Flood prevention work to cause rail disruption

Engineering work to prepare railway lines for the impact of flooding will cause some disruption to services, Network Rail has warned.

Some routes across north Wales and the borders will close between 16 and 30 August, with buses replacing trains.

Network Rail said: "A key focus of the work is tackling locations that have been repeatedly affected by flooding during periods of heavy rainfall."

It said it wanted to complete the work before the autumn to "reduce the risk of flooding, enhance safety and deliver more reliable journeys for passengers and freight".

The work includes:

• Renewing more than a kilometre of drainage pipe to improve the area's resilience to extreme weather at Babbinswood in Shropshire.

• Structural repairs, sections of track replaced, waterproofing, and completing brickwork repairs to improve the long-term conditions and keep trains running reliably at Hawarden Swing Bridge, near Connah's Quay.

• Track renewals, level crossing upgrades, rail stressing and signalling work between Shotwick, Dee Marsh Junction, Weston Rhyn, Ruabon and Burton.

• Engineers will replace an ageing siphon and install an automated rubbish screen on the Wales and Borders route, near Gobowen.

Network Rail said the Gobowen system would be powered by water and solar energy and would automatically removes branches, weeds and litter before they can block the drainage system.

It said lines between Bidston and Wrexham General will be closed, while some lines between Wrexham General and Shrewsbury will also be affected.

• Bidston to Wrexham General/Central between 16 and 30 August - Buses will replace trains.
• Replacement buses will serve Birkenhead North for connections with Merseyrail services to Liverpool.
• Wrexham General to Shrewsbury between 17 and 30 August with buses replacing trains and some services extended to Chester. Services between Crewe and Wrexham General will operate approximately hourly.
• Trains between North Wales, Shrewsbury, Birmingham International and Cardiff Central will be diverted via Crewe, with revised timetables and longer journey times.

Network Rail said some public footpath crossings will also be temporarily closed with signed diversion routes in place.

At Gobowen level crossing, barriers may remain down for longer than usual.

Nick Millington, Route Director for the Wales and borders route, said the work had been timed to take place after the Community Shield in Cardiff and was a "significant investment in the railway".

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