Chipping Sodbury: New lagoon unable to save rail track from flood
BBCA major railway route has been closed after a purpose-built flood lagoon was unable to protect the tracks.
The line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon has been closed at Chipping Sodbury due to flooding.
It was closed on Monday following heavy rainfall, Network Rail said.
The lagoon was installed in 2018 as part of a flood alleviation scheme designed to improve the resilience of the railway line, which had been prone to flooding.
Network Rail said it does not want to let the water out of the lagoon as they are concerned it could flood nearby properties.
Julie Gregory from Network Rail said the "prolonged and relentless period of rainfall" meant they could not safely empty it to reduce water on the tracks.
"In 2018 we invested £5m in a railway resilience scheme where we installed a large lagoon which has a capacity of 11 million litres," she said.
"It holds the water, reduces the amount of time the line is closed and in some cases prevents it closing altogether.
"With climate change we know that this sort of event is going to happen more frequently, so one of the a number of different potential options that we're looking at is a bigger lagoon.
"We're working with the Environment Agency and others to look at what our options are to protect the resilience of this railway line into the future."
Trains scheduled to travel through the area have been diverted.
The train service provider warned passengers to check before they travel as journey times may take a little longer than usual.
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