South Wales rail line to Cardiff shut for electrification work

Buses will replace trains between Cardiff and Bristol, Chepstow and Cwmbran

Travel into and out of south Wales will be badly disrupted this weekend as the rail line and a major road are shut.

There will be no trains to Cardiff and Newport as work continues on the £2.8bn electrification of the mainline, so buses will replace trains.

The closure will affect services to London, Manchester, north Wales, the Midlands and England's south coast as well as Valleys Lines trains.

Part of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road is also closed this weekend.

A five-mile (8km) stretch of the A465 between Abergavenny and Brynmawr is shut until 06:00 BST on Monday as work continues on its £800m upgrade.

There is a 27-mile diversion for Heads of the Valleys drivers through Abergavenny, Pontypool and Crumlin.

Trains from England to south Wales will start and terminate at Bristol Parkway, Cwmbran and Chepstow - and passengers will have to use buses to complete their journey.

Buses will also replace trains on the route between Ebbw Vale and Cardiff over the weekend.

Overhead lines are being installed around Newport, Cardiff and Bristol over the weekend

The lines are shut as Network Rail engineers install overhead lines in the Newport, Cardiff and Bristol areas to prepare the route for electrification.

Rail passengers are advised to check before travelling this weekend.

Electrification has been called the "biggest upgrade to the Great Western mainline" since it was built more than 175 years ago.