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Thursday 15 Jan 2026

Rail upgrades between Birmingham and London Marylebone this weekend

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: Central

Passengers travelling between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone this weekend are being advised of journey changes while engineering upgrades take place.

Across the weekend, Network Rail’s teams will be carrying out track replacement near West Ruislip station, helping to provide better and more reliable journeys for passengers and freight services.

It means the Chiltern main line will be closed between Wembley Stadium and Denham all day on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January.

The work will affect Chiltern Railways' services and journeys will take longer than usual with rail replacement bus services in operation.

The project will involve renewing tracks that have been in use since the 1980s, with the rails and sleepers being replaced with more reliable, modern equivalents that provide a smoother journey for train passengers.

Taking place over half a mile, the renewal will make use of a New Track Construction (NTC) machine - a specialised piece of engineering equipment used to lay new railway lines in a continuous, automated process.

We'll be using five engineering trains and 74 wagons to replace around a mile of rail, 1,270 sleepers (rectangular supports that hold the two rails in place), and lay down 1,800 tonnes of foundation stone (ballast).

Once completed, the new track will be more reliable, saving money by requiring less maintenance and saving time for passengers, who will experience fewer speed restrictions and disruptions when travelling through the area.

Neil Gaskin, programme director for Network Rail's Central route, said: “This essential track replacement will help keep the Chiltern main line running reliably for years to come. We’ve planned this work carefully to minimise disruption while delivering long‑term benefits for passengers and freight. I’d like to thank everyone for their patience.

“If you're planning to travel, plan ahead and check before you travel for the latest journey information and travel advice.”

Michael Stewart, commercial and customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, said: "These engineering works are crucial for the future reliability of the railway. Please check your journeys ahead of travelling in the affected areas this weekend as they will be disrupted and may involve a rail replacement bus."

Passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with Chiltern Railways for the latest journey information and travel advice.