includes raising Black Bridge, near Machynlleth, away from a flood zone. Before this innovative project was completed, the bridge had been closed 30 times in the last decade (ten times in 2020 alone) for emergency repairs caused by flood water. Since completion of the work in 2021, the railway at this location has not succumb to flooding or needed to be closed due to bad weather.
