Rail users warned of travel disruption

Rail passengers are being warned of changes to journeys over nine days in February while engineering work takes place at Water Orton in North Warwickshire and Duddeston in Birmingham.

Major alterations to track and lineside drainage will take place between 19 and 27 February as part of improvements to the network, including preparations for HS2.

Network Rail said the scale of this phase of work means the railway must be closed to trains over the nine days.

Passengers are being advised that journeys will take longer, could involve rail replacement bus services and that timetables will be different.

The routes affected include services between:
Birmingham New Street and Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport.
Cardiff Central and Birmingham New Street to Nottingham
Scotland, the North East to Birmingham New Street and the South West
To keep passengers on the move, CrossCountry’s long distance trains will be diverted around the work but this will mean longer journey times.
Meanwhile the train operator’s regional services linking the East Midlands and Anglia with Birmingham will start and finish at Coleshill Parkway.
Replacement buses will operate between Coleshill Parkway, Water Orton and Birmingham New Street.
Preparatory work will also be taking place affecting CrossCountry services on the preceding weekends of the 5-6 and 12-13 February.

Patrick Cawley, director for ‘On Network Works’ for Network Rail and HS2, said: “We’re making great progress on HS2 and a key part of this is making sure it works in harmony with the existing railway.

“While this latest phase of work takes place I’d urge people to please check before they travel with CrossCountry or by using the National Rail Enquiries website or app, and I thank everyone in advance for their patience while we help build this railway for the future.”

Richard Morris, regional director East Midlands & East Anglia for CrossCountry, said: “We are working collaboratively with our industry colleagues at Network Rail, HS2 and West Midlands Trains on detailed alternative arrangements for our customers to ensure the disruption to their journeys is kept to a minimum. There will be extended journey times for everyone travelling on the affected routes, and on our regional services travel into and out of Birmingham New Street will involve transfer to and from a frequent rail replacement bus service at Coleshill Parkway.

“We are putting extra facilities and staffing in place to ensure passengers can interchange between trains and buses as smoothly as possible. I’d urge people to please check before they travel using the National Rail Enquiries website or app.”