Railway upgrades near Milton Keynes expected to disrupt travel over Christmas
Major works at Hanslope Junction will impact services.
Rail passengers travelling through Milton Keynes over Christmas are being advised to plan ahead as major upgrade work at Hanslope Junction will cause disruption to services.
Hanslope Junction, a vital railway section seven miles from Milton Keynes, handles over 3,300 passenger and freight services each week. Network Rail teams are preparing a £26m programme of improvements starting on Christmas Eve.
Dubbed Britain’s biggest Christmas jigsaw puzzle, the project includes replacing 130 track pieces, strengthening track foundations, and upgrading points, switches, and crossings. Engineers aim to improve reliability and reduce delays, which have caused over 11,000 minutes of disruption in the past five years.
The work will also see additional improvements made while trains aren't running between Milton Keynes and Rugby or Milton Keynes and Northampton, including:
Milton Keynes Central station – Platform 4 renewal
A £3.66m improvement replacing concrete planks and fixing uneven surfaces for improved safety and structural integrity.
Wolverton station – Platforms 3 and 4 resurfacing
Over £2m invested to enhance platform surfaces and optimise stepping distances between train and platform.
Track renewal near Roade
Nearly £600,000 to install 1,500 metres of new rail near Roade, enhancing reliability and safety.
Newport Bridge, Stafford
Part of a £5.4m upgrade to strengthen the A518 bridge over the railway.
Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s route director for the West Coast South route, said: “These upgrades to the West Coast Main Line will make the railway more reliable and safer for many years to come.
“We appreciate passengers’ patience while this work takes place. If you plan to travel during the Christmas period, I would urge you to plan your journeys as early as possible and check in with National Rail Enquiries for the latest information on services.”
No trains will run between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby for 11 days, from the evening of 24th December until the morning of 5th January. Follow-up work will take place on Sundays 11th and 25th January, also causing disruptions between Milton Keynes and Northampton/Rugby.