Passengers kept on the move between Christmas and New Year

14th December 2021

  • Railway improvements planned to ensure people can get home for Christmas
  • Majority of West Coast main line, Midlands and North West rail routes open as normal
  • Journeys are impacted on the Chiltern line and between Manchester and Leeds
  • Please ‘Look before you book’ to know your travel options

Essential rail improvement work over Christmas and New Year has been planned to cause the least disruption to passengers travelling between London, the Midlands, North West and Cumbria.

This year the bulk of the £30m bank holiday upgrades will take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when traditionally most of the railway shuts down*, although passengers are advised there is also work taking place outside those dates. The work includes:

  • Between 25 and 29 December and between 1 and 4 January, Transpennine Route Upgrade work in Manchester
  • Between 24 and 29 December, upgrades continue to signals – the traffic lights of the railway – at Birmingham New Street and Macclesfield
  • Between 24 and 29 December, platform extensions so longer trains with more seats can run between Wolverhampton and Telford
  • Between 24 and 29 December track being laid over the new innovative Bletchley flyover as part of the East West Rail project
  • Between 27 and 29 December, Chiltern line bridge replacement work in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • On Sunday 2 January, West Coast main line is closed between Wigan and Preston

Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey, that they may need to change trains, or use a replacement bus service.

Anyone planning to travel during the work is urged to check with their train operator or at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Tim Shoveller, managing director for Network Rail’s North West and Central region, said: “While some essential work is taking place to upgrade our railway over the festive period, we’ve worked hard with train operators to reduce the impact on passengers as far as possible so that they can spend time with their families and friends this Christmas.

“I’d like to thank the thousands of rail workers who will be working to keep services running, and those delivering upgrades to improve our railway and bring more reliable journeys to passengers in future.”

Passengers are also being given advance notice of work in January near Milton Keynes** and in and around Greater Manchester***.

To combat Covid, passengers must wear a face covering in train stations, on train services and any replacement bus services. Those who fail to do so face a fine of £200.

For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Meanwhile, enhanced cleaning procedures will remain in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, with hand sanitiser on the station concourse.

To find out more about what Network Rail is doing to stop the spread of Covid-19 visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/coronavirus/.