Passengers across the North West of England are being advised to plan ahead this Easter bank holiday weekend, as major engineering works take place across key parts of the rail network.
Between Friday 18 April and Monday 21 April, Network Rail will deliver vital infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving the reliability and resilience of services for both passengers and freight.
Key works over Easter include:
- Preparatory work for the £20 million Greek Street bridge rebuild in Stockport.
- Signalling upgrades between Carlisle and Carstairs, affecting West Coast Main Line services.
- Track upgrades in the Liverpool City Region, resulting in line closures around Liverpool Lime Street on Easter Sunday.
- Ongoing enhancements to Salford Central station, affecting routes into and out of Manchester.
Disruption to services
Services will be significantly impacted over the Easter weekend:
- Stockport: Services will be diverted or replaced by buses from 19–22 April. The Greek Street roundabout is now closed for a year.
- Carlisle–Carstairs: Between 19–21 April, trains on the West Coast Main Line will start and terminate at Carlisle, with bus replacements to Glasgow, Dumfries, and Edinburgh.
- Liverpool Lime Street: Closed on Easter Sunday (20 April). Lines between Mossley Hill and Huyton will be affected, with replacement buses in operation.
- Salford Central: Line closures between Manchester Victoria and Salford Crescent will affect services to Bolton, Wigan, Clitheroe, Chester, Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly.
Longer journeys and altered services
Passengers travelling between London and the North West are particularly affected. London Euston will be closed on 19, 20 and 21 April, with no trains running between Euston and Milton Keynes Central. A reduced timetable will be in place on Friday 18 April. Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway and other operators will be running altered or diverted services, with some rail replacement buses.
Phil James, Network Rail’s North West Route Director, said:
“We appreciate that our work over Easter may cause inconvenience and we’re sorry for that. However, these upgrades are essential to improve reliability and safety on the network.
We strongly advise passengers to check National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator before they travel.”
The Easter weekend has been chosen for this work due to typically lower passenger numbers and fewer freight services, creating the least disruption for most users.
Operator-specific travel advice:
Avanti West Coast
No services to/from London Euston from 19–21 April. Services affected across the West Coast Main Line. Travel on 18 April where possible. Expect longer journey times.
CrossCountry
From 19–21 April, services to/from Manchester Piccadilly will not call at Stockport, Macclesfield or Stoke-on-Trent. Buses will operate between Stafford, Macclesfield and Stockport.
East Midlands Railway
Amended services on the Liverpool–Norwich route between 19–21 April. No trains at Stockport. Rail replacement buses will connect Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
London Northwestern Railway
No trains between London Euston and Watford Junction (18–21 April). Services between Birmingham and Liverpool will terminate at Liverpool South Parkway on Sunday 20 April.
Northern
Some lines closed. Reduced services and early finishes on some routes from 18–21 April. Liverpool Lime Street closed on Easter Sunday.
TransPennine Express
No services between Carlisle and Glasgow/Edinburgh (18–21 April). Bus replacement services available. No trains at Stockport. Altered services between Liverpool–Cleethorpes and Manchester–Sheffield.
Plan ahead
Passengers are urged to check their journey details in advance using nationalrail.co.uk/spring or their train operator’s website. Travel either side of the Easter weekend is recommended wherever possible.
