Network Rail to close Pembroke line for a week in November track renewals

Network Rail will close the railway between Whitland and Pembroke for a week from Friday 6 November to renew about 1,800 metres of track, with two further weekend closures of all lines west of Carmarthen either side of it.

The infrastructure owner said on 30 October that the Whitland to Pembroke line would shut from 23:30 on Friday 6 November until 05:45 on Saturday 14 November. All lines west of Carmarthen will also close from 00:01 on Sunday 1 November until 01:45 on Monday 2 November, and again from 00:01 on Sunday 15 November until 01:45 on Monday 16 November.

Network Rail said the work would replace track and components that have reached the end of their operational life.

James Booth, programme manager at Network Rail, said: "By bringing a number of different jobs together during these closures, our teams can complete more work in a shorter period and reduce the need for separate closures in future."

The week-long closure

During the week-long closure, engineers will renew about 1,800 metres of track and about 500 metres of additional rail, according to Network Rail. They will replace switches, crossings and supporting bearers at Tenby, and install about 900 metres of new rail at Llanion, converting the track there from jointed rail to continuously welded rail.

Vegetation management along the route and further maintenance will take place at the same time.

The two weekend closures are separate from the Whitland to Pembroke work. Network Rail said the main job during those weekends would be replacing switches, crossings and supporting bearers at Whitland. Its maintenance teams and other contractors will use the closures to carry out additional work while the line is shut.

Rail replacement buses will run during the affected periods. Booth said: "We know these closures will cause disruption and we're sorry for the inconvenience to passengers."

Replacement buses

Transport for Wales describes the disruption differently from Network Rail. Its planned-works page says buses will replace trains between Pembroke Dock and Carmarthen / Swansea from Saturday 7 to Friday 13 November, whereas Network Rail's release gives the closure as Whitland to Pembroke from the night of Friday 6 November until the early hours of Saturday 14 November.

For the two Sundays, Transport for Wales says buses will replace trains between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour on 1 November and again on 15 November, with all lines west of Carmarthen closed.

Why switches and crossings

Switches and crossings feature in all three closures. Network Rail's track pages describe them as moveable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another and let them cross paths. The company says they have an especially limited lifespan because trains cause wear and deformation when they travel across them.

Network Rail maintains and renews 20,000 miles of track across Britain. Its Wales & Western region, which includes the Wales & Borders route, has more than 2,700 miles of track and carried 122.5 million passengers a year before Covid-19, according to the company.

Previous closures

November's closure follows earlier work on the Pembroke Dock branch. In March 2024, Network Rail replaced more than 200 metres of track between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock and improved drainage between Narberth and Kilgetty.

A further closure in March 2026 covered track renewal between Whitland and Narberth. Mark Dix, lead portfolio manager at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said at the time that the track upgrades and supporting works were essential to maintaining a safe and reliable railway for passengers.

Separately, Network Rail, with contractors AmcoGiffen, is delivering £8.3m of accessibility upgrades at Tenby station through the UK Government's Access for All programme. The scheme will provide a new fully accessible footbridge with lifts, and Network Rail said completion was expected in autumn 2026.

Network Rail has asked passengers to check their journeys before travelling. The final weekend closure ends at 01:45 on Monday 16 November.