Rail works to hit Easter getaway
Rail passengers trying to leave the Black Country for the Easter getaway will face major delays as engineering work shuts down tracks for four days.
Rail passengers trying to leave the Black Country for the Easter getaway will face major delays as engineering work shuts down tracks for four days.
The west coast main line which connects the West Midlands with Glasgow and London will be shut south of Birmingham International on Good Friday with buses ferrying passengers. London Euston station will also be closed to Virgin Trains' west coast services as operators fear a repeat of the New Year fiasco which saw thousands stranded due to overrunning engineering work.
Around seven million passengers across the country are expected to be put on replacement bus services over the Easter period.
Network Rail has said the closures are essential to its £75 million 'rail improvement programme' which will begin after the predicted main getaway on Thursday.
During the four-day Easter weekend almost 20 miles of track will be laid, new signalling and points installed and a viaduct on the Cumbria coast replaced. More than 6,000 engineers will be on the tracks.
Virgin Trains spokesman Jim Rowe said that anyone wanting to travel from the West Midlands to London from Saturday to Easter Monday should consider using rival operator Chiltern Railways from Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone instead.
He said: "We would hope that Network Rail will finish on time and that there will not be a repeat of New Year. We will be keeping close tabs on them throughout the Easter period."
Virgin Trains are not expected to get back to normal services until Wednesday.
Buses will replace London Midland trains between Northampton and Coventry on Good Friday, London Euston and Coventry from Easter Saturday to Easter Monday, Rugby, Nuneaton and Stafford on Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Tuesday and Coventry and Nuneaton on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
London Midland will run only a Saturday service between Northampton and Birmingham next Tuesday.
Passengers can find out more about London Midland services from www.londonmidland.com or from National Rail Enquiries on 0845 7 48 49 50, at www.nationalrail.co.uk
