Media centre

Wednesday 14 Dec 2016

Check before you travel ahead of railway upgrade work this Christmas

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Passengers are being advised to check before travelling over the festive period ahead of extensive work to upgrade the railway this Christmas.

The majority of the railway will remain open with no impact on services with large amounts of work taking place on Christmas Day and Boxing day when the railway is traditionally closed.

Where larger upgrade projects require more time, the work has been carefully planned with train operators to cause the least amount of disruption.

Network Rail‘s orange army will be working round-the-clock over the Christmas period on improvements including track renewals, upgrades and bridge replacements.

The work forms part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to help provide customers with a bigger, better, more reliable railway across Britain.

Martin Frobisher, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “This work is part of our commitment to provide customers with a better railway. Upgrades are taking place along the length of the country and while there is never a good time to carry out work that affects services, we have worked closely with the train operators for it to cause the least amount of disruption.

“As part of our Railway Upgrade Plan the work we will be carrying out will contribute to an ever improving railway. I would like to thank passengers in advance for their understanding and urge them to plan their journey and check before they travel for the latest information.”

At the southern end of the West Coast main line (WCML) extensive track renewal and upgrades will take place between London Euston and Watford  Junction including work near Acton, Willesden and Wembley central. This will improve reliability along this extensively used section of railway, helping to minimise disruption to passengers in future. A new station footbridge will be installed at Kenton station.

At Wolverton, near Milton Keynes, the power supply along a section of the railway will be improved to increase reliability. The work will reduce the chance of delays for trains running along the line in future.

In Warwickshire, two bridges that carry the WCML will be fully replaced. The first, which carries the line over the B4111 Woodford Lane/Nuneaton Road, north of Nuneaton, was built in the 19th century and is coming to the end of its safe and useful life. The second bridge, which carries the WCML over the Oxford canal at Coombe Hill,  between Coventry and Rugby, will also be replaced with a new structure. The new structures will require less future maintenance, thus reducing long-term disruption to passengers.

In the West Midlands sets of points – the moving pieces of railway which allow trains to move from one piece of track to another – will be replaced in the middle of Birmingham New Street to help provide a more reliable and safe service through the station.

In Manchester, over 16 days between Sunday 18 December and Tuesday January 3, major work to the Ordsall Chord – a new section of railway which will link Manchester Victoria and Piccadilly stations for the first time in their history - will be carried out, with the removal of a bridge and the electrification of railway lines. The outcome will be more reliable journeys and better connectivity for passengers across the north of England.

In Carlisle track across the Nicholas Bridge will be replaced, improving reliability and helping to reduce maintenance and future disruption.

Passengers can plan their journeys and check before they travel on the National Rail Enquires website at www.nationalrail.co.uk/christmas.