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Thousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted by a six-day shutdown on the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
Network Rail has confirmed that no intercity services will operate between London Euston and Milton Keynes from Good Friday to Wednesday, April 8, due to engineering work.
The engineering work forms part of a £400 million project aimed at boosting the reliability of the WCML, Europe’s busiest railway line for both passenger and freight transport.
Specific upgrades include a new track at Willesden in north-west London, repairs and upgrades at Harrow and Wealdstone station, and additional protection for a bridge in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, to prevent future damage.
Services are scheduled to resume on Thursday, April 9.
Elsewhere on Britain’s rail network, engineers will deliver more than 270 other upgrade projects over the Easter period.
There will be no WCML services between Preston and Lancaster on Saturday, April 4 or the following day, Easter Sunday.
Avanti West Coast will run services between Preston and Carlisle via the Settle and Carlisle line.
Anglo-Scottish services will be diverted via Dumfries and Kilmarnock between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
Over the same period, services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction will be reduced, and there will be no trains between Winchester and Southampton in Hampshire, or between Herne Bay and Ramsgate in Kent.
Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s regional director for the North West and Central region, said: “We know how important bank holidays are – particularly at Easter, when families and friends come together – and that’s why we work hard to keep as much of the network open as possible while carrying out these vital upgrades.
“However, bank holidays are also among the least busy times on the railway, and the four-day period at Easter gives us a valuable opportunity to complete projects that simply can’t be delivered during a normal weekend.
“This ensures we maximise the time our teams are out working on the tracks.
“So passengers will see some changes and it’s a good idea for people to check before they travel.”