Tuesday 29 Apr 2008
NETWORK RAIL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME – HOW IS YOUR TRAVEL AFFECTED THIS BANK HOLIDAY? (West coast)
- Region & Route:
As part of its multi-billion pound programme of improvements for the railway, Network Rail has today announced details of the work that will affect passengers this bank holiday weekend.
Over the long weekend some £75m of investment will be made across the country, all aimed at delivering a more reliable, better performing railway, and a better service for passengers. Around 5,000 people will be working day and night to deliver 250,000 man hours of improvements to the railway network.
Work continues apace as part of the £8.6bn project to modernise the west coast main line in readiness for a 30% increase in train services with an end-to-end journey time reduction of 31 minutes.
At Rugby, further work will take place to renew vital track components including the signalling system and overhead power lines, and to build a new platform and tracks to give greater flexibility and improve the overall performance of trains on the route.
In Nuneaton, the tracks are being remodeled and a new, modern signalling system complete with new gantries is being installed.
Work continues in the Trent Valley area where two additional railway tracks are being built to separate freight trains and local passenger trains from the fast passenger services.
At Milton Keynes, work will continue on the station footbridge and new platform, the realignment of the tracks and renewed signalling.
Vital heavy maintenance work will be carried out at Proof House Junction south of Birmingham New Street.
For more details on Network Rail's major May bank holiday work visit www.networkrail.co.uk
Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive said: “The work over the May bank holiday is all about improving the railway for passengers and freight users. Over the long weekend we’ll be investing millions of pounds to make services more reliable, more punctual and in some cases faster and more frequent.
“Whilst many services will continue to run with some alterations, our message to passengers is to check before you travel. We'll be working closely with the train operating companies and National Rail Enquiries to provide the very latest information both online, via help-lines and at stations."
Notes to editors
Network Rail is working closely with train operators, Passenger Focus and other partners in the rail industry to get up to date information to passengers before they travel. Travel information for the Bank Holiday weekend has been available from National Rail Enquiries for several weeks. For advice on journeys and ticket information, passengers should contact National Rail Enquiries at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk or on 08457 48 49 50.
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.
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