Work on rail bridge expected to finish on time

Work to strengthen a railway bridge so it can carry heavier trains is on track to finish on time despite poor weather, Network Rail has said.

The line between Plymouth and Totnes has been shut since Saturday 21 February for work on the River Plym Railway Bridge.

About 180m (591ft) of track is being replaced among other work at a cost of about £6.5m.

Dan Parkes, principal portfolio manager at Network Rail, said the work had been "challenging" in heavy rainfall but the bridge was expected to reopen on Monday morning.

The River Plym bridge, near the A38, is on the main line between London Paddington and Penzance.

Network Rail said 134 steel rail bearers installed between existing cross beams on the bridge and 24 new rail bearers made of synthetic wood were being laid as part of the work.

They are designed to last six times longer than the traditional timber bearers they are replacing.

The rail boss said some of the steel work on the bridge had become rusty and corroded.

"It needs a really, really good lot of repairs and maintenance to keep it good for the future," Parkes said.

Resurfacing work on the Plymouth-bound platform at Totnes and track and drain maintenance also formed part of the project.

With the agreement of the Marine Management Organisation and the Environment Agency, the river in Plymouth was partially dammed to help with work underneath the bridge.

However, recent heavy rainfall has made things difficult.

"There was times coming in through the storms [when] the tide was rising above the parapet on the bridge, it was coming above the dam we installed," Danny Tyrie, site manager with contractor Morgan Sindall, said.

"The height of the water was extremely high which obviously made it tougher to work in."

Work has been ongoing on the bridge for several months and will continue for several more when the line is back open.

Trains between Exeter and London, Cardiff and the north of England continue to operate as normal, as do services between Plymouth and Penzance, said Network Rail.

Sharon Holloway, Great Western Railway station manager for Plymouth, said: "Replacement buses will bridge the gaps, but journey times will be longer, and we urge passengers to check before they travel and allow extra time."

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