Great Western Railway has announced that plans to carry out improvement work to the River Tavy Bridge on the Tamar Valley Line are set to close the railway for four days in December.
A bus replacement service will be provided to keep passengers on the move.
From Monday 9 to Thursday 12 December, buses will replace trains from Gunnislake, Calstock, Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers to allow Network Rail to refurbish the bridge.
Buses will run on two separate routes in order to link stations on the branch line with Plymouth:
- Cornwall bus – Plymouth – Gunnislake – Calstock
- Devon bus – Plymouth – Bere Alston – Bere Ferrers
The work taking place is important to make sure that the Tamar Valley Line is useful for years to come.
What did the officials say?
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood thanked passengers in advance for their patience during the work and reminded them of the changes ahead.
He said:
“We are now just a matter of weeks away from the biggest timetable change on the Great Western network since the 1970s, enabling us to take advantage of the full benefits that new or more modern trains and improved track signalling systems are bringing.
“From December 15, in providing more frequent and quicker journeys, our new timetable will for the vast majority of users quite literally mean ‘all change please' and we encourage those travelling to check their usual journeys beforehand.”
Dan Parkes, programme manager for Network Rail (Wales and Western) said:
“I would like to thank passengers and residents in advance for their patience while we carry out this vital maintenance work to refurbish the River Tavy Bridge on the Tamar Valley line.
“Refurbishing the bridge will ensure that passengers on the Tamar Valley line will benefit from a reliable and resilient service, with enhanced connections and quicker onward journeys available following the timetable change on 15 December.”
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