ERMIN Street will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians for more than a month to carry out safety improvements on the railway bridge.

Work to raise the sides of the bridge will be carried out between 7.30am and 6pm every weekday from Monday until December 1.

Some overnight work will take place between October 18 to October 27 when trains are not in operation to install caffolding and cut back vegetation.

Local residents who may be affected by this work have been sent letters of information.

Network Rail is currently electrifying the line between London and Cardiff to address the rising numbers of people travelling by rail and to bring smoother, quieter and more comfortable journeys for passengers.

As overhead lines are installed for electrification, the parapets of the bridge will be raised to 1.8 metres to meet safety standards and provide a barrier between members of the public and the electrification equipment.

Network Rail assures residents that every effort is made to minimise unnecessary noise while this work is being carried out.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “I’d like to thank local residents and motorists in advance for their patience as we undertake this vital work to improve safety on the bridge at Ermin Street.

“We are proud to say that we have the safest major railway in Europe but we will never rest on our laurels.

"Installing measures such as these is a vital component of our Railway Upgrade Plan, ensuring that we continue to improve safety across the rail network and minimise risk to those that use and come in close proximity to the railway.

“We held a well-attended drop-in event at Grange Junior School earlier in the week for residents to come and learn more about this work.

"Any residents that weren’t able to make this event are welcome to contact our community relations team to find out more or ask any questions about the work at Ermin Street.”

Network Rail’s community relations team can be contacted at crwest@networkrail.co.uk or on the 24/7 dedicated helpline on 03457 11 41 41.