02 Jul 2026

Passengers are being urged to plan ahead this July as Network Rail carries out a programme of essential engineering work between Newport and Shrewsbury to improve safety and reliability of the railway.

The work will take place from 00:45 on Saturday 11 July until 05:00 on Monday 13 July, when all railway lines between Newport and Shrewsbury will be closed.

During the closure, Network Rail engineers will deliver a range of improvements at locations including Pontrilas, Abergavenny and Ludlow, including:

· Track renewals to improve reliability and reduce future delays

· Vegetation management to maintain a safe and reliable railway

· Repairs, repainting and inspections of railway structures

The work forms part of Network Rail's ongoing investment to maintain this important route for passengers and freight, helping to deliver a safer, more reliable railway for years to come.

Transport for Wales will operate rail replacement services between Newport and Shrewsbury to keep passengers moving, with a small number of late-night services also stopping at Cardiff Central.

These services will run roughly every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday. For each scheduled departure, two services will operate: one service calling at all stations along the route, and a faster service serving Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran and Newport only.

Passengers are encouraged to check their journey before travelling by visiting National Rail or on the TfW website or app.

Martin Taylor, Chief Infrastructure Officer at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said

"This work is vital to maintaining and improving one of the key railway routes through Wales and the borders. By carrying out several upgrades during one planned closure, we can complete the work safely and efficiently while reducing the need for future disruption.

"We appreciate that closing the railway for a weekend will affect journeys, and we'd like to thank passengers and the local community for their patience while we carry out these essential improvements."

Colin Lea, Planning & Performance Director for Transport for Wales said:

“We recognise this essential engineering work will affect customers travelling along this route, and we’re working closely with Network Rail to keep passengers moving.

Rail replacement services will be in place throughout the weekend, and we’re encouraging passengers to check their journey in advance using the TfW website or app.

Additional staff will also be in place to support customers at key stations, including Shrewsbury, Hereford, Abergavenny and Newport.”