This year’s festive season will be the first since 2019 that has not been afflicted by Covid, rail strikes or both – but key rail stations and intercity lines will be closed due to engineering work.
Work on the controversial HS2 project will lead to the closure of London Paddington station for a six-day spell. Some Great Western trains from Wales and Cornwall will be diverted to London Euston – adding pressure on a station described last week as dangerously overcrowded.
Euston will also be the start or end of the journey for many travellers to and from Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield. The line north from London St Pancras International, the usual terminus in the capital, will be closed for nine days for bridge repairs. During this time, passengers will travel on Avanti West Coast or London Northwestern from Euston to Milton Keynes, from where rail-replacement buses will run to Bedford.
Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s director of system operations, said: “The festive period is a unique opportunity, when fewer people are travelling, to do big pieces of work to make services better, more punctual and more reliable. The major projects we’re undertaking would otherwise take many weekends to complete and cause much more disruption.
“Whilst roads are busier during the holidays, it’s actually one of the quietest times on the railway, meaning we can improve things whilst causing less disruption to passengers and freight flows.”
The work involves renewing 45 sets of points, replacing four bridges, installing 40km (25 miles) of new signalling cables, and renewing 17 level crossings. There will also be work on drainage projects in an attempt to stop line closures due to flooding, which have dogged passengers’ journeys in recent weeks.
The worst-affected routes are:
Midland Main Line
This story is from the October 08, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 08, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tuchel left with big calls to make after Carsley refresh
No pressure, Thomas. Lee Carsley hands over to Thomas Tuchel promising to give England’s next manager a comprehensive debrief on the three autumn camps but perhaps also elevating expectations. Not so much with the results – promotion in the Nations League was anticipated for a team ranked fourth in the world and who reached the final of Euro 2024 – as with his assessment of England’s prospects for the time covered by Tuchel’s 18-month deal.
Wiegman calls up uncapped trio for injury-hit Lionesses
England manager Sarina Wiegman is confident Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace can both make the most of their first senior call-ups to an injury-hit squad.
Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland
Wales won Nations League promotion as Liam Cullen’s first two international goals helped them to a 4-1 victory over Iceland.
Retail bosses gifted excuse for when things go wrong
It’s not just British farmers who are hacked off by the latest Budget some of the biggest names in retail have now joined forces to send one of those angry, multi-signature letters to the chancellor, scolding her for the imminent tax hikes coming their way.
Jaguar pounces on new logo
Car giant Jaguar has unveiled a new logo and a rebranded range of electric cars alongside marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary,” “live vivid,” and “copy nothing.”
OF UNSOUND MIND
A disquieting mood permeates the BBC's 'The Listeners', the complex story of a teacher whose life unravels after she starts hearing a ceaseless, mysterious hum, writes Nick Hilton
It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties
Protest, poverty and privilege - The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain offers an exciting, if partial, view of a decade that remains highly polarising, writes Mark Hudson
Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track
Nationalisation is often touted as a golden ticket to a better train service. Simon Calder is less optimistic it will work
CAFFEINE FIX
Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.
Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance
It is four decades since A Room with a View’ made Merchant Ivory a household name. Sarah Sands recalls a world in which her brother Kit and her then husband Julian were central
