Rail passengers are being warned about disruption over Christmas and new year as projects take place on the West Coast Main Line.
Between December 24 and January 15, Network Rail said hundreds of essential projects would take place to futureproof the line and make journeys more reliable for passengers and freight.
Network Rail is investing £196m into the northern and southern sections of the line, one of Britain’s busiest rail routes.
For work to safely take place, significant sections of the line will need to be entirely closed to train traffic over a 22-day period between 24 December and 15 January.
Network Rail has been working closely with train operators to try and keep passengers on trains for as much of their journey as possible.
The Settle to Carlisle line will be used as a diversionary route for long-distance services for the first time in a decade.
Where there are no alternative rail routes, replacement buses will operate.
Projects include:
- A £16m investment into Preston station’s signalling system between January 1 and January 5 2026.
- A rolling £61m programme of signalling upgrades at Kingmoor, north of Carlisle between January 1 and January 7.
- The main phase of a £60m railway bridge replacement over the M6 at Penrith in Cumbria between December 31 and January 15.
A £26m upgrade to a vital railway junction across all four main lines in Northamptonshire will take place and the remaining £94m accounts for numerous railway renewals to overhead power lines, station platforms, bridges, track and signalling systems along the length of the 309-mile route between London Euston and the Scottish border.
Passengers are advised to allow extra time for travel, expect trains to be busier, and be aware some sections of their journey could be by bus.
During the Preston station signalling upgrades, West Coast Main Line trains will divert at Wigan to Carlisle and will not call at stations between Preston and Carlisle.
Rail replacement buses will be in operation for services between Blackpool, Buckshaw Parkway Preston, Lancaster and Wigan.
During the Kingmoor resignalling work north of Carlisle, buses will replace trains between Carlisle and Dumfries/Lockerbie.
Between December 31 December and January 15, no trains will run between Oxenholme and Carlisle with bus replacement on this section of the route.
Avanti West Coast will run a shuttle rail diversion on Settle-Carlisle line between Preston and Carlisle.
