CHANGES FOR NEWPORT RAILWAY STATION

Major improvement works have been carried out in the 3rd busiest railway station in Wales over the Christmas and New Year periods to change and improve the rail landscape and infrastructure in Gwent.

More than 400 engineers, working round the clock, putting in almost 100,000 man hours of work over the festive season, have enabled a major part of the new Newport station - its 71-tonne footbridge - to be lifted into place, while a key track laying and signalling project at Severn Tunnel Junction has been almost completed.

The footbridge is a vital part of the new Newport station complex which Network Rail aims to have ready in time for the Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort in October. It will provide a new link for passengers and pedestrians as part of a multi-million pound project.

While the engineers were using an eight-day window of opportunity over the festive season to get the footbridge in place with a minimum of disruption to services, colleagues several miles down the line to the east were completing two thirds of the installation of nearly four miles (6.3 kilometres) of new track and 16 sets of points.

The project, equivalent to relaying the approach to a major rail terminal like Euston in London, is part of a £150 million investment to improve rail performance in the Newport area and to enable more trains to run.

Engineers are now busy testing and commissioning the upgraded signalling equipment and infrastructure between Pilning (Bristol) and East Usk (Newport).