West Coast Main Line Improvement Work Means Changes to Virgin Trains’ Services Over Spring Bank Holiday Weekend, May 23/24/25

LONDON - Major Work at Stoke-on-Trent Affects Services Through Until May 31

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

At various times though the weekend work will be taking place between Milton Keynes and Rugby, Nuneaton and Lichfield Trent Valley, Crewe and Warrington Bank Quay/Runcorn and in the Stoke-on-Trent area.,

The work between Milton Keynes and Rugby will be completed at 11:00 on Bank Holiday Monday allowing services from the North West to resume running to and from London Euston while on the same day the line between Crewe and Warrington will re-open at 14:00.

Network Rail is carrying out a major platform lengthening scheme at Stoke-on-Trent station between 23 May and 31 May which will mean extensive alterations to all train services running through the area throughout this period.

Saturday, 23 May

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Milton Keynes most services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Birmingham International although one train each hour will run to and from Rugby. 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. In addition a replacement coach service will run in both directions between Birmingham International and Milton Keynes connecting with a Pendolino shuttle service running in both directions between Milton Keynes and London Euston and calling at Watford Junction.

The Trent Valley main line will be closed all day and 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.

Trains will be unable to serve Stoke-on-Trent station and replacement coaches will run in both directions between Stafford and Macclesfield via Stoke-on-Trent .

Sunday 24 May

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Milton Keynes most services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Birmingham International although one train each hour will run to and from Rugby. 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. In addition a replacement coach service will run in both directions between Birmingham International and Milton Keynes connecting with a Pendolino shuttle service running in both directions between Milton Keynes and London Euston and calling at Watford Junction.

The Trent Valley main line will be closed all day and 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.

Trains will be unable to serve Stoke-on-Trent station and replacement coaches will run in both directions between Stafford and Macclesfield via Stoke-on-Trent .

Monday 25 May - BANK HOLIDAY

Because of route improvement work taking place until 11:00 between Rugby and Milton Keynes services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Birmingham International. A replacement coach service will run in both directions between Birmingham International and Milton Keynes connecting with a Pendolino shuttle service running in both directions between Milton Keynes and London Euston and calling at Watford Junction. After 11:00 direct services to and from Euston will resume running over the normal route via Milton Keynes and Watford Junction

The Trent Valley main line will be closed all day and 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.

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.

Trains will be unable to serve Stoke-on-Trent station and replacement coaches will run in both directions between Stafford and Macclesfield via Stoke-on-Trent .

Tuesday 26 May to Friday 29 May inclusive - AFFECTS WEEKDAY SERVICES

Network Rail will continue to carry out route improvement work including platform lengthening in the Stoke-on-Trent area resulting in only one platform being available to trains. The Euston to Manchester service via Stoke-on-Trent will be reduced to hourly although the Manchester to Euston service will run at its normal frequency.

There will be extensive alterations to other operators’ train services in the Stoke-on-Trent area during this time.

Saturday, Sunday 30 and 31 May

The Network Rail route improvement project continues in the Stoke-on-Trent area with the result that trains will be unable to serve the station. Replacement coaches will operate between Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield, and between Macclesfield and Wilmslow.

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

Notes to Editors

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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

Virgin Trains has recently been listed as the Best Train Operator in a survey by the Institute of Customer Service; came joint top of the long-distance train operators for passenger satisfaction in the National Passenger Survey and has been voted Best Rail Company by Travel Weekly magazine

Source: Virgin Trains

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