ALTERATIONS TO WEST COAST MAIN LINE CHRISTMAS ENGINEERING WORK

Tuesday 18 Dec 2007

ALTERATIONS TO WEST COAST MAIN LINE CHRISTMAS ENGINEERING WORK

Region & Route:: National

As part of the scheme to upgrade the West Coast Main Line, major engineering work will be taking place during the Christmas break. As already advertised, a multi-million pound investment programme will be carried out in and around Rugby station resulting in the West Coast Main Line being closed at this point and alternative travel arrangements have been put in place. A huge amount of work is being crammed into these few days and Network Rail feels it prudent to extend the closure by one day to enable this vital work to be safely and properly completed. The closure was due to run from 27th to the 30th December (inclusive) and will now be extended by one day with services being restored for the morning on Tuesday 1st January. The alternative travel arrangements in place for the original closure will remain in place for the extra day. Network Rail is extremely sorry for the short notice of this extra day's work but believes it is absolutely necessary to deliver the longer term benefits that the Rugby scheme, and other projects on the route, will bring - faster and more frequent services. Passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line on 31st December, who haven't yet purchased a ticket, may want to consider the alternative routes and train operators that are available to destinations such as Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. These include:

Scotland to London: National Express East Coast into King's Cross
Manchester to London: Transpennine Express to Leeds and then National Express East Coast to King's Cross
Birmingham to London: Chiltern Trains into London Marylebone

Further information will follow and advice on travelling during the Christmas break can be sought from individual train operator websites and help-lines or by logging on to www.nationalrail.co.uk or contacting National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.

Notes to editors

The £415m work at Rugby / Nuneaton forms part of a bigger scheme that looks to significantly increase the frequency and journey time of services on the West Coast Main Line from December 2008. The work at Rugby over the Christmas break is a vital component to the overall scheme introducing new tracks, and enabling the next stages of work to commence as planned. All of the train operators who use the West Coast route, and the Office of Rail Regulation, have been consulted on the change. The work at Rugby over Christmas includes: - Installing over 5,000m of overhead line - Bringing into use 5,300m of new track - Bringing into use 15 new sets of points - Installing two new sets of points - Bringing into use 18 new signals - Making 16 new track connections - Demolishing a mini-signal box - Removing 11 sections of overhead wire and moving a further 14 - Removing four signalling gantries - Installing nine new signalling 'booster' cabinets - Building three new stretches of track

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