May bank holiday weekend: Train disruptions planned

Services to and from Stafford will be affected due to Network Rail's final phase of the £250 million Norton Bridge scheme.

A number of trains have been running on the new flyover since March this year, but the latest signalling improvements are scheduled to take place over the next few weeks. The first of these works will take place from April 30 to May 2.

Replacement coaches will be put on for the Liverpool to Birmingham service from Liverpool and Crewe to Stafford, according to London Midland, although these depend on what time of the day passengers are travelling.

The Crewe to London Euston service will divert passed Stone and Stafford with buses put on for people looking to catch the train at those stations.

A London Midland spokesman said: "Even though trains are running on the new flyover, there are still some works to be completed.

"These works will remove the last remaining bottleneck that causes delays on the West Coast Main Line, leading to more reliable and potentially faster and more frequent services in the future.

"The series of improvement works has seen the replacement of time-worn signalling equipment, the construction of 11 bridges, the opening of a new flyover over the West Coast Main Line and six miles of new railway."

The works follow disruption that took place during the Easter break, when the line between Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street closed for six days. The line was closed as Network Rail carried out work on a key junction near Smethwick and was also aimed at removing the last remaining bottleneck that was causing delays on the West Coast Main Line.

Heavy traffic is also expected on Britain's roads over the weekend, with up to 20 million road users making their escape for leisure trips across the country, according to the RAC.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel.