We’re working on large stretches of the West Coast Main Line over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
The upgrades will mean more reliable journeys for you and freight on Europe’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight line.
Improving Euston station
London Euston station will be closed on Saturday 19 April, Sunday 20 April, and Monday 21 April while we carry out major work close by. This means no trains will run between Euston and Milton Keynes Central during this time.
We’ll take the opportunity to carry out essential upgrades while the station is closed. Engineers will upgrade the toilet facilities, replacing cubicles, soap dispensers and hand driers as well as giving a fresher look to the walls.
We’ll also enhance wayfinding, with simpler and clearer signs that make it easier for you to move through the station.
This work follows on from our five-point plan, aimed at improving your experience at Euston. As part of the plan, we introduced an early train boarding trial in November, switched display boards to display live travel information and began installing clearer signage in October.
Track and drainage upgrades
Further north of Euston, we’ll carry out a series of major track upgrades. This will help keep your journeys running smoothly and reliably, with fewer track faults.
Engineers will replace over 350 metres of track near Hemel Hempstead. And renew and refurbish 910 yards of track between Carstairs and Mid Calder near Edinburgh. We’ll also renew the switches and crossings – the pieces of track that move trains from one line to another – at Kirtlebridge in Dumfries and Galloway.
Meanwhile, we’ll upgrade over 200 metres of drainage near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire and in Abington in South Lanarkshire. This will help prevent flooding and keep trains moving during extreme weather
Signal upgrades
Around Carlisle, engineers will renew signals and the lineside equipment – the traffic lights system of the railway – that manage trains running north.
No trains will run between Carlisle, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley due to this work and the track upgrades in Scotland.
Connecting Northampton’s new freight hub to the West Coast Main Line
Teams will also connect the new Northampton freight interchange to the mainline during this time. This critical work involves activating a complex new signalling system that links the hub to the rest of the railway.
The new freight hub will be used by freight operator Maritime to move thousands of tonnes of goods by rail every day. It will have five million square feet of warehouse space and employ up to 7,000 people once complete –for a major boost to the economy.
Preparations for replacing Greek Street bridge
In Stockport, we’ll prepare the railway for the upcoming demolition of the Greek Street bridge in the summer.
We’ll amend the overhead line equipment that currently runs over the bridge during the long weekend. This will help keep trains moving through Stockport once the bridge is demolished and rebuilt in August.
Replacing the 58-metre-wide bridge is a complex process that needs to be done in stages. The Greek Street roundabout will close for a year while we carry out this work, including during the bank holiday. We’ve worked closely with local authorities to establish safe and convenient diversionary routes to keep you moving in the meantime.
The nearly £20m project will lead to a stronger bridge that will keep rail and road users safe for years to come.
Check before you travel
Ross Moran, route director of Network Rail Scotland, said: “These are vital improvements that will make the West Coast Main Line more reliable for our passengers and freight customers.”
We strongly urge you to check before you travel this Easter bank holiday. We advise anyone travelling between London Euston and Scotland over the Easter bank holiday to travel either side of the long weekend while railway upgrades take place.
