UPDATE – Severn Estuary Resilience Program (SERP) – Phase 3 Summer 2024

The railway will be closed between Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester for three weeks from Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August and will re-open on Saturday 10 August 2024

Update on the third phase of the Severn Estuary Rail Resilience Programme on the Newport to Gloucester line this summer.

The exposed location of the line alongside the Severn Estuary means it is prone to landslips, so Network Rail is undertaking a five-year programme to help protect the line for generations to come.

The scheme is taking place across three miles of railway, on slopes up to 50 metres in height.

In the two phases of the work so far, Network Rail has:

• In 2022, installed temporary netting to protect the railway in the short-term
• In 2023, started to convert that temporary netting into a permanent system

While the railway is closed, we will also be carrying out essential drainage work in Newnham Tunnel, renewing almost one mile of track and upgrading several level crossings.

A rail replacement bus service will be provided to serve all stops between Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester (Caldicot, Chepstow, Lydney and Gloucester). We are urging passengers to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk

. The website can be accessed here: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/wales/severn-estuary-resilience-programme/