Phase 1 of Wales train line improvement complete

The largest investment in the railway for the people of Wales in nearing completion and should e up and ready for the start of 2010. The improvement to the Severn Tunnel Junction will alleviate much of the waiting time that has frustrated commuters for many year now. It has been helped by the old Platform 4 being reopened after it was shut in the 1980s to save money for the government. As well as this, there is a new track and a new signaling system which aims to cut delays down to the bare minimum.

The Newport area re-signalling scheme has been completed at a cost of £150 million as it is the first significant refurbishment of the area since it was bombed during WWII. The improvement to the place will hopefully allow more trains to pass through the tunnel and the new layout will improve train movement in and around the tunnel to create a better more efficient service for their customers. In addition there has also been 3.5 miles of new track laid down to help organisation around the Severn Tunnel Junction.

No major work has happened on the line for around 50-years and this is seen as the first step to making the Wales London route totally electrified. The work started just a year ago with the workforce operating over night and at the weekends for minimal disruption to their passengers. However, over the Christmas and New Year period, the Newport to Bristol and Gloucester services will be replaced by buses.