Media centre

Tuesday 23 Apr 2019

Major Easter railway upgrade work completed with more to come in May

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Train services on the West Coast main line between Euston and Carlisle resumed as normal today after major engineering work over Easter.

Sections of track on Europe’s busiest mixed-use (freight and passenger) railway line were replaced.

Overhead electric cables in several areas were upgraded, as well as vital improvements to bridges, tunnels and trackside equipment.

These must-do upgrades and repairs help keep thousands of passengers and products moving every day on a safe, reliable railway.

Passengers returning to Euston station today will also notice improvements carried out while the station was closed over the bank holiday.

Work is continuing to improve passenger flow through the station. Some retail units are being removed. Platform access ramps are being widened.

Work has also started on a new external entrance to the Euston Underground station – part of the preparations for the new HS2 railway.

Martin Frobisher, managing director of Network Rail’s London North Western route, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carried out our vital Railway Upgrade Plan work over the Easter break. Thousands of Network Rail staff worked around the clock, so services could get back to normal this morning. This has laid a solid foundation for more railway upgrades during the early May bank holiday (4-6 May).”

Significant planned upgrades will take place on the railway over the two May bank holidays.

Ahead of the 4-6 May bank holiday, passengers are being advised to plan their journeys at www.nationalrail.co.uk:

• Euston station will be closed to main line train services.
• Sections of the West Coast main line will be closed between London Euston and Milton Keynes, and Crewe and Cumbria.
• The best time to travel will be on days before and after the early May bank holiday weekend.

Where the line is open trains will be running but customers will have longer journeys, fewer available seats, and may need to use rail replacement buses.

Network Rail has been running a marketing campaign since early February warning train customers of the impacts of Railway Upgrade Plan work over the Easter and early May bank holiday.

Martin added: “We recognise there is never an ideal time to shut the railway for our must-do work. Bank holidays are the least disruptive time to do it, when fewer passengers use the railway compared to the working week. That way we can do the maximum amount of work while impacting the fewest number of people. Sometimes a closure is the only way we can carry out major work like replacing track or the improvements at Euston station.

“Train companies and Network Rail have worked together to minimise disruption for customers by doing a lot of work over the Easter and early May bank holidays. The alternative would have been closing the line and Euston station over multiple weekends throughout the summer.”

Robert Nisbet, Regional Director for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the railway, said:

“This vital engineering work is part of the rail industry’s plan to add more services, improve punctuality and make journeys better and as fewer people travel on bank holidays than on a normal weekday, we’re keeping disruption to a minimum. We encourage people who are planning to take the train over the May bank holidays to check before they travel by visiting nationalrail.co.uk or speaking to their train operator.”

Passengers can plan their journeys and check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Work over the May Day bank holiday weekend between 4 – 6 May

Best days to travel: Friday 3 May and Tuesday 7 May.

Work on the West Coast main line between London Euston, Watford and Milton Keynes:

• Work on power supplies at Euston to prepare for HS2

• Upgrades to trackside equipment between Willesden & Watford
• Complete railway track replacement in Wembley
• Track foundation improvements in Milton Keynes

Work on the West Coast main line between Runcorn, Carlisle and Glasgow includes:

• Railway track replacement on sections of line between Preston and Carnforth
• Renewal of overhead electric lines at Acton Grange in Warrington
• Upgrades to trackside equipment between Runcorn and Halewood, Carnforth and Oxenholme and at Carlisle station
• Bridge renovation and strengthening work at Coppull Moor Lane in Chorley
• Track foundation cleaning in Crewe and between Tebay and Carlisle
• Removal of old signal box and equipment between Halewood and Wavertree

Look ahead to Whitsun May bank holiday engineering work: Saturday 25 May to Monday 27 May

Some of the work carried out between Saturday 4 and Monday 6 May will need to be continued between Saturday 25 and Monday 27 May.

Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check the best days to travel when this essential planned work takes place on the West Coast main line.

This will have a major impact including alternative routes, longer journey times and less chance of a seat.

Over the bank holiday weekend work includes:

• Complete railway track replacement between Tring and Milton Keynes
• Continued track foundation improvements in Milton Keynes
• Track renewal at Acton Bridge station in Northwich
• Improvements to overhead electric lines in Cumbria
• Track foundation cleaning in Carlisle

To plan journeys and for the latest travel information visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk/westcoast