Expect delays and road closures until July as railway bridge at Kempston Hardwick is strengthened

Be warned – there’s rail and road delays ahead, but it’s for a good cause.

Over the next five months, Network Rail engineers are repairing and strengthening the steel girders and bridge deck on the structure which carries the Midland Main Line over the B530 Ampthill Road.

On the plus side, the £1.5 million programme will strengthen the railway bridge in Kempston Hardwick and ultimately improve reliability for passengers.

But the bad news is, there’ll be some short-term pain.

First off, there’ll be major all-line disruption between Mill Hill Broadway and Bedford this Saturday and Sunday (April 1 and 2).

The work can only be carried out safely while there are no trains running, so Network Rail has planned most of the work at night to minimise disruption – but at the weekend, there will be work on over-head power lines, track and signals on this stretch of railway.

For passengers this will mean:

No trains south of Bedford for East Midlands Railway passengers

Rail replacement bus services to operate from Bedford across to the East Coast Main Line at Hitchin for onward train travel to King’s Cross

No Thameslink service between Bedford and Mill Hill Broadway – and a limited Thameslink service from Mill Hill Broadway to and through central London

Extensive replacement bus services for stations between Mill Hill Broadway and Bedford – and additional bus services for connections across to the East Coast Main Line at Hitchin and Potters Bar

On these dates passengers are advised to check before you travel

B530 Ampthill Road closures:

4pm Saturday (April 1) until 5am Monday (April 3)

11pm Saturday, April 15 until 7am Sunday, April 16

11pm Saturday, April 22 until 7am Sunday, April 23

11pm Saturday, April 29 until 7am Sunday, April 30

6am Monday, May 8 until 5pm Friday, July 14

A signed diversion will be in place via A6 Wixams bypass, Wilstead bypass, Ampthill to Maulden bypass and Hazelwood Lane.

Drivers should check their route here before setting off

Steve Hopkinson, operations director for Network Rail, said: “This is an important investment to help passengers rely on us to get them to where they need to be on time right along the Midland Main Line. It’ll help to drive down delays and avoid major maintenance work at this location for the next decade.

“To keep people and passengers safe, we will need to close the road and the railway at times over the next five months. We have worked with the council to plan a diversion to keep people moving, but I’m sorry to anybody who is inconvenienced by this.”