Tuesday 3 Oct 2006
£15 MILLION INVESTMENT ON WOLVERHAMPTON TO SHREWSBURY LINE
- Region & Route:
Passengers travelling between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury will benefit from a £15million investment to the railway. The latest modern technology will replace signalling equipment which dates from the 1920s. The project to renew signalling systems between Codsall and Telford will improve services and reduce delays on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury line. Peter Leppard Area General Manager for Network Rail said: “This multi-million-pound investment is an essential part of our commitment to delivering a world class railway for the Midlands. The renewal of the signalling will pave the way for more reliable train services, providing a better service for passengers.” Work to install the new signalling system will begin on 14 October and last for nine days. During this time Central Trains and Arriva Trains Wales will be running a replacement bus service between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, with train services resuming on Monday 23 October.
Notes to editors
Signal boxes housing the old signalling systems at Codsall, Cosford and Lightmoor will close as part of the project. Operations will transfer to Madeley signal box where the new signalling systems will be installed. The old signal boxes are being donated to Heritage Railway groups to preserve their important part in the history of the railway. Central Trains replacement services: Buses will replace trains calling at local stations in both directions between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton from Saturday 14th until Monday 23rd October when train services will resume. The buses will start/terminate at Wolverhampton where passengers can connect with train services to and from Birmingham New Street. On weekday mornings there will be additional express bus services for commuters running from Shrewsbury, Wellington and Telford directly to Birmingham. In the evening peak, express buses will run from Birmingham New Street to Telford, Wellington and Shrewsbury. Passengers are advised to allow more time for their journeys and are also reminded that bicycles cannot be taken on substitute bus services. Travel information is available on-line at www.centraltrains.co.uk or by phone from National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50. Arriva Trains Wales replacement services: Saturday 14 October 2006 to Sunday 22 October 2006 inclusive. Arriva Trains Wales will be providing a replacement bus service during this period and some Birmingham bound trains will divert via an alternative route. Full details will be shown on posters at stations. Advice for passengers travelling Monday to Saturday: Aberystwyth - Birmingham New Street Arriva Trains Wales services between Aberystwyth and Birmingham New Street will run as normal to Shrewsbury then continue non-stop to Crewe where connections can be made to Birmingham New Street and other UK stations. Alternatively passengers may join the replacement bus service between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton for onward trains to Birmingham New Street. Passengers travelling to Wellington, Oakengates, Telford Central, Shifnal, Cosford, Albrighton, Codsall and Bilbrook stations should join the replacement bus service. Shrewsbury – Birmingham New Street Arriva Trains Wales services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street will be replaced by buses travelling via Wellington, Oakengates, Telford Central, Shifnal, Cosford, Albrighton, Codsall and Bilbrook to Wolverhampton. Central Trains, Virgin West Coast and Virgin Cross Country will operate normal services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street. Arriva Trains Wales will also run fast non-stop trains from Shrewsbury to Crewe where passengers can catch onward connections to Birmingham New Street and other UK train stations. Passengers travelling between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street are advised that journey times are shorter when taking the fast non-stop train to Crewe for onward connections to Birmingham New Street. Chester – Birmingham New Street Train services between Chester and Birmingham New Street will be replaced by buses between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. Central Trains, Virgin West Coast and Virgin Cross Country will operate normal services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street. Passengers travelling from Chester and Wrexham General to Birmingham New Street will benefit from shorter journey times by travelling via Crewe during this period. Advice for passengers travelling on Sundays: All Arriva Trains Wales services Shrewsbury - Birmingham All train services between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton will be replaced by buses on Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 October 2006. Passengers travelling from Aberystwyth to Birmingham New Street and to and from Wellington, Oakengates, Telford Central, Shifnal, Cosford, Albrighton, Codsall and Bilbrook should join the replacement bus service between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. Central Trains and Virgin Cross Country will operate connecting train services between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street. In addition, all train services between Chester and Wolverhampton will be replaced by buses on Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 October as a result of engineering work. Passengers travelling from Chester and Wrexham General to Birmingham New Street will benefit from shorter journey times by travelling via Crewe during this period. Passengers travelling to and from Ruabon, Chirk and Gobowen should join the replacement bus service. Arriva Trains Wales is reminding passengers during this period to: • allow ample time for their journey during peak periods • request assistance if they are disabled or need any assistance in anyway, and advise a member of staff who will be happy to help. Arriva Trains Wales regrets that due to capacity restrictions prams, bicycles and pushchairs that do not fold away cannot be accommodated on the replacement bus service.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk