Bath and Box rail restorations
Over a two-month period in Spring 2026 we’ll be working to preserve two pieces of Brunel’s railway heritage – Sydney Gardens footbridge in Bath and the eastern entrance of Box Tunnel
Sydney Gardens footbridge renovation
The railway footbridge in Sydney Gardens is the last of its kind on the Great Western Mainline. Grade II listed, it was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and completed around 1841.
The elements have taken their toll in recent years and, over a two-month period we will be carrying out a full restoration to return it to its former glory.
What’s involved?
Scaffolding will be erected and the footbridge will be wrapped to create an enclosed workspace to keep dust and debris contained.
Rust and old paint will be stripped from metal work by grit blasting. Repairs will then be completed before priming and repainting in the bridge’s original colour scheme.
Some vegetation management is needed directly next to the bridge where it has caused damage to the brick work. Masonry repairs are also therefore required.
The wooden deck will be fully replaced.
This work takes place between mid-April and late June 2026.
Box Tunnel east portal repairs
Construction of Box Tunnel was completed in 1841, spanning 1.83 miles in length. A feat of engineering at the time it remains an important piece of Brunel’s legacy and one of Britain’s most significant early railway tunnels.
This Spring we will be completing essential repairs on the Grade II listed eastern tunnel entrance.
Work began at the end of March to clear the site to allow access. Over a one-month period we will complete surveys and site investigations, as well as completing essential masonry repairs to ensure stability.
This work is due to be completed on Friday 8 May 2026.
Additional track and drainage work
During two weekend closures of the railway in the wider area, we will be completing a track renewal, drainage work and a range of maintenance work. While the railway is closed we will also be installing scaffolding for our Sydney Gardens footbridge and Box Tunnel work.
Bathford track renewal
We will be replacing a section of track in the Bathford area on the last weekend of April. We will be working continually from 01.00 on the morning of Saturday 25 April until 05.00 on the morning of Monday 27 April.
In total we will be installing:
- 1.5km of rail
- 1,200 sleepers
- 3,200 tonnes of ballast (track stone)
We will be using eight engineering trains, one tamper train (to compact the new stone) and six special Road Rail Vehicles (rail-mounted diggers) to do the heavy lifting.
Our access points at Bathampton, Box Bridge, Box Yard and Shockerwick Yard will be in use to get staff and equipment onto the railway.
Corsham drainage refurbishment
During the early May bank holiday weekend we will refurbish track drainage in the Corsham area. This will involve using high presser water jets to clear out silt from the existing pipes under the track and carrying out repairs where needed.
This work will run from 01.00 on Saturday 2 May until 05.00 on Tuesday 5 May.
A temporary access point is being used in Corsham, as well as our access point at Thingley.
Additional maintenance
Throughout both weekends (25 and 26 April and 2 – 4 May) we will be completing a range of maintenance tasks at various locations on the railway in the wider area, including maintenance on track-based and lineside signalling systems, tamping to compact stone and work to resolve minor track faults.
Passenger information
Buses replace trains between Bath Spa and Chippenham or Westbury on the weekend of 25/26 April, plus Saturday 2 to Monday 4 May.
As an alternative, valid rail tickets can also be used to travel on First Bus services operating between Bath and Trowbridge or Frome on all dates.
Trains will run between London Paddington and Bath Spa, using an alternative route between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads, not stopping at Chippenham.
Some train services will also run between London Paddington and Chippenham – except on Sundays.
GWR will operate trains between Cardiff Central and Bath Spa, plus between Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour, Frome or Weymouth.
Additional rail improvement work will see buses replace trains between Swindon and Westbury up until around midday on Sunday 26 April.