Network Rail’s high output Track Renewal System 4 in action. Photo: Network Rail

(with thanks to Lancaster, Morecambe & District Rail User Group): The West Coast Main Line will be partly closed for improvement works in July – and Network Rail has organised an event at Lancaster railway station this Friday to explain what is going on

Part of the line will be closed between Warrington and Preston from Saturday 13 July – Sunday 21 July (a total of nine days), with a replacement bus service between Warrington, Wigan and Preston

Virgin Trains and Northern Rail will be providing a joint bus service for passengers directly connecting Preston, Wigan and Warrington stations.

These buses will be for local journeys only. For all other journeys, passengers will be directed to use the diverted trains.

Virgin Trains

Customers travelling from Scotland, Cumbria and Lancashire 
Edinburgh to Carlisle: every two hours
Glasgow to Preston: every hour
Preston to Birmingham New Street (diverted via an alternative route): every hour – passengers for London Euston must change trains at Stockport)
Warrington to London Euston: every hour

Customers travelling from London Euston
Euston to Warrington (via Crewe): every hour – passengers must change trains at Crewe for a Preston, north west England and Scotland.
Birmingham New Street to Preston (diverted via an alternative route): every hour
Preston to Glasgow Central: every hour
Carlisle to Edinburgh: every two hours

• For timetables and more information visit the Virgin Trains website

Northern Rail

Services from Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North will terminate at St.Helens Central. A replacement bus service will operate between St. Helens Central – Wigan – Preston where train connections will be available to Blackpool North.
From Preston to Ormskirk: there will be changes to train times.

• For more information visit the Northern Rail website

First TransPennine Express

 

Services will not be directly affected, however they are expected to be extremely busy from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Manchester.

East Coast Trains, while not directly affected, are expecting an increase in passengers travelling on the East Coast Main Line from Edinburgh to London King’s Cross who would normally travel by Virgin Trains.

• West Coast Main Line information event, Lancaster Railway Station  7.00 – 10.00am Friday 14th June. Web: www.networkrail.co.uk/wcml