Network Rail has issued a further reminder to passengers that there will be severe disruption to services on the southern part of the West Coast main line this Easter because of major engineering works at Watford that will cause the closure of Euston station for four days from Good Friday, 7th to Easter Monday, 11th April.
A £10.8m investment is being made to upgrade track and overhead lines on the West Coast South route between London and Crewe, while a £15m project has seen track and signalling systems at Watford junction remodelled to increase capacity on the route into the capital in future.
Remodelling of Watford Junction started three years ago, with this being the final stage of the work, which will require all four tracks of the West Coast main line to be closed at Watford.
During the closure, all trains will start and finish at Milton Keynes, with rail-replacement bus services provided to transport passengers to and from Bedford for passengers to make an onward connection for trains to and from London St Pancras. For passengers needing to travel from stations south of Milton Keynes, rail-replacement bus services will be provided to Potters Bar where connections will be available to London King's Cross.
Elsewhere during the Easter weekend, other essential work will require the closure of parts of the railway in Network Rail's North West and Central region, including:
Sutton Coldfield:
- The Cross City line between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley will be closed from 7th to 10th April for the replacement of a bridge at Sutton Coldfield.
Between Lancaster and Carlisle:
- There will be multiple track upgrades along the West Coast main between the 8th and 11th of April.
Between Crewe and Liverpool:
- There will be no direct services from Crewe to Liverpool on Easter Sunday meaning because of upgrading switches and crossings at Weaver Junction in Cheshire.
Crewe:
- Signalling improvements will be ongoing from the 7th to the 10th April.
Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester:
- Improvements to the Hope Valley line will be ongoing.
West Coast main line journeys in Scotland:
- There will be changes to services because of continuing upgrades to Carstairs Junction.
As well as the West Coast Main Line disruptions, Transport for London will be carrying out improvements during the Easter bank holiday on the:
- Elizabeth line
- London Overground
- London Trams
- Jubilee line
- Metropolitan line
- Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
Anyone intending to travel main line rail services during Easter should plan their journeys in advance by checking www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator.
Further information about how the Transport for London works will impact Easter journeys can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/easter.
The progress of the improvement work can be followed using the #EasterRailWorks hashtag on Twitter.
James Dean, Network Rail's West Coast South route director, said: “This Easter bank holiday weekend we're returning to Watford junction to complete a huge £15m upgrade which will transform the way we can move trains through the area, meaning fewer delays and extra capacity on this economically important passenger and freight route.
“We know there's never an ideal time to close the railway, so I'd like to thank people in advance for their patience ahead of this complex project. With Euston closed for four days, my best advice is, if you can, travel either side of the bank holiday – before and after the railway closure – for the smoothest journey possible. Otherwise please plan ahead by checking National Rail Enquiries for the latest travel information.”
