Work on the West Coast Main Line will be carried out this summer to increase the speed at which trains can travel. Four major rail junctions will also be replaced and enhanced. The work will improve the reliability of the infrastructure and the punctuality of train services on Britain’s busiest mixed-use railway line.

Virgin Trains, along with other train operators will be making alternative arrangements to help passengers complete their journeys during the line closure.

Usually, Network Rail would have carried out work of this kind over a number of bank holiday weekends requiring train services to be replaced repeatedly by alternative transport. By carrying out the work in a nine-day continuous spell this summer, engineers expect to be able to complete the replacement of the four junctions around 16 months earlier and to avoid disrupting rail travel plans for many weekends and nine bank holidays over the next two years.

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