Work on a multi-million pound flood protection scheme for the main railway line through Montgomeryshire has begun.

Network Rail is installing around 10,000 tonnes of rock armour alongside a stretch of the Cambrian Line to make it more resilient and reliable for passengers after the devastating storms this winter.

The line between Welshpool and Newtown was closed for several weeks after Storm Franklin in February, with Network Rail and Amcogiffen engineers working on more than twelve areas of washouts after record breaking levels of flood water.

The concept has been used before on flood-prone stretches of railway in the Conwy Valley and Abergavenny.

The method of adding this rock should allow “the railway to reopen in days, rather than weeks” according to a statement from Network Rail.

Network Rail also confirmed that the railway will remain open while the work on the line takes place between July 2022 and the autumn.

Jan Chaudhry van der Velde, Transport for Wales managing director said: "We welcome this resilience investment by Network Rail which will help protect the railway from storms and flooding so we can keep services running in mid Wales.

“The Cambrian Line has a bright future as it is also benefitting from the introduction of new Class 197 trains as part of our £800m investment in new rolling stock throughout the Wales and Borders network.”

Dave Smale, head of maintenance delivery at Network Rail Wales and Borders said the work should lead to great improvements: “I'm delighted this resilience project has been able to get underway so quickly following those devastating February storms.

“The Cambrian line is a vital link for the communities it serves, and we simply must protect its future from the impact of climate change.

“This £4.4m investment will allow us to continue providing a safe, reliable and resilient railway for many years to come.”