Travel Alert: Rail users warned of Bank Holiday disruption
RAIL passengers planning to travel over the Bank Holiday have been warned of potential delays in the West Midlands due to engineering work.
As part of Network Rail’s Investment Programme various improvement works are taking place over the weekend between Stafford and Crewe / Stoke-on-Trent, with various lines closed.
Services affected include: the Caledonian Sleeper between London Euston and Edinburgh / Glasgow Central / Inverness; CrossCountry between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly; London Midland between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street and also between London Euston / Northampton and Crewe / Liverpool Lime Street; and Virgin Trains between London Euston and Birmingham New Street / Stafford / Crewe / Holyhead / Manchester Piccadilly / Preston / Carlisle. (See graphic below)
CrossCountry said it would have an amended hourly service in operation with trains diverted between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, extending journey times by up to 30 minutes.
London Midland will be running an amended service between London Euston / Northampton and Crewe. Buses will operate between Stafford and Crewe, as trains are unable to call at Stafford or Stone.
Tomorrow (Saturday) an amended service will operate between Birmingham New Street and Crewe. Before 12:00, buses will replace trains between Stafford and Crewe. After 12:00, buses will replace trains between Stafford and Liverpool South Parkway.
An amended service will also operate between Birmingham New Street and Walsall / Rugeley Trent Valley.
Some trains will be amended and re-timed to run earlier or later than the normal timetable.
On Sunday, there will be an amended service in operation between Birmingham New Street and Walsall / Rugeley Trent Valley.
On Bank Holiday Monday, until 11:50, buses will replace trains between Stafford and Liverpool South Parkway. After 11:50, buses will be extended to call at Liverpool Lime Street.
Passengers have been advised to use alternative services between Liverpool South and Liverpool Lime Street.
Virgin Trains said that between Saturday to Monday, trains between London Euston and Crewe would be amended and re-timed, with trains diverted between Stafford and Crewe.
A reduced service will operate between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly.
From 12:00 on Saturday until 11:50 Monday, trains between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street will be re-timed and diverted via Manchester Piccadilly, extending journey times by up to 20 minutes.
London Euston to / from Chester / Holyhead services will run between Crewe and Chester / Holyhead.
Chiltern Railways will be running normal weekend services on both Saturday and Sunday but on Monday there will be an amended Saturday service. Trains will not call at Sudbury Hill Harrow or Sudbury and Harrow Road.
In all instances, passengers have been advised to check services before they travel.
