A £1 million programme to reduce train delays and cancellations caused by fallen trees on the Heart of Wales line is nearing completion.

The project, which began in early January, has seen teams cutting back and removing overhanging branches along 60 miles of track between Craven Arms and Llandovery. Work is set to finish this week.

To minimise disruption to passengers, the teams have been working overnight in all weather conditions. The improvements will take effect immediately but will be particularly beneficial in autumn and winter, when fallen trees are a major cause of disruption.

Last winter, Storm Darragh forced the closure of the line for nearly a week after more than 70 trees fell, including at least 56 within a 10-mile stretch.

The project is part of a wider five-year investment to make the railway safer and more resilient across the Wales & Borders route. Network Rail is also using artificial intelligence (AI) to assess risk areas by capturing real-time images from train-mounted cameras, allowing teams to target problem spots before issues arise.

Mathew Gore, Network Rail project manager, said: “As we approach the end of this project, it's satisfying to see the efforts the whole team have put in during the past 12 weeks.

“Carrying out this work during the night in winter and early spring, the conditions have often been challenging, but by working in this way we have managed to keep the disruption to passengers to a minimum.

“We would like to thank our teams for their hard work and dedication, and we also thank our lineside neighbours for their patience and understanding.

“This is a hugely significant project to us, because we saw during Storm Darragh the importance of managing the lineside vegetation on this line.”