Network Rail Improvement work means changes to Virgin Trains’ services at Easter

There will be alterations to services over the Easter weekend because of route improvement work but the principal travel days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon and evening will see full normal services operating.


On the Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend there will be work taking place at various times between Milton Keynes and Rugby, Rugby and Birmingham International, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly, and between Oxenholme and Glasgow/Edinburgh.


Maundy Thursday, 1 April and Good Friday, 2 April

There will be a normal service.


Saturday, 3 April

Because of route improvement work between Birmingham International and Rugby services from Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street to London Euston will be diverted via an alternative route in both directions and will not be able to call at Birmingham International and Coventry. A replacement coach service will run between Birmingham International and Rugby calling at Coventry. Trains serving North Wales and Chester will only run between Holyhead and Crewe where connections can be made to and from London Euston.

The line between Oxenholme and Glasgow Central will be closed from 20:00 with replacement coaches linking Oxenholme with Penrith, Carlisle, and Glasgow Central


Sunday 4 April

Because of route improvement work between Rugby and Milton Keynes (Euston until 12:00) services from the Midlands and North West will terminate and start back from Rugby and include calls at either Nuneaton or Coventry. The hourly West Coast Replacement Shuttle will operate in both directions from Nuneaton and Coventry direct to London Euston via an alternative route through Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. In addition a replacement coach service will run in both directions between Rugby and Milton Keynes connecting with a Pendolino shuttle service running in both directions between Milton Keynes and London Euston and calling at Watford Junction. Before 12:00 the replacement coach service will run to and from London Euston. Trains serving North Wales and Chester will only run between Holyhead and Crewe where connections can be made to and from London Euston.

The line between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport will be closed all day and trains from the south will have to terminate at Stockport. A replacement coach service will run in both directions between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

Trains will be unable to run north of Oxenholme Lake District, because of route improvement work at various locations in Cumbria and southern Scotland. Replacement coaches will connect with trains from the south at either Preston or Oxenholme and convey customers through to Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, and either Edinburgh, or Motherwell and Glasgow Central.


Bank Holiday Monday 5 April

Because of route improvement work taking place until 12:00 between Milton Keynes and Euston train services will be slightly reduced. After 12:00 the full normal service to and from Euston will resume running via Milton Keynes and Watford Junction

For further information passengers should visit nationalrail.co.uk or telephone 08457 484950.

End

For further media information contact the Virgin Trains Press Office on 0845 000 3333, or visit our media website at www.virgintrainsmediaroom.com.

Notes to Editors

Virgin Trains Media Information

Images of Virgin Trains and the company’s operations are available in the Image Library on our online Media Room website www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/

You can subscribe to receive alerts to new press releases by visiting www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/

Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group. We have operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997; the current franchise runs to March 2012.

Virgin Rail Group is owned 51 percent by Virgin Group and 49 percent by Stagecoach.

Virgin Trains has been recognised in numerous industry awards. On 19 January 2010 the company was named Best Rail Operator of the Year at the Travel Globe Awards, voted for by readers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Evening Standard. In 2009 Virgin Trains was voted Best UK Domestic Train Service by Business Traveller magazine for the second year running; and named Best Rail Operator in the 2009 Group Leisure Awards, run by Group Leisure, the magazine for group travel organisers.