July/August 2017
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News
Four-week railway closure from mid-August • Bristol Parkway closed from 2nd to 15th September • Day/night work on line through Parkway • Information event in Stoke Gifford on 11th July
R
esidents 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
Drop-in session Rail electrification update Our team will be happy to talk you through the work and answer questions on: Tuesday 11th July, 4.30pm to 7pm The Old School Rooms, St Michael’s Centre, BS34 8PD
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.”
While Bristol Parkway is closed, the opportunity will be taken to carry out a large amount of work in a relatively short time, including: • Starting work on a fourth platform (Platform 1), adjacent to Platform 2, and waiting room. The new platform is due to be in use by late December 2017 • Extending the existing platforms by 30m each to accommodate the new trains • Carrying out track works, including renewal of 2.5km of railway line • Installing new signalling equipment • Installing electrification equipment in and around the station
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