- Vital track improvements take place in Newark over Easter weekend to bring more reliable journeys for passengers travelling between Newark and Nottingham
- Great North Road will be closed at Newark Castle level crossing with measures in place to minimise disruption
- In line with the latest Government guidance, people are urged to minimise travel over the Easter bank holiday
- Buses replace trains between Newark and Nottingham on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 April for passengers making essential journeys
Network Rail is carrying out essential work to upgrade the track at Newark Castle level crossing over Easter to bring smoother, more reliable journeys for passengers.
From after the last train on Good Friday until before the first service on Easter Monday teams will be removing and replacing the sections of track on both lines which run through Newark Castle level crossing. They will also replace the ballast – the stones which support the track.
As well as making sure train services can continue running safely and reliably for generations to come, these improvements to the track will reduce the amount of maintenance which is required and future disruption for people in the area.
For this work to be carried out safely, the section of Great North Road at Newark Castle level crossing will be fully closed from 22:00 on Friday 2 April until 07:00 on Monday 5 April. There will also be no access for pedestrians during this time.
Network Rail has worked closely with Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council to carefully plan the road closure and a signposted diversion will be in place for drivers.
Measures are also in place to minimise disruption and once the work completes, teams will be working to clear the site as soon as possible, which could allow Great North Road to reopen earlier than planned. There will also be additional staff on site to make sure that any equipment used during this work does not impact on other level crossings in the area.
The line between Newark and Nottingham will be closed for part of the Easter weekend and there will be the following changes to train services:
- Saturday 3 April – Trains will run between Leicester and Nottingham and between Newark Northgate and Lincoln Central. Replacement bus services will run between Nottingham and Newark Northgate to connect with train services to Leicester or Lincoln. Services to/from Matlock will start/end at Nottingham. Bus replacements will run between Nottingham and Newark Castle.
- Sunday 4 April – Services between Nottingham and Lincoln Central will operate between Nottingham and Newark Northgate. Bus replacement services will be in place between Nottingham and Newark Northgate for passengers connecting to train services to/from Lincoln.
In line with the latest Government guidance, people are urged to minimise travel over the Easter bank holiday. Passengers can find out how their Easter journeys will be affected via National Rail Enquiries, with their train operator or by following #EasterRailWorks on Twitter.
Gary Walsh, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Midlands Route, said: “We understand how busy Newark Castle level crossing is and the impact that this road closure will have on the community.
“There is never a convenient time to close one of the main roads into Newark and the railway line between Nottingham and Newark. We’ve carefully planned this project and we are doing everything we can to keep disruption over Easter to a minimum.
“This work to improve the track at Newark Castle level crossing is vital so train services can continue running safely and reliably, connecting people to towns and cities on the route. We want to thank passengers and people in Newark in advance for their patience.”
Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director for East Midlands Railway, said: “We are advising any passengers travelling over the Easter Bank Holiday to check our website as the line between Newark and Nottingham will be closed for part of the weekend and some of your journey may be by rail replacement.
“We understand the inconvenience this causes and would like to thank our passengers for their patience whilst Network Rail improves the track at Newark Castle level crossing.”
Photo credit: Network Rail
