Network Rail will be working in the Swindon area over the weekends of 27-29 May and 10-11 June 2017 as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.
Train services through Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Chippenham and Bristol Parkway will be amended. High Speed trains between London, Bristol and South Wales will be diverted and rail replacement services will operate on routes through Swindon. Trains between Cheltenham Spa and Swindon will continue to run.
The work Roman Road/Ermin Street bridge and Swindon station will pave the way for electrification of the Great Western main line from London to Cardiff and the arrival of GWR’s new fleet of InterCity Express trains.
What does the work involve?
Network Rail need to lower the track under the listed Roman Road/Ermin Street bridge to create room for the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) that will power the new electric trains. Network Rail will need to carry out site preparation works, remove rail and sleepers, remove spoil from the site, and install new ballast, sleepers and rails.
Network Rail will follow this with a process known as tamping, when a machine is used to pack the track ballast under the railway tracks to make them more durable. Tamping will ensure that the new sleepers sit fit firmly in the ballast, reducing noise and vibrations from the passing trains. Network Rail also need to carry out drainage work and follow-up work.
Due to the deep excavation under the bridge, Network Rail propose to close Ermin Street to traffic for the two core weekends of 27-29 May and 10-11 June, subject to local authority approval. Under the proposed closure, motorists would be required to follow a signed diversion via the A4312 Oxford Road, Greenbridge Roundabout and the B4006 Swindon Road. The bridge would remain open to pedestrians.
When will the work take place?
Preparatory work will be undertaken during the following shifts;
From 00:55 to 08:20 Sunday 30th April, Sunday 7th, Sunday 14th and Sunday 21st May 2017
Network Rai will be working around the clock over the two core weekends, when no trains are running on this section of the line.
From 01:30 Saturday 27th May 2017 to 05:00, Tuesday 30th May 2017, From 01:30 Saturday 10th June 2017 to 05:00 Monday 12th June 2017
Please plan ahead before you travel by visiting www.gwr.com/swindon2017 or nationalrail.co.uk.
