Wednesday 24 Apr 2024
North West rail improvements planned this early May bank holiday
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central: North West
Passengers travelling on the West Coast main line and North West rail routes are being advised to check before they travel ahead of important railway upgrades over the early May bank holiday.
Network Rail is carrying out major projects between Saturday 4 and Monday 6 May to improve the region’s railway for passengers and freight.
The work includes:
- Track and drainage upgrades in Crewe.
- Essential maintenance between Runcorn and Warrington.
- Important drainage improvements between Wigan and Liverpool.
- Continuing to electrify the line between Wigan and Bolton.
- Track maintenance and signalling work in Carlisle.
For the work to take place, there will be changes to rail services. Some trains will use diversionary routes, some will not run at all. Rail replacement buses will be in operation.
Passengers are being advised to plan their journey on www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “We made great progress on major railway improvements over Easter and I’d like to thank passengers for their continued patience while we carry out more must-do work between Saturday 4 and Monday 6 May. We know there is never an ideal time to shut the railway, but bank holidays continue to be the least disruptive time for us to carry out this essential maintenance.
“With sections of railway needing to close for our important work, please check National Rail Enquiries in advance to see how your journey could be impacted.”
In the South of the West Coast Main Line, the railway will be closed between Euston and Milton Keynes on Sunday 5 May, as engineers upgrade the track. Passengers travelling to or from Euston on Sunday 5 May are advised to travel via Kings Cross and get a bus replacement service to or from Milton Keynes. Trains will start and terminate at Milton Keynes Central, where there will be rail replacement services to and from Bedford.
Passengers are advised to plan ahead through their train operator or by visiting the www.nationalrail.co.uk website.
Notes to Editors
Rail replacement buses will be in operation between:
- Crewe to Preston
- Preston, Carlisle and Glasgow
- Liverpool Lime Street and Chester
- Liverpool Lime Street and Warrington Central
- Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe
- Liverpool Lime Street, St Helens and Preston
- Manchester and Wigan North Western
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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