Specialist divers are being brought in to assess the condition of a storm-damaged bridge before the Conwy Valley Railway Line can re-open. The turn-of-the-year floods washed out sections of more than 2.5-miles of the track, leading to buses replacing trains.
Over 50 sleepers were dislodged, several level crossings were damaged and two bridges suffered “structural issues”. A fallen tree near Dolwyddelan had already disrupted the line in late December, but flooding on January 1-2 extended the closure.
Network Rail engineers found the flood damage was “worse than expected”. However, it is hoped the line will open on Monday, January 13. See the latest Welsh homes as they come on the market, sign up to our newsletter here
Divers will be assessing the foundations of this storm-damaged bridge
(Image: Network Rail)
Track stones were delivered to the railway on Tuesday, January 7, to replenish washed-out track areas between Dolgarrog and Llanrwst North stations. One of the two affected bridges, between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed, has been declared safe now that the tree that struck it has been removed.
Network Rail said work was progressing well but there were still concerns over one other bridge over which the line runs. Photos show dislodged stones in the fabric of the bridge, North Wales Live has reported.
Divers will be entering the water on Thursday, January 9, to assess the bridge’s foundations. Based on their findings, a final decision is expected on Friday over whether the line can re-open on Monday.
Janet Finch-Saunders, the Senedd Member for Aberconwy, has expressed her approval of the swift maintenance response. She said: “I welcome the speed with which Network Rail has assessed the damage and commenced repair works to this beautiful line. It is reassuring that a bus replacement service is in place so that communities are not deprived of a vital public transport link. I hope that all residents will be reassured that Network Rail is working as quickly as it can to get the line back up and running.”
In places, the tracks were left partially suspended
(Image: Network Rail)
Network Rail’s efforts on the Conwy Valley line are now focused on resilience over resistance, recognizing that fully protecting a railway situated on a flood plain is an endless battle. The Conwy Valley line has a history of flooding troubles since its opening between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog over a century ago. Since then it’s been dogged by incidents, with flooding becoming more commonplace in recent years: between 2004 and 2011 there were three inundations affecting train services.
More recent floods in 2015, 2017, and 2019 have led to a £2.2 million investment by Network Rail in flood defences. After Storm Ciara hit in 2020, substantial reinforcement work using 16,000 tonnes of rock armour was completed along nearly 2 kilometres of track near Tal-y-cafn and Llanrwst to prevent washout of the stone ballast.
A bridge was struck by a tree washed down the Conwy river between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed
(Image: Network Rail)
Network Rail has likened a new “extreme weather-buffer” to the effectiveness of rock armour in coastal defences, as they battle the increasing threat of flood damage to rail infrastructure. While acknowledging that rising flood waters are an inevitability, they also admit that such measures can confine any potential damage and allow for speedier repair operations.
In anticipation of heavier rainfall due to climate change, Wales has seen two more railway sections fortified with rock armour. Alex Hinshelwood, Network Rail’s programme manager for Wales and Borders, highlighted the pioneering nature of this approach for protection against washouts, stating: “These resilience measures mean it can take days, rather than weeks or months, to repair the railway after a harsh storm or flooding.”
He pointed out the marked improvement in recovery times when faced with extreme weather events.
For instance, following Storm Ciara in 2020, one line was shut down for seven months, whereas in stark contrast, last year repair work near Dolgarrog station was completed in merely four days, largely thanks to the protective rock armour. While repair work continues, Transport for Wales is providing rail replacement services between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog courtesy of coaches from Llew Jones and Dilwyn’s Coaches, with travel updates accessible online.