01.09.14
Work completed on £20m Pont Briwet bridge-replacement project
Train services between Harlech and Pwllheli are operating again today following the successful completion of the £20m Pont Briwet bridge-replacement work.
With the project complete trains are now able to run along the entire Cambrian Coast Line for the first time since late 2013.
The project, funded by European Regional Development Fund, Welsh Government, Network Rail and TraCC (Mid Wales Transport Consortium), has seen the 150-year-old wooden bridge over the Afon Dywryd near Llandecwyn replaced with a modern structure. The work also included line speed improvements to improve journey times on the route.
Mark Langman, Network Rail’s route managing director for Wales, said: “Now Gwynedd Council has completed the rail section of Pont Briwet, we are thrilled that services can now resume all the way to Pwllheli. I’d like to thank the communities for their patience while the work has been carried out.”
The upper section of the Cambrian Coast railway closed between Harlech and Pwllheli in November 2013, shortly after the project commenced, so work to replace the structure could be conducted safely.
The lower section of the line – between Dovey Junction and Harlech – closed in January, after storms and tidal surges severely damaged the infrastructure. The railway was quickly opened between Dovey Junction and Barmouth, with more substantial works needed at Llanaber. Following a £10m programme to repair the damage, the railway opened between Barmouth and Harlech in May.
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