Aerial photos show major preparations for the building of a new railway flyover at Bletchley which will entirely close the West Coast main line this early May bank holiday.
The pictures taken from the Network Rail helicopter show more than 100 precast concrete girders ready to be installed ahead of the full railway closure between Milton Keynes and Euston over 1-3 May.
Cranes will lift the girders over all four lines at Bletchley as part of the East West Rail project*.
The complex network of 25,000-volt overhead electric cables which power trains must also be dismantled and reinstalled underneath the new structure once all the girders are lifted into place.
Passengers are being advised to travel either side of the improvement work on Friday 30 April and Tuesday 4 May.
Trains will start and finish at Milton Keynes between 1-3 May. London Euston will also be closed.
Passengers needing to travel between 1-3 May could have longer journeys, fewer available seats, and may need to use rail replacement buses.
People should continue to follow Government guidance around the use of public transport and minimise the number of journeys they make where possible.
To plan journeys and for the latest travel information visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk/westcoast.
“Tim Shoveller, managing director for Network Rail’s North West & Central region, said: “We know there is never an ideal time to shut the railway, but this major engineering project at Bletchley can only be done during a full closure of the West Coast main line. Our advice is to travel either side of the early May bank holiday. If you have to make a journey between 1-3 May please check National Rail Enquiries so you know exactly what to expect.
“The first sections of the old 1960s-built concrete flyover were removed in May 2020, and it’ll be a great engineering achievement to see the gap bridged again this bank holiday with a modern replacement so East West Rail can transform journeys and improve connectivity across the heart of the country.”
Meanwhile, several other sections of the West Coast main line will be closed for upgrades over the early May bank holiday in the North West and in Scotland.
Read more about how future journeys are being improved here:
- ‘Travel either side’ of May Bank holiday in North West
- ‘Travel either side’ May bank holiday between London and Scotland
- Railway improvements close Euston station this May bank holiday
To see how it will impact journeys visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/westcoast
To read more about the work to demolish the old Bletchley flyover click the links below:
- Up, up and away: 1960s West Coast main line railway flyover has lift off
- Next phase of railway flyover demolition involves three of the UK’s largest cranes
For interview requests please contact media manager Chris Halpin on 07740 782 954 or email [email protected].
Photo credit: Network Rail
