Network Rail planning major upgrade to railway viaduct in Newark

Credit: Network Rail

Network Rail teams will begin major work to the River Devon Viaduct in Newark throughout September in order to keep trains running reliably and safely for years to come. Between 2 September and 11 September, teams will be working to completely renew the River Devon Viaduct, which carries the railway over the River Trent.

The £2 million investment will see a full renewal of the bridge, including replacing all 44 beams, with new, fibre-reinforced foamed urethane beams, which are more environmentally friendly than traditional hardwood sleepers, and are 100% recyclable.

Work will also take place to install new rails and sleepers, as well as structural improvements to the viaduct itself.  Once complete, passengers will benefit from smoother and more reliable journeys. To allow the work to take place safely, there will be major changes to services throughout the ten days, with East Midlands Railway running a reduced timetable to and from Newark Castle, and bus replacement services will be in operation.

Passengers planning on using routes to, from and through Newark Castle are advised to plan ahead and check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or the East Midlands Railway website. 

“The work we’re doing to the River Devon Viaduct will not only boost reliability for passengers, but it will also future-proof the railway and enable trains to continue to run over the viaduct for years to come,” Rachel Braid, Project Manager for Network Rail, said. “We have planned this work carefully to keep disruption for passengers to a minimum, but there are some changes to services for East Midlands Railway customers.”