28.03.17
Conwy Valley Line set for mid-April reopening following Doris damage
The Conwy Valley Line will reopen in mid-April following repairs that had to made after the line was damaged and subsequently closed following Storm Doris on 23 February.
In an aerial assessment of the line, engineers found that a tree had fallen on the track and disturbed vegetation lineside on the rock face of the railway.
The north-west Wales line lies between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog and, due to its placement in a valley, is a difficult site to perform repairs on.
Network Rail was unable to use machinery typically used for this type of repair due to the location of the tracks, and so a team of specialist geoengineers were brought in to carry out the changes. Over 300 tonnes of rock and piles of fallen vegetation have already been moved off the line.
The closure of the Conwy Line was one of the worst examples of damage wrecked by Storm Doris back in February, with other lines affected including the London Midland Cross City line among others across the UK’s rail network.
Chris Howchin, route programme manager for Network Rail Wales, said: “We have faced some challenges during the repair work, including some extreme weather conditions and limited site access, however our team of specialist engineers have been working tirelessly to repair the storm damage.”
The safety of passengers and workforce is the number one priority, Howchin emphasised, adding that the infrastructure owner was continuing to work hard to repair the rock face and get the line reopened as soon as possible.
“I would like to thank the local community for bearing with us whilst this essential work takes place,” he continued.
“We are working closely with our partners, Arriva Trains Wales, to keep passengers moving. A rail replacement bus service will continue to be in operation until the line reopens.”
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