Attention passengers: important Christmas and New Year rail upgrade travel advisory

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Passengers traveling within Network Rail’s North West and Central region can anticipate an enhanced and more dependable railway in 2024 owing to scheduled upgrade and maintenance operations during the Christmas and New Year period.

The meticulous planning of essential improvements along the West Coast main line and various routes in the West Midlands, North West, and Cumbria aims to minimize inconvenience for passengers.

This festive season, Network Rail is allocating £15m towards:

Enhancements and upkeep of track, overhead electrical systems, and signaling infrastructure on the southern approach to Birmingham New Street station.

Revamping Platform 3 at Lichfield Trent Valley station, following previous work in the summer to replace the old platform. A new deck will be installed and reopened on the Cross City line in the coming year.

Continuation of efforts to link the Strategic Rail Freight Terminal at Northampton to the West Coast main line, enabling freight trains to commence terminal usage in 2024.

Enhancements and upkeep of track, overhead electrical systems, signaling infrastructure, and bridges from Euston to Crewe.

Commencement of significant glazing repairs at Stoke-on-Trent station, a process expected to persist throughout 2024.

Essential repairs to steel structures and drainage systems near Manchester Piccadilly station.
Maintenance work along the track at Oxenholme in the Lake District.

During Christmas Day and Boxing Day, while improvements take place, HS2 will proceed with construction work on the Curdworth Box, facilitating the passage of new high-speed trains over existing rail lines as they journey from London and Birmingham before merging with the West Coast main line in Staffordshire.

The bulk of these enhancements will occur during the conventional railway closure, from the cessation of services on Christmas Eve until the complete reopening of the railway on December 27th.

Dave Penney, Network Rail’s North West and Central region passenger director, said: “While people enjoy time with their friends and families over Christmas, thousands of Network Rail staff will be working round-the-clock to maintain and improve the railway to provide passengers with better, more reliable journeys in the New Year.

“I know there is never a good time to disrupt journeys while we carry out large pieces of work, but whenever possible we do this at quieter times on the railway such as Christmas and other bank holidays. I appreciate people have important plans, so I urge them to please plan ahead and check before they travel for the latest journey information.”

Passengers are advised of additional work scheduled on New Year’s Day near Birmingham New Street station, resulting in fewer trains operating between Birmingham and London Euston.

Local trains between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will be suspended, and West Midlands Trains will arrange rail replacement buses between Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderley Park, and Birmingham Moor Street stations instead of Birmingham New Street.

Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry will operate a notably reduced service between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International stations, and increased congestion is expected on their trains.

Travelers intending to journey on January 1st are encouraged to consult their train operator and plan their travels well in advance.

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