Tuesday 13 Feb 2024
Passengers in the North West urged to check before they travel during February rail upgrades
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
Railway engineers are working around the clock to complete major improvements across the Wigan and Southport areas, including level crossing renewals, electrification work and signalling upgrades.
The work is part of Network Rail’s Wigan to Bolton electrification scheme, which is set to improve travel across the North West by allowing greener, cleaner and quieter electric trains to run on the line.
Enabling work for the project involves rebuilding a bridge, upgrading railway drainage systems and preparing for the installation of new signals which will allow engineers to move forward with the £78m project, ensuring the track is ready for Northern’s longer, electric trains when they are introduced.
Other improvements across the region will see engineers renew three level crossings (Pool Hey, Wyke Cop, Chapel Lane), enhance Burscough Signal Box and upgrade a number of signals across Parbold, increasing the reliability of train services passing through the area while making it safer for local communities.
The improvement work means changes to train services between Wigan North Western, Ince, Hindley, Westhoughton, Lostock and Bolton:
- A continuous closure until Sunday 18 February
- Saturdays and Sundays in February
- Sundays in March.
Phil James, North West route director for Network Rail, said: “We understand there is no ideal time to close the railway and want to thank passengers for bearing with us while we compete these major upgrades.
"The work is a vital part of our rail improvement plan across the North West which will not only help to improve the reliability of train services, but also take us one step closer to a greener, faster railway.
"I’d encourage anyone travelling to plan their journey ahead of time via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator."
Network Rail has worked closely with train operators to keep customers on the move via rail replacement buses and passengers are urged to plan their journeys at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
The Wigan to Bolton Electrification Scheme is a £78m programme of investments which involves installing overhead line equipment, carrying 25,000 volts of electricity over the railway, and improving signalling between Wigan North Western station and Lostock Junction in Bolton.
This work will ensure the track is ready for Northern’s longer, electric trains when they are introduced along the route.
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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