Residents and railway users living in north Bristol are invited to find out more about the next stage in a crucial upgrade of the Great Western mainline.
Network Rail is hosting a drop-in session in Stoke Gifford on Tuesday 11th July ahead of a four-week programme of work which will take place from Royal Wootton Bassett through to Bristol Parkway between Saturday 19th August and Friday 15th September.
The upgrade will also make way for the arrival of a fleet of new, longer Intercity Express Trains later this year, bringing more seats per train and adding greater comfort for passengers. These trains will run on electric from December 2018, once the electrification project is complete.
As part of the work, sections of the mainline will be closed to passengers during this period, with Bristol Parkway also closed between 2nd and 15th September. This will allow work to begin on a new platform at Bristol Parkway as well as the extension of existing platforms at the station.
Elsewhere, flood resilience measures will be installed at Chipping Sodbury and overhead line equipment installed on 25 miles of the route in readiness for electrification.
Over the four weeks, trains will still be running using diversionary routes. Rail replacement bus and coach services will be in place for some journeys.
Many high-speed services will call at Patchway instead of Bristol Parkway and replacement buses will run between the two stations.
Rail travellers are advised to plan ahead by visiting gwr.com/bristolparkway2017 or crosscountrytrains.co.uk
Garry Fernand, Network Rail project manager, said:
“The upgrade will transform this section of the railway as we deliver electrification as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. It is a major programme of work and we would like to invite all residents living near the railway to the Stoke Gifford drop-in session (or others across the wider South Gloucestershire area) where they can find out more.”
The drop-in session on Tuesday 11th July takes place between 4.30pm and 7pm at The Old School Rooms, North Road BS34 8PD. Click the poster above for more details.
To find out more, call Network Rail’s dedicated 24-hour national helpline on 03457 114141, quoting reference ‘Great Western Route Modernisation’.
Related links:
- Upgrading the railway in Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire (Network Rail)
- Great Western Mainline Electrification: South Gloucestershire (Network Rail)
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 41). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
