Network Rail has issued a travel warning for the May bank holiday, stating that while the majority of Britain's rail network will remain open, significant engineering works will cause disruptions in several key locations.
East Coast Main Line Disruptions
Work to rebuild a junction at Tollerton on the East Coast Main Line in North Yorkshire will result in buses replacing trains between York and Darlington from Saturday to Monday. A limited train service will operate from Northallerton to Darlington.
Transpennine Route Upgrade
The Transpennine Route Upgrade programme, a major improvement project between Manchester, Huddersfield, and Leeds, begins on Saturday and will continue through most of May and June. The work includes installing overhead wires for electric trains, building a new bridge, and carrying out track and station improvements.
Liverpool Lime Street Closure
Liverpool Lime Street station will be closed on Sunday and Monday for the installation of new signalling around Edge Hill.
London Euston and Overground Services
Laying new track near Willesden and Primrose Hill will lead to a reduced service in and out of London Euston. London Overground services between Euston and Kilburn High Road will be suspended, with normal services resuming on Tuesday.
Anit Chandarana, Network Rail’s group director, System Operator, said: "There is no ‘right way’ to do major work on our railway, but bank holidays are still among the least busy times for us in terms of passenger numbers and freight services."
"Those extra days with fewer travellers give us an opportunity to do longer projects that we couldn’t do in a normal two-day weekend or overnight. So while most of our railway is open as usual over the bank holidays this May, there are some major exceptions and we also have two major projects getting underway in Yorkshire and between Newport and Bristol that passengers should be aware of. I’d advise everyone to plan ahead and check before they travel."
