THE Conwy Valley railway line, which runs from Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog, has reopened on completion of a £2.2m improvement programme.

The line has washed away because of flooding twice in the past two years, which has meant lengthy closures for passengers and local communities while the railway has been repaired.

The improvements to help protect the vital line have involved the installation of 16,000 tonnes of rock armour alongside almost two kilometres of railway between Tal-y-Cafn and Llanrwst. This will help improve the resilience of the railway during flooding.

This new rock armour slows the water down to prevent it carrying away the railway embankment and leaving the track suspended in the air, which leads to trains being stopped for significant periods.

The newly better protected Conwy Valley line has already been tested as Storm Francis hit the area at the end of August when heavy rain meant access to the site was flooded, but the railway itself was not damaged during the extreme weather.

Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s route director for Wales and Borders, said: “We have worked around the clock in recent months to not just repair the line, but to make it more resilient so we can help to prevent these long closures in the future.

Janet Finch-Saunders, MS for Aberconwy said: “The reopening will reassure residents, who have been too often forced onto bus replacement services over recent years.

“It as been historically beleaguered by problems with the onset of even the mildest rain, I also welcome the installation of 16,000 tonnes of rock armour which is a sensible approach given our changing climate and an increasing number of floods locally.

“With the promise of a more reliable timetable, I hope the culmination of these works will show that local patience has paid dividends.

“This railway offers a pivotal service that connects some of Conwy’s most rural communities.”