Passengers can travel as normal between Swindon and Bristol Parkway this morning after Network Rail completed work to reduce the impact of flooding on the railway in Chipping Sodbury.
Seven days of non-stop work took place in and around Chipping Sodbury tunnel in Gloucestershire to mitigate the impacts of flooding in the area and make the railway more resilient.
On the Bristol side of the tunnel, 200 metres of track has been raised by up to 20cm at the western end of the tunnel, while the rails and sleepers were lifted and additional ballast laid and compacted. The overhead lines which provide power to trains were also adjusted in line with the higher track.
Drainage channels were inspected and cleared to allow more water to be collected and one of four pumps that remove water from the railway was replaced. Two pumps will be replaced later this year with the potential to install new pumps at the eastern end of the tunnel in the coming years.
This project was the latest in a wider scheme to ease the effect of flooding on the railway and in the surrounding area. Network Rail is working alongside the Environment Agency, South Gloucestershire Council, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, and Wessex Water to find long-term solutions.
Follow-up work will take place on Sunday 20 July, meaning the railway will be temporarily closed between Swindon and Bristol Parkway on this day, with trains diverted via Chippenham and Bath.
Network Rail project manager George Barratt said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience as we completed this vital work to help mitigate the impacts of flooding on the railway, which will help us recover services more quickly in future and minimise delays.
“This is the latest piece of our ongoing programme to make the railway more resilient to the elements, and we will continue to work on long-term solutions with our partners.”
Image credit: Network Rail