Monday 28 Apr 2025
Railway upgrades to impact North West routes this May bank holiday
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: North West
Rail passengers are being encouraged to check their journeys ahead of multi-million-pound upgrades across the North West this Early May bank holiday.
Network Rail is carrying out essential improvements to improve future journeys for passengers and freight between Saturday 3 and Monday 5 May.
The work across the North West includes:
- Renewal of switches and crossings in Warrington which affects services between Crewe and Preston*
- Signalling upgrades north of Carlisle in the Kingmoor area**
- Work to improve station facilities at Salford Central station mean changes to services on Sunday 4 May***
Further down the West Coast Main Line, people planning journeys to London Euston are also advised that trains will terminate at Milton Keynes on Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May.
That’s due to multiple track upgrades which can only take place during a full railway closure.
Where possible people can travel either side of the bank holiday weekend to avoid the essential engineering work.
Those who can't do that are urged to plan in advance by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk so they know exactly what to expect from their journey.
Brian Paynter, Network Rail Capital Delivery head of track, said: “There’s a lot of great work happening over the Early May bank holiday to improve the reliability and safety of the railway for passengers and freight. We know some of this will be disruptive, but bank holidays remain the least busy time for carrying out complex upgrades.
“I’d like to encourage people to plan ahead at www.nationalrail.co.uk/spring and recommend travelling before or after our essential railway closures for the most straightforward journey.”
For latest travel information and to plan ahead please visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/spring
Notes to Editors
*Between Saturday 3 May and Monday 5 May long distance trains will divert around the work in the Warrington area via Manchester and Bolton. Replacement bus services will operate between Crewe and Preston.
**Between Saturday 3 May and Monday 5 May buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Glasgow via Lockerbie. On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Edinburgh, and between Carlisle and Dumfries.
*** If you are travelling to / from Salford Central, you should use alternative nearby stations such as Salford Crescent, Deansgate, Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Victoria. Your ticket will be accepted on any Bee Network buses between Salford Central and Salford Crescent / Manchester City Centre / Manchester Oxford Road during this time.
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