2013-05-17 — /travelprnews.com/ — Virgin Trains is asking customers to make sure they have reserved seats for train travel over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend by booking their tickets in advance. This can be done online by visiting virgintrains.com, calling 08457 977 4222 or calling in at any Virgin Trains’ station where knowledgeable travel consultants will be able to discuss and book journey requirements. Weekend First Class Upgrades along with Off-Peak tickets will be available for travel throughout the three-day holiday weekend together with an extensive range of Advance tickets.
Network Rail is taking the opportunity to carry out essential route improvement work on the West Coast Main Line – one of the busiest rail routes in Europe – at certain times during the holiday period when fewer people are travelling to work. In most cases work is scheduled to be completed by early afternoon on the Bank Holiday Monday allowing homecoming travellers to complete journeys without interruption. Where work is taking place alternative routes are available for train travel in many cases, although in order to ensure that all stations are served replacement coaches will have to be used for some journeys.
For full details of train and replacement coach timings visit nationalrail.co.uk or call 08457 48 49 50.
Here is a day by day summary of those sections of route that are closed for improvement work:
Saturday 25 May
• Wolverhampton to Stafford – Trains diverted, not serving Wolverhampton. Replacement coaches Wolverhampton to Stafford
• Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street from 11:00 – Train connections via Manchester for journeys to/from London Euston. For local journeys use replacement coaches
• Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay from 11:00 – Train diversions via Chester
• Preston to Oxenholme Lake District – Replacement coaches, or for Anglo Scottish journeys to/from Birmingham New Street or London Euston use East Coast route
• Lockerbie to Edinburgh – Trains diverted via an alternative route.
Sunday 26 May
• London Euston to Rugby – Route open to trains but some individual lines shut so reductions in service frequency.
• On the Chester/Holyhead route services will start from/terminate at Crewe
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton – Trains diverted not serving Wolverhampton. Combination of local trains and replacement coaches between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton. Replacement coaches Wolverhampton to Stafford
• Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street – Train connections via Manchester Piccadilly for journeys to/from London Euston. For local journeys use replacement coaches
• Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay – Diversions via Chester
• Preston to Oxenholme Lake District – Replacement coaches, or for Anglo Scottish journeys to/from Birmingham New Street or London Euston use East Coast route
• Lockerbie to Edinburgh – Trains diverted via an alternative route.
Monday 27 May
• London Euston to Milton Keynes Central until 12:00 – Route open to trains but some individual lines shut so reductions in service frequency
• On the Chester/Holyhead route services will start from/terminate at Crewe
• Wolverhampton to Stafford – Trains running between Birmingham New Street and Crewe diverted and not serving Wolverhampton. Replacement coaches Wolverhampton to Stafford
• Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street until 11:00 – Replacement coaches for local journeys
• Crewe to Warrington Bank Quay until 11:00 – Diversions via Chester
• Preston to Oxenholme Lake District until 13:00 – Replacement coaches
• Lockerbie to Edinburgh –- Trains diverted via an alternative route. Until 12:00 replacement coaches.
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