New ballast and tracks as storm-damaged Cambrian Line reopens

The Cambrian Line reopened between Shrewsbury and Newtown over the weekend of April 2-3, following extensive damage caused by Storm Franklin on February 21.

The line had to be closed after investigations revealed 33 separate ballast washout locations across a half-mile stretch of railway.

It took ten days for waters to recede after the River Severn flooded to 3.9 metres above its normal level - just nine centimetres lower than the highest ever recorded level.

Network Rail engineers, working alongside contractor AmcoGiffen, then spent the next six weeks restoring the railway.

This included the removal of 3,000 tonnes of debris, the laying of 4,000 tonnes of new ballast, three tamping shifts to realign and level the track, replacement of 800 metres of double track, the clearing of 11 culverts, and installation of new fencing, hedgerows and telecoms cables.

NR is currently installing rock armour along the embankment to provide added resilience.

“We are delighted to see that the vital link for connectivity to Shrewsbury and beyond has been resurrected in good time and in readiness for the high demand over the Easter holidays,” said Cambrian Railway Partnership Development Officer Claire

Williams.

“We would like to thank our colleagues at NR for their tremendous effort to reopen the line as soon as possible, given the challenging conditions and devastation of the line outside Welshpool.”