Lengthy rail disruption just weeks away

Rail passengers in Welshpool are being reminded about rail disruption due to take place this month.

Passengers should carefully check their travel plans as Network Rail embarks on a substantial 16-day programme of works from mid-March to early April. 

The project, representing a £15 million investment, will include significant line closures and replacement bus services.

From Monday, 17 March, until Wednesday, 2 April, engineers will be working across multiple sites to renew track and drainage, refurbish a bridge, strengthen embankments, manage vegetation, and carry out essential track maintenance. 

The work will result in bus replacement services operating between Newtown and Aberystwyth from Monday, 17 March, until 9am on Friday, 21 March; between Machynlleth and Pwllheli from Monday, 17 March, until 9am on Friday, 21 March; and between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth from 6pm on Friday, 21 March, until Wednesday, 2 April. 

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, acknowledged the disruption but emphasised the long-term benefits. "We recognise there is never a good time to close the railway for a significant amount of time, but we have planned this essential work to minimise disruption as much as possible," he said. "The scale of the work being carried out is significant, with £15 million and thousands of hours of work being invested into improving the Cambrian line."

Colin Lea, TfW planning and performance director, added, "This work is the result of months of careful planning with our partners in Network Rail to ensure as little customer impact as possible. Our operational teams have put a dedicated rail replacement plan in place for the duration of the work."

Network Rail and Transport for Wales (TfW) have collaborated to maximise the work completed during this period, bringing forward projects originally scheduled for 2026 and 2027. This strategy is expected to save £1.5 million.

Key elements of the project include track renewals between Machynlleth and Dovey Junction, and Machynlleth and Caersws; track maintenance between Shrewsbury and Welshpool, and Caersws and Newtown; embankment stabilisation near Talerddig; bridge refurbishment at Glantwymyn; vegetation clearance between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth; and track renewal at Machynlleth station to enable the introduction of the new Class 197 trains.

Passengers are strongly advised to check their travel plans before setting out. Up-to-date information can be found at [www.journeycheck.com/tfwrail](https://www.journeycheck.com/tfwrail) or www.nationalrail.co.uk.