Network Rail’s orange army will be out in force over the Christmas period as upgrade work continues in Wiltshire.
Workers will be on the track in Chippenham through the night on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day as we install the foundations for the overhead line equipment that allows electric trains to run.
The work would ordinarily take several months if carried out over weekends but the closure of the railway from 10pm on 24 December to 5am on 27 December allows for a substantial amount of work to be carried out in a much shorter space of time.
Ahead of the work, known as piling, we’ve worked closely with Wiltshire Council to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum for those living near the railway.
The work will take place on Christmas Eve from Bath Road to the B4528 railway bridge, on Christmas Day from Bath Road to Ivy Lane and on Boxing Day from Ladyfield Road to Chippenham station.
If you’d like to find out more, we’ll be in Chippenham Town Centre on Tuesday, 20 December between 10am and 5pm to answer your questions.
We’ll also be installing foundations over the Christmas period along a stretch of the railway from Brinkworth to Royal Wootton Bassett East. We will be using the compound off School Hill, Brinkworth, to access the railway line using road-rail vehicles.