Media centre

Wednesday 6 Jun 2007

PASSENGER REMINDER - RENEWING THE RAILWAY IN THE EAST MIDLANDS THIS SUMMER

Region & Route:

Passenger are reminded of major engineering works in the East Midlands which will affect passengers this summer. The activity is part of a £250 million investment programme by Network Rail to renew the region's signalling systems.

The East Midlands Resignalling Project will see a large part of the region's 40 year old signalling systems replaced and renewed over the next five years. The first phase, North Erewash will be completed over eight weeks this summer when signalling is renewed on a 19 mile stretch of railway between Nottingham, Langley Mill and Alfreton. Services using this route will be diverted via Derby while Network Rail engineers install and test the new signalling equipment, improve several key junctions and renew three miles of track in the Trowell area. To minimise future disruption for passengers, the closure will also be used to rebuild three bridges at Langley Mill, Eastwood and Ilkeston. Tom Birch, Network Rail's General Manager for the East Midlands said: "This is the first major resignalling project in the area for many years and will deliver long term benefits for passengers by improving the reliability and flexibility of the railway throughout the East Midlands and beyond. There will be some disruption for passengers this summer but we are working closely with train operators to keep this to a minimum." The railway will be closed from Sunday 10th June to Monday 6th August while the project is completed. Network Rail has worked closely with Central Trains, Midland Mainline and Virgin Cross Country to put in place an amended timetable designed to keep disruption to a minimum. During the project the following service alterations will operate:

• Central Trains Nottingham to Liverpool services will use an alternative route via Derby and will not call at Langley Mill or Alfreton. This will add 20 minutes to journey times. Passengers who normally join this train at Langley Mill and Alfreton stations will be provided with replacement buses to take them to Chesterfield. From here they can catch connecting trains onwards to Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield.
• Passengers who use Alfreton and Langley Mill stations to travel to London will be able to take replacement buses to Nottingham station where they can catch the Midland Mainline services to St Pancras.
• Buses will replace trains between Alfreton/Langley Mill to both Nottingham and Chesterfield.
• Some Chesterfield, Dronfield and Sheffield services will also be replaced by buses, but all TransPennine Express services will operate as normal from Sheffield to Manchester via Stockport.
• Extra Sheffield to Manchester trains will run from Monday to Saturday.

During this eight week period, the Derby to Ambergate line will be busier than usual due to the diverted trains. To reduce congestion some services will be altered:

• Each weekday, two daytime trains and one off-peak evening train between Whatstandwell and Derby will be replaced by buses.
• On Saturdays the 12.23 from Matlock to Derby will go direct from Ambergate to Derby, not stopping at Belper or Duffield. A replacement bus service is available for customers travelling to and from Belper and Duffield.

Passengers are advised to allow more time for their journeys and are also reminded that bicycles cannot be taken on substitute bus services. Travel information is available online at www.centraltrains.co.uk , www.midlandmainline.com or by phone from National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50. Gavin Bell, Central Trains' Director of Network Services added: "We're working closely with Network Rail, Midland Mainline and bus companies to ensure that passengers are still able to travel to all their usual destinations during this essential work. We have also consulted local rail user groups about these arrangements and will be providing extra shelter and facilities at Whatstandwell station to cater for extra waiting passengers. All the revised train times and replacement bus services will be included in the new Summer timetable available online and as a printed pocket-sized leaflet from late May onwards." Disabled passengers should phone ahead to book assistance as normal, and to check on bus suitability for wheelchairs. Throughout the project there will be extra staff at stations to provide information and direct passengers to replacement bus services.