Media centre

Monday 26 Jul 2021

Majority of rail network open for business as usual over August Bank Holiday as railway continues to welcome back passengers

Region & Route:

National

• Vast majority of the rail network – over 95% – will be open for business as usual over the August Bank Holiday
• Some routes will be affected by the upgrade works taking place, so passengers should plan ahead
• The railway expects people to follow government guidance and out of respect for others, wear a face covering in busy indoor settings unless they are exempt

The vast majority of Britain’s rail network (over 95%) will be open for business as usual this coming Bank Holiday as it looks to welcome passengers back and reconnect them with family, friends and their favourite holiday destinations.

With domestic tourism in high demand this summer, Network Rail’s bank holiday engineering work has been planned to minimise disruption to passengers with very few lines, stations and destinations impacted by the £90m investment programme.

Passengers are advised to follow government guidance and wear a face covering in busy indoor settings unless they are exempt. With good ventilation systems on trains, extra cleaning and improved information about quieter times, passengers can continue to travel with confidence.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: “The railway will be open for business over the August Bank Holiday, so people can reconnect, visit friends and family or take a holiday.

“While some works are taking place, we’ve worked hard to reduce the impact on passengers as far as possible so that they can enjoy and rely on our railway.”

The engineering works that are taking place have been planned months, and in some cases years in advance, and will help us deliver a better and more reliable train service for passengers in future.

Among the major pieces of work being delivered over the August Bank Holiday are:

• HS2 preparatory works at London Euston to help deliver the enhanced high-speed railway for passengers and boost capacity. An amended timetable will be in place to/from London Euston all weekend, with platforms 12-16 out of use.
• Track renewals and HS2 works between Water Orton and Nuneaton, and track renewals between Birmingham International and Long Lawford to improve track reliability. This work will impact services in the Birmingham, Nuneaton, Coleshill Parkway and Coventry areas.
• From London St Pancras to Mill Hill Broadway there will be switches and crossings renewals at Carlton Road Junction, while work will also be under way to help construct the new station at Brent Cross. As a result, there will be no trains running between Luton and London St Pancras over the course of the weekend, and an amended and reduced service will be in operation between Bedford and Mill Hill Broadway.
• Remodelling works at Bristol East to improve reliability for passengers. Platforms 7 and 9-15 will be out of use at Bristol Temple Meads, with buses replacing trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath, Keynsham and Oldfield Park.
• Maintenance and enhancement works between Moorgate/Canonbury West and Finsbury Park to improve passenger safety. Moorgate services will be diverted to London King’s Cross between 28-31 August.

Passengers can find out how their journeys will be affected with their train operator, via National Rail Enquiries, or by following #AugustBHWorks on Twitter.