Network Rail is advising passengers that work it is doing on the West Coast main line through Staffordshire. will cause disruption over nine days in July.
Engineers will carry out improvements on the Trent Valley line at Colwich Junction between Saturday 15 and Sunday 23 July, involving:
- installing 2km of new track
- replacing 3,300 sleepers
- laying 2,500 tonnes of new ballast.
Alongside this, Network Rail will carry out the next phase of an £85m project to renew and upgrade the signalling system in the Trent Valley area, installing equipment that will enable preparation for the new signalling to come into operation in 2024.
Engineers will also use the opportunity of the closure to safely remove Cross City line platform 3 at Lichfield Trent Valley station prior to its replacement.
Between Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 July, long-distance trains will use alternative routes and buses will replace trains between stations on the Trent Valley line, as follows:
- Avanti West Coast services will divert around the railway closure with an amended timetable with longer journey times for passengers travelling to and from London Euston.
- London Northwestern Railway: Crewe – London Euston services will run between Rugby – London Euston only. Buses will replace trains between Rugby and Stafford. Passengers are advised to use alternative services between Stafford and Crewe.
- West Midlands Railway: Buses replace trains between Hednesford and Rugeley Trent Valley, and between Bermuda Park and Nuneaton.
There will also be changes to services on all Sundays in July.
At the same time, HS2 will move a huge new bridge structure into place southeast of Lichfield Trent Valley station. Workers have spent the last six months building the 6,500-tonne concrete bridge beside the railway. It will now be slowly moved into place on the back of a transporter vehicle, and will become a 56m-long, 19m-wide bridge which will carry the West Coast Main Line.
HS2 lines will be built in the space created beneath the bridge over the coming years, allowing the new high-speed railway to pass under the West Coast Main Line. When complete, HS2 will provide zero-carbon journeys between London, the Midlands and the North, and make space on the existing railway network for more freight and local services.
Passengers can plan ahead by using the national rail website,, or visit this web page for more information on this specific project.
Dave Penney, Network Rail North West and Central region passenger director, said: “These major track and signalling improvements on the Trent Valley line will mean better, smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in future. However, complex upgrades like these mean we have no choice but to close sections of railway for old sections of track to be ripped up and replaced with new, and for new signalling equipment to be installed and tested.
“Given this work is over the summer holidays I'd urge anyone planning to travel between 15-23 July to please check National Rail Enquiries to plan their journeys. I'd also like to thank passengers in advance for their patience.”
Barry Milsom, executive director of operations and safety at Avanti West Coast, said: “While Network Rail carry out these major works, we'll be operating an amended timetable and journeys to and from London Euston will take longer. We strongly advise customers making journeys between 15 and 30 July to plan ahead and check the Avanti West Coast website before travelling.”
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said: “Investing in new track and the upkeep of our railways will support a better travel experience, providing passengers with more efficient journeys on our services in the future.
“As a result of these works, I urge passengers to check their journeys between 15-23 July as the major upgrades will result in either longer journey times, bus replacements or alterations to services along the Trent Valley line.”
