RESIDENTS in Duffryn say they are being kept awake for several hours by the ‘horrendous noise’ caused by Network Rail's night time piling and road bridge works.

People living on the Manor Park and Celtic Horizon estates blame the noise on Network Rail’s work to electrify the South Wales Mainline in the Duffryn, Coedkernew, St Bridges, Marshfield and Wentloog areas.

One resident on the Celtic Horizon estate, who did not wish to be named, said she was kept awake until nearly 5am on Wednesday.

She said: “The work is being carried out close to Duffryn High School. It started at 11pm on Tuesday night and continued until 4.45am.

“I thought it was coming from a farmer at first.

“Network Rail sent letters to residents prior to the project starting to explain that night time piling and road bridge works would be carried out but it did not mention that we would be kept up all night because of the horrendous noise.

“I understand this could go on for two weeks. I contacted Newport City Council and was told they had received thousands of complaints.”

Other residents’ comments posted on the Argus Facebook page included Louisa Wilkins who wrote: ‘No prior warning was sent out and hardly no blink sleep for any residents in the area,’ while Louise Birdie Hall branded the night time work as ‘utterly ridiculous.’

Network Rail did hold a drop-in event at Marshfield Village Hall on Tuesday for residents.

A letter to residents, seen by the Argus, from Network Rail’s community relations manager Rebecca Evison, explained the electrification project and said preparation work involves significant construction, including clearing overgrown rail-side vegetation and modifying many of the road bridges such as Hawse Lane at Coedkernew and Heol Las, Marshfield.

It will also install the Overhead Line Equipment that will power the electric trains and supporting steel posts that distribute electricity.

Network Rail said the piling work along a seven-mile section of the railway through Newport is essential and will transform the railway for passengers.

Work is expected to take six months, predominantly at night but not every night.

Once piling is complete the two bridges will be reconstructed and is expected to finish at the end of the year or early in 2017.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “We care about all our neighbours an do everything we can to limit the disruption that can be caused by piling, but it can be a noisy process.

“Steel tubes are vibrated into the ground, however certain ground conditions mean we have to sometimes use a hydraulic hammer to install them.

“This method does cause additional noise and is only used when absolutely necessary.

“Piling is predominantly a night-time activity, with work undertaken on both weekdays and weekends. Safety is our number one priority and for this reason work of this type must be carried out while the trains are not running.”