Specialist divers will assess damage to the Conwy Valley Railway after floods washed out a 2.5-mile section of the track
Conwy: So, it looks like the Conwy Valley Railway is in a bit of a pickle after those recent floods. Specialist divers are gearing up to check out a bridge that got hit pretty hard. Over 2.5 miles of track were washed away, and for now, buses are filling in for the trains.
They found that more than 50 sleepers were knocked out of place, and a couple of bridges have some serious structural issues. This whole mess started with a fallen tree back in December, but the flooding on January 1-2 really did a number on things, making the closure last longer than anyone thought.
Network Rail engineers took a look and said the damage was worse than they expected. But hey, there’s hope! They’re aiming to reopen the line by Monday, January 13. They’ve already started bringing in track stones to fix the areas that got washed away.
One of the bridges between Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed is now safe since they cleared the tree that hit it. Network Rail is making good progress, but there’s still some uncertainty about another bridge that the line runs over.
Photos show some stones that got dislodged, and while they can fix that, divers are set to dive in on January 9 to check the bridge’s foundations. They’ll make a final call on whether the line can reopen on Friday.
Janet Finch-Saunders, the Senedd Member for Aberconwy, is pretty pleased with how quickly Network Rail has jumped on the repairs. She’s glad there’s a bus service in place so folks aren’t left without transport. She’s hopeful that everyone knows Network Rail is doing its best to get things back to normal.
It’s been a rough ride for this railway, which first flooded back in 1882, just three years after it opened. Flooding has become more common lately, with several incidents between 2004 and 2011. Network Rail has spent a good chunk of money on flood improvements over the years, especially after major storms.
They’ve been working on making the railway more resilient, knowing it can’t be completely protected from floods. This new approach is all about being ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at them. With climate change, they’re expecting more heavy rain, so they’re taking steps to weather-proof other sections too.
Alex Hinshelwood from Network Rail mentioned that this new method is a game-changer for quick repairs. Instead of taking months, they’re looking at days to fix things after a storm. Last year, they managed to reopen a flooded section in just four days, thanks to their rock armor strategy.
In the meantime, Transport for Wales has set up bus services to keep things moving between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog. So, if you’re traveling, check for updates!
