them to give them more stability. Once the bridge had been lifted and was resting securely on the temporary works, we went in and installed the new bearings to keep it in position. When these were in place, the decks were lowered on to the bearings and we were then ready to start putting it all back together.”
Another Environmental Problem
“An interesting story! Just prior to going on to site, we found we had two nests of Yellow Wagtails. The ecologists had been round checking all the environmental points where we would be working as we were doing all we could to limit any impact upon the environment. One ecologist found these two Yellow Wagtail nests which had been built on the girders of the bridge! We could not do any work on the structure at that time as there was no way that we could disturb them, quite rightly, and when the ecologists went in and checked and there were eggs in the nests. They could pinpoint the day that the eggs were laid, and their calculations predicted that the eggs would fledge the day before the blockade was scheduled to start so there was more interest in these Yellow Wagtails than would normally be the case! Fortunately for us, they fledged TWO days before the blockade was due to start. We did think whether we should bring in extra feed – grubs and things for the Mum and the Dad to feed them and their chicks but, according to the ecologists, they appeared to be doing well on the local environment. It was a good news story as they are a protected species in that area and so it was nice to see another two pairs breeding quite happily.”
In Summary
Chris summed up by saying, “One of the key things that came out of this project was the tremendous teamwork shown by everybody involved. I have been on the railways for over 20 years, and I can honestly say that it is one of the best projects that I have worked on. Everybody has been keen to rise to the challenge of this unusual job. The contractors that we used have been on our framework for several years and they were just as keen as we were
to see it completed to a high standard and on time and, being the first in Wales, everybody wanted to be a part of it. As well as Network Rail, there was AmcoGiffen as the principal contractor but in total there were 49 contractors and suppliers involved. Network Rail engineers were the project managers but also did all the design work, the piers, the abutments, the steelwork structure and it was also our internal track teams who re-laid the track afterwards. A total of 360 engineers clocked up more than 32,000 hours to deliver this innovative project, in just six weeks, with the line reopening on schedule.” Kevin Giles, senior asset engineer for Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: "This is a big project for us at Network Rail and the first time a railway bridge will have been raised away from flood waters in Wales. The issues of flooding on this line go back more than three decades and the result is that large sections of the Cambrian line in central Wales end up cut-off and isolated while repair work is carried out. We want to ensure our passengers have more reliable journeys and this project highlights our dedication to making the railway more resilient in Wales.” Andy Crowley, Operations Director Wales and Western at AmcoGiffen, commented: “With nine months from concept to completion, we knew from the outset that it was going to be challenging to deliver this scheme in such a short timescale. We also understood the necessity behind the risk being taken. Collaboration was crucial from the start and when severe weather hit the early days of the project, we all worked together to recoup the lost time and maintain our schedule. It’s important to acknowledge the true team spirit that has been part of this intense scheme from start to finish and we’re delighted to have played our part.” Alexia Course, Transport for Wales’s Transport Operations Director, added: “The innovative work carried out by Network Rail will help us to provide a more reliable service on this important line during periods of bad weather. We understand disruption is frustrating for our customers, and we’d like to thank them for their patience while the work has taken place over the last six weeks.
Class 66 locomotive named in honour of partnership between GB Railfreight, Prostate Cancer UK and the League Managers Association Class 66 66769’s new name of ‘League Managers Association’ comes along with a special livery featuring Prostate Cancer UK’s well-known logo ‘the Man of Men’ and was unveiled at Victoria Station in London. Following the naming ceremony, guests were treated to a special charter service hauled by locomotive through the Kent countryside. GB Railfreight (GBRf) will also be running a 4-day rail tour which will support Prostate Cancer UK. The tour will be called ‘GBRf 2021’ and is the third 4-day rail tour organised by the rail freight
Great Western Star Summer 2021
company, with the two previous charity charters raising more than £250,000. A partnership between GB Railfreight and Prostate Cancer UK was announced in January 2020 and all fund-raising ventures carried out by GBRf being in support of the UK-wide organisation and its mission to beat prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer UK is the official charity for the LMA which is a vital partnership in raising awareness of Prostate Cancer which is the most common cancer in men.
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