📋 Tender Overview
Working In Partnership With National Grid, A Once-In-A-Generation Scheme Is Underway To Improve The Landscape Around The Dwyryd Estuary, In Snowdonia, By Re-Routing Power Cables Underground. The Existing Overhead Lines Are A Highly Visible And Intrusive Feature In One Of The UkS Most Celebrated Protected Landscapes. National GridS Flagship Eryri Visual Impact Provision Project Is Addressing This By Constructing A 3.4Km Underground Tunnel Beneath The Estuary Between Minffordd And Llandecwyn, Allowing The Removal Of 3Km Of Overhead Lines And 10 Electricity Pylons. With Specialist Expertise In Railway Tunnels, Network RailS Asset Protection Team Is Supporting The Project By Working Closely With National Grid And Its Contractor, Hochtief Uk, To Provide Engineering Assurance For Works On And Near The Railway. This Collaboration Is Helping The Project To Progress Safely And Efficiently, Protecting Vital Rail Infrastructure While Minimising Impacts On The Railway, Local Communities And The National Park Environment Through Careful Coordination Of Access Arrangements, Construction Safety And Environmental Compliance. Tunnel Construction Is Underway With Network Rail So Far Supporting Works Where The Tunnel Passes Beneath The Railway At Minffordd And Penrhyndeudraeth. In March 2026, The Asset Protection Team Will Again Work Alongside National Grid During Further Tunnelling Activities At Llandecwyn. The Pylons And Overhead Lines Are Due For Removal In 2029. The Section Of Overhead Line, Constructed In 1966, Is Part Of The 400Kv Electricity Route Connecting The 400Kv Pentir Substation Near Bangor With The Former Trawsfynydd Power Station, Now A 400Kv Substation. The Eryri Project Is The Only Vip Scheme Underway In Wales, And One Of Just Five Across The Uk - Alongside Schemes In The Dorset National Landscape, Peak District National Park, North Wessex Downs National Landscape And The Cotswolds National Landscape. Nick Millington, Wales And Borders Route Director, Network Rail, Said, WeRe Proud To Support The Visual Impact Provision Project In Eryri, Which Aligns With Our Commitment To Sustainability, Community Engagement And Protecting The Environment. Wales And Borders Is More Than A Railway - And The Contribution Of Our Specialist Engineering Teams To This Complex Work Shows How We Work With Partners To Deliver Lasting Benefits For Our Beautiful Landscape, While Keeping Passengers And Freight Moving Safely And Reliably. Keeping The Railway Open And Protecting The National Park Located Close To The Cambrian Line And Key Community Access Points, The Project Requires Tight Coordination Between National Grid, Its Contractors And Network Rail To Plan Safe Construction Routes, Cable Delivery Operations And Overhead Line Removal - All While Keeping Disruption To A Minimum. The Cambrian Line Remains Open During The Work. Network Rail Has Also Worked Closely With The Eryri National Park Authority And National GridS Environmental Teams To Support Access Planning And Mitigate Environmental Risks. This Includes Protecting Sensitive Habitats And To Allow Well-Used Walking Routes - Including The Wales Coast Path - To Remain Accessible Throughout The Works, Wherever Possible. Steve Ellison, Senior Project Manager For The Eryri Vip At National Grid, Said, WeRe Proud To Have Completed This Important And Delicate Stage Of Our Tunnelling Journey Without Issue. This Is Testament To The Close Working Relationship We Have With Network Rail And The High Level Of Skill And Expertise Within Both Teams. Please Note: The Main Image In This Press Release Is A Visual Representation Of What The View Near The Dwyryd Estuary Will Look Like Once The Project Is Completed In 2029. Eryri Vip - National Grid * Overhead Line Removal Is Expected To Be Completed By 2029, Once The New Underground Cables Are Fully Commissioned. * The Cambrian Line Remains Fully Operational Throughout The Construction Period. * Project Details: About The Visual Impact Provision (Vip) All Electricity Transmission Owners Are Funded Through A Price Control Mechanism Agreed By Ofgem. The Current (2021-2026) Price Control Includes Ps465 Million To Mitigate The Visual Impact Of Existing Electricity Infrastructure In Nationally Protected Landscapes. National GridS Vip Programme Is Guided By An Independent Panel Of Senior Landscape Experts From Organisations Including The National Trust, Ramblers, Landscape Institute, Campaign For National Parks, Cpre, Natural England, Historic England And Their Welsh Counterparts. The Group Is Chaired By Environmentalist And Broadcaster Chris Baines. About National Grid National Grid Lies At The Heart Of The Energy System In The Uk And Us, Moving Energy From Where ItS Made To Where ItS Needed, Safely, Securely And Reliably, For Millions Of Customers. Whether Through Groundbreaking Innovation With Or Investing In Tech Start-Ups, We Help Homes Stay Warm, Businesses Stay Productive, And Communities Stay Connected. WeRe Investing Ps60 Billion By 2029 To Modernise Networks, Enable Cleaner Energy And Strengthen Security Of Supply. We Employ Over 30,000 People, And Our Work Is Helping To Grow Economies Across The Uk And Us, Creating Lasting Benefits For The Communities We Serve. For More Information, Visit Linkedin . Passengers / Community Members Network Rail National Helpline 03457 11 41 41 Latest Travel Advice Please Journalists Kathy Peart Media Relations Manager Network Rail We Own, Operate And Develop BritainS Railway Infrastructure; ThatS 20,000 Miles Of , 30,000 And The Thousands Of , Level Crossings And Stations. We Run 20 Of The UkS Largest While All The Others, Over 2,500, Are Run By The CountryS . Usually, There Are Almost Five Million Journeys Made In The Uk And Over 600 Freight Trains Run On The Network. People Depend On BritainS Railway For Their Daily Commute, To Visit Friends And Loved Ones And To Get Them Home Safe Every Day. Our Role Is To Deliver , So We Carefully Manage And Deliver Thousands Of Projects Every Year Th
