28.08.13
Welsh line gets £10.5m upgrade
A £10.5m investment to the rail line between Wrexham and Shrewsbury has begun, Network Rail has announced. Ten miles of life-expired track will be upgraded and realigned to make the journey smoother for passengers.
Works will also strengthen the Cefn viaduct with water-proofing, to protect the listed structure. The line will be closed for nine days, while bus services operate for rail passengers, and the entire programme will be complete by the end of September.
Mark Langman, route managing director, Network Rail Wales said: “This latest investment in the future of the railways across Wales and the border counties of England forms a key part of our modernisation plans to bring the railway across the region into the 21st century.
“It follows recent works to upgrade the railway and station facilities in across the area, such as Castle Foregate bridge and the River Severn viaduct refurbishments in Shrewsbury, the upgrades to Chester and Prestatyn stations and new lifts at Wrexham General.
“The next steps in the modernisation programme include our plans to modernise the signalling and control systems between Newport to Shrewsbury and from Fflint to Llandudno, starting in 2015.
“All of these investments will deliver a real improvement to passengers with the potential for quicker and more frequent journeys on a network that is more resilient and reliable. In addition, a robust railway will also help drive economic growth across the country.”
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