WORK to help protect the main railway line near Lydney from extreme weather will mean the route to and from Gloucester will be closed for three weeks.

Passengers are being advised to check before travelling between Monday, July 22 and Friday 9 August when the line will be closed from Severn Tunnel Junction to Gloucester.

Trains will run on the line on the weekend of July 27-28 July to allow follow-up work in the Severn Tunnel, which is currently closed for a major track renewal project.

The work between Purton and Awre is the third phase of Network Rail’s multi-million-pound investment to improve the resilience of the Gloucester-Newport line, which provides a crucial link for passengers and freight.

The exposed location of the line alongside the Severn Estuary means it is prone to landslips, so Network Rail is undertaking a five-year programme to help protect the line for generations to come.

The scheme is taking place across three miles of railway, on slopes up to 50 metres in height.

In 2022, Network Rail installed temporary netting to protect the railway in the short-term.

Last year, work started to convert that temporary netting into a permanent system.

This year’s work will focus on a steep cutting where engineers will drill nearly 4,000 holes, each between four and five metres deep, before installing rock bolts and rockfall netting to fully stabilise more than 17,500 square metres of the cliffs above the railway.

This will upgrade the current temporary netting system put in place in phase one of the work in 2022 to catch falling rock and earth, to a permanent netting system, which holds the rock in place.

While the railway is closed, Network Rail engineers will also be carrying out essential drainage work in Newnham Tunnel, renewing almost one mile of track and upgrading several level crossings.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “The line between Newport and Gloucester is particularly vulnerable to landslips due to its exposed location along the Severn Estuary.

“We are seeing more frequent extreme weather events because of climate change, which is why we are prioritising resilience projects like this, to protect vital passenger and freight links on the Wales and Borders route.

“We are now into the third phase of this project, and the investment we are making will mean fewer closures and speed restrictions in the future, providing passengers and freight customers with a more reliable service.

“We appreciate there is never a good time to close the railway, so I would like to thank everyone for their patience while we safely carry out this essential work.”

While the railway is closed, all Transport for Wales services between Maesteg and Cheltenham will start or terminate at Severn Tunnel Junction.

A rail replacement bus service will be provided to serve Caldicot, Chepstow, Lydney and Gloucester.

Passengers can check services online at www.nationalrail.co.uk