Buses to continue replacing trains until 28 June

Buses will continue to replace railway services to and from Newtown as £3.6m work on a bridge continues.

The Cambrian Railway through Newtown from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth has been closed for nearly two months. It is so Network Rail can lift a bridge one metre higher near Machynlleth.

Black Bridge is often flooded and lifting the bridge means there will be less disruption to rail services when the river floods.

Network Rail today said the railway will remain closed until 28 June.

Kevin Giles, senior asset engineer for Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: “The flooding we have seen at Black Bridge during our work shows exactly why raising the bridge is so important.

“We are putting passengers first by making the railway more resilient and reliable.”

The bridge is repeatedly flooded during periods of heavy rainfall, causing regular closures and disruption to passengers on the Machynlleth to Shrewsbury route.