Engineers are "working around the clock" to repair a well-used viaduct in the hope of reopening the railway line in early June.

Work continues on the Nuneham Viaduct railway bridge that is currently closed, creating travel chaos for Oxford residents travelling to London Paddington.

The bridge that crosses the River Thames between Culham and Radley shut on Monday, April 3 following concerns that it was sinking.

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New pictures released by Network Rail show the barge that will be used for piling as the southern support structure is replaced.

The line closed after monitoring equipment installed by Network Rail detected increasingly significant movements of the viaduct.

The concerns surround the condition of the southern bridge support structure.

The train company has described this movement as a "rapid deterioration" of the bridge that previously posed no risk to trains or passengers.

Those travelling between London Paddington and Oxford or North Cotswolds will need to change at Didcot Parkway for replacement bus services, adding about 40 minutes to journey times.

Passengers travelling between the midlands and south coast will also need to use replacement bus services between Oxford and Didcot Parkway. 

There is a non-stop service between Didcot and Oxford and a separate service calling at the stations in-between.

According to Network Rail, the viaduct has undergone regular inspections, including divers going beneath the water every three years.

Manual inspections have been carried out at the viaduct every three months since 2021, with full inspections of the stability of the southern bridge support structure in 2019 and 2022.

Oxford Mail: New pictures have been released by Network Rail New pictures have been released by Network Rail (Image: Network Rail Western)

These inspections led to a planned low intrusive ground stabilisation scheme in March 2023.

But this work failed, leading to the rapid deterioration of the bridge.

The bridge runs over the River Thames and carries CrossCountry and Great Western Railway services.

Railway company GB Railfreight previously said the viaduct was a "key corridor" for its rail freight services.

It added that the closure of the structure would result in "serious implications for the transportation of construction materials, fuel and consumer goods".

Network Rail had originally said the disruption would continue until late April after the viaduct gave way at the start of that month.

The track operator also said that the viaduct had failed following the wettest March in more than three decades.