Passengers are being warned to expect disruption during a weekend railway closure.
Essential engineering works will take place from July 11 to 13 between Newport and Shrewsbury, with the line shut between 12.45am on Saturday, July 11, and 5am on Monday, July 13.
The upgrades will involve track renewals, vegetation management, and repairs, repainting, and inspections of railway structures at Pontrilas, Abergavenny, and Ludlow.
Martin Taylor, chief infrastructure officer at Network Rail Wales and Borders said: "This work is vital to maintaining and improving one of the key railway routes through Wales and Borders.
"By carrying out several upgrades during one planned closure, we can complete the work safely and efficiently while reducing the need for future disruption.
"We appreciate that closing the railway for a weekend will affect journeys, and we'd like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience while we carry out these essential improvements."
The closure is part of Network Rail’s ongoing investment in the route to improve safety and reliability for both passengers and freight.
Transport for Wales (TfW) will operate replacement bus services for the duration of the works, with a small number of late-night services also stopping at Cardiff Central.
Buses will run approximately every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday.
Two replacement services will operate for each scheduled train: one stopping at all stations and a faster option serving only Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran and Newport.
Colin Lea, planning and performance director at Transport for Wales said: "We recognise this essential engineering work will affect customers travelling along this route, and we’re working closely with Network Rail to keep passengers moving.
"Rail replacement services will be in place throughout the weekend, and we’re encouraging passengers to check their journey in advance using the TfW website or app.
"Additional staff will also be in place to support customers at key stations, including Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny and Newport."
Passengers are advised to check journey details before travelling by visiting the National Rail website or using the Transport for Wales website or app.
Share