West Coast Main Line Improvement Work Means Changes to Virgin Trains’ Services Over August Bank Holiday Weekend, August 29/30/31

LONDON - There will be alterations to services over the August bank holiday weekend because of route improvement work.

At various times through the weekend work will be taking place between Leighton Buzzard and Rugby, and between Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay/Liverpool Lime Street.

The line between Leighton Buzzard and Rugby will re-open from start of service on Bank Holiday Monday allowing services from the North West and West Midlands to resume running to and from London Euston via their normal route while on the same day the line between Crewe and Warrington will re-open at 14:00.

Saturday, 29 August

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Leighton Buzzard services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Birmingham International. The hourly West Coast Replacement Shuttle will operate in both directions from Birmingham International and Coventry direct to London Euston via an alternative route through Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Replacement coach services will run between Birmingham International and Milton Keynes Central, and between Rugby and Kettering (for connections to and from London St Pancras)

Passengers travelling to or from Nuneaton, Tamworth or Lichfield are advised to change at Coventry for Nuneaton, or Birmingham New Street for Nuneaton, Tamworth and Lichfield.

From 15:00 trains will be unable to run between Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay and between Crewe and Runcorn with a replacement coach service running between Crewe and Warrington and Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.

North Wales services will operate between Crewe and Holyhead only

Sunday 30 August

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Leighton Buzzard services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Birmingham International. The hourly West Coast Replacement Shuttle will operate in both directions from Birmingham International and Coventry direct to London Euston via an alternative route through Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Replacement coach services will run between Birmingham International and Milton Keynes Central, and between Rugby and Kettering (for connections to and from London St Pancras)

Passengers travelling to or from Nuneaton, Tamworth or Lichfield are advised to change at Coventry for Nuneaton, or Birmingham New Street for Nuneaton, Tamworth and Lichfield.

Trains will be unable to run between Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay and between Crewe and Runcorn with a replacement coach service running between Crewe and Warrington and Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street.

North Wales services will operate between Crewe and Holyhead only.

Monday 31 August - BANK HOLIDAY

Until 14:00 trains will be unable to run between Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay and between Crewe and Runcorn with a replacement coach service running between Crewe and Warrington and Crewe and Liverpool Lime Street. After 14:00 trains will resume running over the routes between Crewe and Warrington/Runcorn.

North Wales services will resume running to and from London Euston after 14:00.

For further information passengers should visit the following websites - virgintrains.com nationalrail.co.uk or telephone 08457-484950. Customer leaflets summarising the changes are available at stations.

Notes to Editors

Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group. We have operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997; the current franchise runs to March 2012.

Virgin Rail Group is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach.

Source: Virgin Trains

For further media information contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on +44(0)845-000-3333, or go to virgintrains.com