Media centre

Monday 7 Dec 2020

West Coast main line passengers asked to plan ahead when travelling over Christmas

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: West Coast Mainline South

• Passengers using the West Coast main line between Crewe and London Euston should plan ahead if using the railway during the government’s Christmas travel window between 23 and 27 December
• People should reserve seats on long distance trains, travel at quieter times and follow all safety advice to stop the spread of coronavirus
• Railway improvement work is taking place to improve future journeys on one of Europe’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight routes

Passengers travelling on the West Coast main line between Crewe and London Euston this Christmas are being asked to plan their journeys in advance.

Over Christmas and New Year Network Rail will be carrying out dozens of projects on its West Coast South route* to improve the reliability of the railway for passengers.

The work includes new overhead power lines and signalling near Watford Junction, new railway track in Aylesbury and a bridge rebuilding project in Stafford.

James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “While much of the railway will be open before and after Christmas I’d still urge people to plan ahead by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk. Remember to follow government guidelines and wear a face covering when travelling unless you are exempt for medical reasons.

“These essential railway upgrades on the West Coast main line will improve performance for passengers and freight and help to play its part in Britain building back better from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our frontline workers have continued to work tirelessly throughout the pandemic to maintain and upgrade the railway for those who need it and this festive period will be no different, with hundreds of staff out delivering significant improvements across the West Coast South route.”

In the North West and Central region - which runs from Euston and Marylebone in London, to Scotland via the West Midlands and North West - £31.3 million is being invested in new track, bridges and overhead electric lines which power trains to improve future journeys.

As part of the government’s Christmas travel plan, some of these upgrades will start slightly later on Christmas Eve to allow more services to run.

Upgrades on the West Coast main line will now be completed earlier than planned – on 27 December – to enable a full Sunday service to operate from 10am rather than midday, making it easier for passengers to travel home from their Christmas bubbles.

The Government has outlined a series of measures focused on minimising disruption and helping people travel safely over the Christmas period, while urging passengers to plan their journeys carefully, consider quieter routes and where possible book ahead.

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions for the Rail Delivery Group, said:  “Christmas will be unusual for many and rail companies are doing all they can to bring people together during the government’s travel window, but this year more than ever people should not just turn up at a station and hope for the best.

“If people follow the advice to plan ahead and book outward and return reservations for longer journeys, alongside the extra cleaning and better information that are part of our safer travel pledge, everyone should be able to travel with confidence.”

Although the vast majority of the network will be open for business in the run up to Christmas, planning ahead is particularly important for those travelling on Boxing Day when there will be a limited service.

Passengers can find out how their Christmas journeys will be affected with their train operator, via National Rail Enquiries, or by following #ChristmasRailWorks on Twitter.