Work began near Bristol Temple Meads station over the weekend, as part of Network Rail’s Bristol Rail Regeneration programme.
The work will be around the clock and span over the course of eight weeks – between July 10 and September 3 - to replace Bristol East Junction.
Network Rail’s unique new layout, which includes an additional railway line, hopes to create more space on the railway for more trains.
The work in numbers:
- 50 engineering trains
- 300 workers
- More than 300 pieces of pre-constructed track
The almost 200-year-old station has kept most of its historic infrastructure, with much not having been renovated for decades.
Network Rail will be installing foundations, scaffolding and support beams, on top of renovating canopies on platforms and the station forecourt during the track works.
A new eastern entrance will be introduced. The passenger subway will also be extended, which runs underneath the track, between platform 13 and platform 15. This will involve breaking through the external station and installing a concrete deck, forming a new tunnel which leads to a small entry building.
Work on the new entrance will continue until autumn and into next year.
Some lines will be staying open, wherever it is safe and practical to do so, so not to disrupt passenger routines. But between July 10 and August 6, there will no longer be direct trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff or Gloucester, so replacement buses will be available.
