Rail passengers face disruption on the south Wales main line

Network Rail is carrying out work as part of a �400m investment in improving train services across south Wales.

The line will be closed between Friday and Monday, with buses replacing services between the two cities.

Network Rail said disruption was "always unwelcome" but benefits for passengers would result.

The company, which owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure, is nearing completion of a resignalling project on a 22-mile stretch of line running from Llantrisant to Baglan.

This huge investment will improve the performance of the railway in the area and bring benefits to passengers across south Wales for years to come Mark Langman, Network Rail

The work will be followed by similar schemes in Newport, Cardiff and Port Talbot over the next 10 years.

Work will commence on the Newport resignalling project in Summer 2007.

Mark Langman, Network Rail's general manager for Wales and the Marches, said: "This is the first major resignalling project in the area for many years and is also the forerunner for similar large-scale projects in England and Scotland, improving the reliability of the railway for passengers.

"We know that disruption is always unwelcome, but this huge investment will improve the performance of the railway in the area and bring benefits to passengers across south Wales for years to come."

'Long-term benefits'

Network Rail said it had worked with train operators Arriva Trains Wales and First Great Western to devise an amended timetable designed to minimise disruption.

All Arriva Trains Wales services running between Swansea and Cardiff will be replaced by bus services while the work is carried out.

First Great Western services will start and terminate at Cardiff Central station with replacement bus services running between Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway and Neath.

Mike Bagshaw, of Arriva Trains Wales, said the work would benefit Arriva's customers by helping create a more reliable service.

He added: "We apologise for the short-term disruption this will cause them but we are sure that they will understand the long-term benefits of this work."

First Great Western's regional manager for Wales, John Pockett, said customers would benefit "in the short and long term".

But he added: "It is inevitable that many people will be inconvenienced by this work and for this we apologise in advance."