NETWORK Rail has warned passengers to expect delays around Christmas and the New Year ahead of major £130 million works.
The disruption is set to last for a total of a month over Christmas, while crucial work is carried out.
There will be a disruption on major routes this Christmas[/caption]
Major work will be carried out on signalling, tracks and power supply[/caption]
Announcing a raft of festive network upgrades, Network Rail boss Helen Hamlin said: “The period between Christmas and New Year is the quietest on the railway and it’s the best time for us to do the major projects that will take longer than a night or a weekend to complete.
“We work with train operators to organise diversions and rail replacement buses for passengers who are travelling, but it’s still so important to plan ahead.”
“That’s especially the case this year as we have some very big plans for improving the railway that will mean people may have to travel home on different routes after Christmas than the way they travelled out.
“Thank you to everyone for your patience and understanding and for planning ahead.”
Which towns will be affected?
The Yorkshire–Leeds line will be closed from 25 December to 2 January while crucial work is carried out on signalling, track and power supply around Church Fenton, as part of the billion Transpennine Route Upgrade.
After Christmas, trains will be diverted via Castleford for another three weeks, leaving commuters facing longer journeys.
Northern and TransPennine Express say passengers will still be able to travel between York and Leeds for “most of this time” via a different route.
But some trains will be replaced by buses, particularly between Christmas and New Year, so travellers are urged to check schedules before setting off.
Replacing a junction at Hanslope on the West Coast Main Line means no trains between Milton Keynes and Rugby between Christmas Day and 5 January.
Commissioning and testing a new signalling system to improve reliability and safety means no trains between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport from Christmas Day until 5 January.
Engineering work within Bishopsgate tunnel and work to refurbish the roof of London Liverpool Street station mean no trains between Stratford and Liverpool St from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Renewal of worn-out track and points around Queenstown Road, London, means no trains to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January.
The installation of a new railway bridge at Bowling in West Dunbartonshire means no trains between Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, 24 December to 2 January.
Installing new signalling at Kingmoor, just north of Carlisle, means no trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 January to 7 January.
Replacing a 1960s bridge over the M6 motorway means no trains between Preston and Carlisle from 31 December to 15 January.
Rail disruptions this Christmas
Travellers face over a month of disruption on major routes, Network Rail has warned.
- No trains between Milton Keynes and Rugby between Christmas Day and 5 January.
- No trains between Preston and Carlisle, 31 December- 15 January
- No trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie from 1 January and 7 January
- No trains between Leeds and York between Christmas Day and 2 January.
- No trains between Cambridge North, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Stansted Airport from Christmas Day until 5 January.
- No trains between Stratford and Liverpool St from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
- No trains to or from Waterloo from Christmas Day until 28 December, and a very limited service to Waterloo until 4 January.
- No trains between Dalmuir and Balloch/Helensburgh Central, or between Glasgow Queen Street and Crianlarich, 24 December – 2 January.
Natasha Grice, rail director at independent watchdog Transport Focus, said passengers generally understand the need for maintenance — but stressed the importance of minimising disruption.
“Passengers want to stay on the train wherever possible, know in advance if part of their journey will be by replacement bus, and have staff on hand to help,” she said. “Clear communication at all times is key.”
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at Rail Delivery Group, added: “We’re working hard to run as many services as possible and ask customers to treat our railway colleagues with respect during this busy period. Please allow extra time for journeys between Christmas and New Year.”
Pay for train tickets after you board
Passengers can now travel on UK trains without buying tickets.
A new app means passengers now pay for train tickets AFTER they board.
The app will be trialled for passengers travelling on Northern rail services between Harrogate and Leeds by tracking their journey from today, before rolling out to other destinations.
Under a new trial, passengers will board their train and then tap a button in an app on their phone.
GPS technology in their phone will register the location where they get off and passengers will enter back into the app to tap ‘end journey’, according to the BBC.
A few minutes after doing this, the passenger will get a message telling them how much they have paid for the journey, which will be charged at the end of the day.
If on a train and asked to show a ticket, passengers can show a barcode on the app for inspectors to scan.
The same can be shown at barriers to exit a station, according to The Department for Transport (DfT).
Passengers who take part in the trial will be given £15 free credit.
The trial will also be rolled out across journeys between Sheffield and Doncaster on October 27, and Sheffield and Barnsley, on November 24.
A similar ticketing trial was also launched on some East Midlands Railway routes on September 1.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “We’re bringing ticketing into the 21st century. These trials are modernising fares and ticketing, making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we’re delivering straightforward, stress-free train travel across the north, supporting passengers and boosting economic growth, jobs and homes.”
Passengers can now pay for their train ticket at the end of their journey[/caption]
