Easter Rail Works to Close Key West Coast Routes for Six Days
Rail passengers travelling over the Easter period will face disruption as major engineering works close parts of the West Coast Main Line next month. The busy intercity route, used by more than 75 million passengers each year, will be affected between Good Friday, 3 April, and Wednesday, 8 April. Network Rail says the closure allows engineers to carry out projects that cannot be completed during a normal weekend.
The most significant shutdown will affect services between London Euston and Milton Keynes, where trains will not operate during the six-day period. Separately, the section between Preston and Lancaster will close over Easter weekend on Saturday, 4 April, and Sunday, 5 April. These works form part of a wider £400 million programme focused on improving reliability and repairing ageing sections of track.
“The four-day period at Easter gives us a valuable opportunity to complete projects that simply can’t be delivered during a normal weekend. This ensures we maximise the time our teams are out working on the tracks."
Several locations along the route will see construction teams carrying out upgrades during the closure. New track will be laid in Willesden in north London, while Harrow and Wealdstone station will undergo repairs and infrastructure improvements. Engineers will also work on a historic railway bridge in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, a structure known for its link to the Great Train Robbery.
Alternative services during the Easter works
Some services will continue using different routes during the closure period:
- Avanti West Coast trains between Preston and Carlisle will operate via the Settle–Carlisle line
- Anglo-Scottish services will run through Dumfries and Kilmarnock between Good Friday and Easter Monday
These diversions allow long-distance journeys to continue, although travel times may increase.
Network Rail says the Easter timetable provides a rare window for large-scale upgrades while fewer commuters are travelling. More than 270 engineering projects are scheduled across Britain’s railway during the same holiday period. Anyone planning journeys on affected routes is advised to check schedules carefully before travelling, as services, routes and journey times may change during the works.