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Monday 5 Jan 2026

Preston station reopens after major signalling upgrades to improve future journeys

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: North West

Passengers are being thanked for their patience after Preston station reopened this morning following a major signalling upgrade.

It's seen specialist teams working since New Year's Day to replace 1960s equipment with three modern signalling gantries at the north end of the station, installing five new signal posts and seven new LED signal heads.

The new signals will be clearer for train drivers to see helping services run more smoothly through the station. 

The newer technology will also need less maintenance than the older bulb signals they replace - reducing the need to close the railway for repairs in future.

Network Rail and its principal contractor VolkerRail started work on January 1 during a rare full 100-hour closure of Preston station.

The project was just one of a swathe of journey improving upgrades between London and Cumbria over the festive season.

The Christmas and New Year work has seen a combined investment of nearly £200m on the West Coast Main Line, which forms part of a much larger £400m investment over the next four years.

Also today (Monday 5 January) a major railway junction between Northampton and Milton Keynes reopened after a £26m track renewal.

• Read more: Britain's biggest jigsaw puzzle complete after major track renewal near Milton Keynes

Meanwhile a 130-metre-long railway bridge renewal near Penrith in Cumbria is continuing, with train services replaced by rail replacement buses between Oxenholme and Carlisle until January 15.

Passengers using the Northern stretch of Britain’s busiest rail route are being reminded to check www.nationalrail.co.uk while that work is ongoing.

• Read more: Motorists thanked after weekend closure of M6 for West Coast Main Line bridge demolition

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail North West and Central region Capital Delivery director, said: “We are investing hundreds of millions of pounds to improve future journeys on the West Coast Main Line and these latest projects will make real differences to passenger and freight journeys.

"We would like to thank passengers for their patience during our work in Preston and also across the wider network this festive season. With our major bridge renewal in Cumbria continuing until 15 January, we’d like to remind people to check before they travel while we make the railway fit for the future."

Chris Liptrot, Operations Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “We’d like to thank customers for their patience while Network Rail carried out these vital upgrades at Preston. With work to replace the rail bridge at Clifton still underway, we’d like to remind those making journeys between the North West and Carlisle, and Scotland up to and including 14 January to plan ahead, as well as check before they travel.”

For further updates on all our our West Coast Main Line improvement work you can follow us on X @NetworkRailWCML.

To plan rail journeys in advance please us www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel information.