The Bristol Railway Archive

From the BBC

A row has broken out between a rail operator and a city council over engineering work starting in October.

The work in the centre of Bath will mean up to 35 replacement buses per hour entering the city in run up to Christmas, claims the council.

In a statement, Bath and North East Somerset Council (BANES) said this would prove very disruptive.

Network Rail said it had tried to minimise disruption and added there was no good time to carry out the work.

BANES said in a statement: "We are very disappointed Network Rail has chosen one of the busiest periods of the year to send up to 35 coaches per hour into Bath for these weekends, despite our objections.

"No consultation with the council took place to understand the impact this decision would have on the city and the roads.

"Because of the time of year selected by Network Rail it is likely their own coaches will be delayed in addition to maximising inconvenience for businesses, shoppers, and visitors.

"Unfortunately, there is little the council can do except do except mitigate the impact of this situation imposed upon us. We have no powers to delay these works from happening."

A Network Rail spokeswoman told BBC News the work was essential.

"We plan 18 months in advance and if there was any way we could carry out the work while the trains were not running we would do that," she said.

"They are concerned that bus services are coming into the city. They are hired by First Great Western.

"We are doing this investment work to improve the rail and really there is no good time to do this work."

Sounds like some fairly major work if it is going to mean sending that many buses to replace services; if it actually is going to be 35 an hour.
I couldn't see anything on either the Banes or Network Rail sites about this work though.

Typical of banes, want bath to be sparkling new but just cant tolerate disruption, and the fall out with every one. Sounds like it could of been another spa on the way. Luckily as has been shown here Network rail is strong enough to tell banes where to go.

It is really impossible to understand the travelling public , both on the roads and the railway systems without them being maintained. They cannot be repaired by magic and it needs closures but WHEN?It never is the right time and in the case of the rail maintenance at the" Bath "area good the company has told BANE"S which consist of people with no knowledge of how the works can be done with out some disruption. to get lost!

As you say, there is never a right time to do maintenance work but it has to be done.
Any ideas about what work is actually being carried out?

I gather part of the work is point related in transfer yard / oldfield park area. Obviously more than just this judging by timescale.