UK: Network Rail Issues Bank Holiday Travel Advice for West Coast Line

Network Rail has advised passengers looking to travel between London Euston and Scotland during the upcoming Easter bank holiday to plan their journeys either side of the long weekend.

Travellers have been advised to make alternative travel arrangements due to a series of railway upgrades set to take place along the West Coast Line between Friday 18 and Monday 21 April.

Over the weekend, Network Rail plans to carry out several major engineering works to improve reliability along the line, including the renewal of switches & crossings and reinforcement of track drainage.

As a result, there will be no service between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central on Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 April, with Euston station remaining closed throughout the long weekend. A revised timetable is set to operate on Friday 18 April, with some rail replacements scheduled to be in operation throughout the long weekend itself.

Network Rail has advised that all scheduled Easter Bank Holiday Caledonian Sleeper services will start and terminate at London King’s Cross station

Engineers will also be utilising the time to finalise the connection of a new rail freight interchange to the West Cost Main Line in Northampton over the Easter period, carrying out work involving the activation of a new signalling system.

Network Rail has also stated that during the closure, improvements will be made to a wealth of passenger facilities at London Euston, including upgrades to toilet facilities and wayfinding assets.

Amanda Webster-Uz, Network Rail’s Head of Euston Station Operations, said:

There’s a significant amount of work happening over the Easter bank holiday to improve the reliability of the railway for both passengers and freight. Whilst the railway to Euston is closed, we’re also taking the opportunity to improve the station itself, which will include improving our signage and upgrading our toilet facilities for customers.

We’re encouraging passengers to check their journeys in advance and, where possible, travel before or after the Easter weekend.

Elsewhere in the UK, passengers have been advised to check journeys running through Stockport, Carlisle, Salford, Liverpool and Cumbria over the same Bank Holiday weekend.