Rail route between Walsall and Rugeley to shut for bank holiday work

Trains will not run on the Chase Line between Tamebridge Parkway and Rugeley Trent Valley from the Friday to the Monday at the end of August.

Bus services will instead be used until Tuesday morning and means families using public services face longer trips over the extended weekend.

Rail bosses today apologised for the inconvenience. Network Rail and London Midland said the aim of the work is improve signalling and increase reliability of journeys for passengers on the busy route.

London Midland spokesman Francis Thomas said: "We never like, and we know our customers don't like, the services being replaced by buses.

"But we also want to give the best and most comfortable journey we can. We hope our customers understand and bear with us."

Reliable

It comes as the Bloxwich level crossing at Willenhall Lane has already been closed for the month, as part of the project to modernise the signalling system.

The signal box, which dates back more than 50 years, is also be demolished during the work and that part of the project is scheduled to take place in September.

Network Rail has said the signalling in Walsall dates back to around 1960s and the investment will create more modern and reliable equipment.

It means Bloxwich level crossing will start to be controlled from the West Midlands signalling centre.

The new CCTV-style signalling system is separate to the multi-million pound plans for electrification of the route.

The construction project is being carried out despite long-term proposals for the Reeves Street crossing to be permanently closed as part of the £30m electrification of the line by the end of 2017.

It is one of a series of improvements by Network Rail which are being supported by Walsall Council as part of the regeneration of the borough. The electrification project is due to see new track, better signalling, longer platforms and lighter, quicker trains.