Passengers are being advised to check before they travel ahead of work to improve future journeys on an important railway corridor through the West Midlands.
Several major projects will be taking place in various places over nine days on the Coventry to Leamington Spa line, and between Heyford and Oxford, between Saturday 29 July until Sunday 6 August.
One key piece of work will see Network Rail invest £11 million to strengthen a Victorian-built railway viaduct which carries trains over the River Avon near Leamington Spa.
Specialist roped access teams will upgrade the 179-year-old structure by replacing damaged and missing bricks, repointing the mortar, and strengthening its nine arches.
Over the nine days, different sections of the railway will need to close, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep passengers on the move.
For that reason, passengers are being encouraged to see how their individual journey could be impacted by checking www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator for detailed travel information.
Additional essential upgrade work over the nine days include:
- A £1.3 million investment to build 2.2 miles of new track in Banbury to improve journey reliability.
- A 47-metre-long bridge being installed in Kenilworth so tracks for HS2 can be built underneath the existing rail route.
- A major railway resignalling scheme around Oxford to prepare for East West Rail.
- The railway closure will affect Chiltern Railways services between the West Midlands and London Marylebone, as well as West Midlands Railways and CrossCountry services between Coventry and Leamington Spa, and further south to Oxford.
Denise Wetton, Network Rail Central route director, said: “I’d like to thank passengers in advance for their patience ahead of this major work while we carry out essential maintenance on an historic viaduct in Leamington Spa, new signalling is installed for East West Rail in Oxford and HS2 builds a key structure that will enable the railway of the future.
“The scale of these projects means there will be disruption to trains between Coventry to Leamington Spa and Oxford from Saturday 29 July until Sunday 6 August. We’ve worked closely with all train operators on plans to keep passengers on the move, and I’d urge people to plan ahead by checking National Rail Enquiries, so they know what to expect from their individual journey.”
As well as checking National Rail Enquiries, passengers are also encouraged to check the websites of their individual train operators, with ongoing industrial action resulting in short notice changes to some services.
Image credit: Network Rail