WORKS to prevent flooding at a railway in Chipping Sodbury started today.

A combination of ground and surface water had been causing regular flooding at a section of railway between Badminton Station and the Kingrove stream.

To tackle the problem, Network Rail have begun a 10-month long programme to improve the site’s flood resilience.

They plan to expand an existing storage lagoon to hold around 11 million litres of water – as much as four and-a half Olympic swimming pools – and install a new pumping system to drain excess water.

A spokesman at Network Rail said that the improvements will mean that fewer trains are cancelled during extreme weather and that services will be able to get back up and running at a quicker rate.

Local residents that may be affected by this work have been notified and Network Rail recently hosted two well-attended public drop-in sessions to keep the local community informed of the work taking place.

Philip Morton, project manager for Network Rail, said: “I would like to thank passengers and residents for their patience while we undertake this vital work as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan to improve reliability and resilience of the railway through South Gloucestershire.  

“Our public drop-in sessions have proven to be a success with more than 100 local residents attending to find out more about the work taking place and the benefits it will bring. Those that couldn’t make these events are welcome to call our national helpline with any concerns or questions about this work.”

The Chipping Sodbury project is one of a number of schemes under the Department for Transport’s Flood Resilience Programme.

This £26.5m programme was established after extreme weather in 2012 and 2014 caused extensive disruption to the rail network.

The aim of the programme is to reduce the risk of flooding at key locations in the South West and Thames Valley and ensure that when flooding does occur, train services can be resumed at a quicker rate, reducing disruption for passengers.

Network Rail’s national helpline is available 24/7 for residents and passengers with any questions or concerns about this work on 03457 11 41 41.

More information about the work can be found at: www.networkrail.co.uk/westernupgrade

More information about how flooding on the railway causes delays – and what we’re doing to reduce it: www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/delays-explained/flooding/