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Thursday 15 May 2025

Late May bank holiday railway upgrades in one week

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: North West

Passengers travelling between London and Scotland are being urged to plan ahead this late May bank holiday when major railway upgrades will take place to improve future journeys. 

Network Rail teams are gearing up for a nine-day closure on the Trent Valley Line, which starts on Saturday 24 May, which will see essential renewals to tracks, structures and lineside equipment to make them more reliable on that section of the West Coast Main Line. 

The work means the railway between Rugby and Stafford will be closed between Saturday 24 May and Sunday 1 June.* 

Key improvements include:  

• New track and railway foundation stone (ballast) installation near Atherstone.  

• Waterproofing a bridge over the River Anker near Tamworth station to protect it from future weather damage.  

• Critical work on an embankment between the Great Haywood and Shugborough Conservation Area and Cannock Chase to help protect the railway during adverse weather conditions.  

• Repairs on Rugeley Trent Valley station's footbridge.  

Elsewhere the following work will take place between Saturday 24 May to Monday 26 May:  

• Renewals of switches and crossings in Warrington which affects services between Crewe and Preston.** 

• Embankment repairs between Willesden and Wembley. 

Passengers are also reminded that all lines between Nuneaton and Stafford will be closed on Sunday 18 May for preparatory engineering work. This may affect journeys to London, particularly for those travelling to Wembley Stadium for the Women’s FA Cup Final. Passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time for their journeys.  

Additionally, planned events in the North West are expected to increase passenger numbers. With Neighbourhood Weekend in Warrington and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park, services are expected to be extremely busy.  

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: "We know how important reliable rail services are for the communities and businesses we serve on the West Coast Main Line. Our essential improvements between Stafford and Rugby will help to deliver a smoother and more reliable railway for passengers and freight services.   

We're asking passengers to plan ahead at National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator and I'd like to thank everyone for their patience while we deliver these vital upgrades."  

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “We are grateful for our passengers' patience while Network Rail carries out these essential engineering works for nine days at the end of this month.  

Rail replacement buses will be in place, with information available on journey planners and via our website. Please allow for extra time when you travel or consider alternative transport where possible.” 

Chris Liptrot, operations director at Avanti West Coast, said: “While Network Rail carry out this essential work, we’ll be operating an amended timetable and journeys to and from London Euston will take longer.  

We strongly advise customers making journeys during this time to plan ahead and check the Avanti West Coast website before travelling.” 

For the latest travel information, please visit National Rail Enquiries.